Job Search Tips for the Holiday Season

The holiday season often brings us in contact with people we don't see very much during the year; former work colleagues, neighbors, relatives, and old friends. These people can all be very influential members of your network, and once you've reconnected over a holiday get-together or phone call, you can naturally follow up to ask for more specific assistance. Use seasonal activities to stimulate network contacts.

Remember - The jobs in Q1 will get filled by the pro-active job seekers in Q4!

Be prepared to BRIEFLY inform your contacts what you're up to and what you're looking for... then step back. "I don't want to monopolize your time! How about if I give you a call in a few days to see what suggestions you might be able to give me." When you do call, you've "primed the pump," so to speak, and you won't feel awkward reintroducing yourself to people you haven't been close with recently.

TIP: If you attend a work party for your spouse, spend as much time as possible talking with other spouses (not just co-workers) because they will bring outside perspectives from many different workplaces.

TIP: If you come across people who have found a new job in the last year or so, remember that they are VERY inclined to be helpful to other job seekers!

Take advantage of corporate “down time” to meet with less-stressed executives. The last two weeks of December, lots of people take time off. Those who don't often find themselves in a low-key work environment-most projects are completed, and there is a lull before things start fresh in the new year. This is the time to reconnect with people in your network and ask for an in-person meeting.

TIP: Bring in some holiday cookies, candy, nuts, or fruit to share-nothing elaborate or expensive, but a good way to make yourself part of the work environment.

TIP: Remember to ask for "advice, suggestions, and ideas," NOT jobs or even job leads. Be clear about your talents, strengths and interests. Be appreciative, follow up on all ideas, and periodically provide a status report to your contacts. Keep them in the loop so they remain an active part of your network.

Position yourself to move strongly "out of the gate"come January. To be sure you're ready to take off next month, do the following now:

Update or polish your resume. Make sure it is communicating your value and includes plenty of solid achievements that will prove your worth to potential employers. Rename it "your First/Last name Resume 2010"

Create a 2010 "template" cover letters that you can quickly tailor for individual opportunities. There's no need to start from scratch each time, and if you give some thought now to the most important information you should present, you can easily modify these templates to get customized cover letters out quickly in January.

Search the web for job postings that are of interest, even if you don't intend to apply for them due to location, level, industry, or some other factor. Peruse these postings to gain a solid understanding of what employers are looking for, and examine your resume and cover letter to make sure you've included the "key words" employers are most likely to use.

Create an updated target company list. Use online and traditional research methods to find companies you'd like to work for... companies with the right size, location, industry, growth projection, leadership team, mission, values, strategic partners, and on and on. Once you have your list, you can approach networking contacts with a real sense of mission: Help me connect to someone influential at this particular company.

Do salary research. Using job postings and information available at sites such as www.salary.com, come up with facts and trends that will support your salary-negotiation requests.

Research 20 new recruiters that specialize in your industry and discipline and use the “Call-Send-Call” formula:

1. Call each recruiter “directly” to introduce yourself, verify their specialty and email address, identify your objective and offer to provide your information electronically.
2. Send your professionally developed resume and customized cover letter with your salary requirements, geographic preferences and your professional objective.
3. Call them back in 1-2 weeks to answer any questions they may have about your background and experience. Note: Don’t call just to see if they received your email?

Brush up your interviewing and negotiating skills. Read a book on interviewing skills...prepare and practice your responses to common interview questions... videotape yourself and critique your performance... practice with a friend or a coach... zero in on your specific problem areas and practice, practice, practice untill your performance is smooth and polished. The key to successful interviewing is to be crystal clear about what you have to offer and how it can benefit a company, and be confident and persistent in communicating this information.

Be sure to enjoy the holiday season, regardless of your job search status. Try not to let the uncertainty, stress, or frustration of a job search interfere with family activities, traditional holiday celebrations, or the true joy of the season. If you do, you'll certainly regret it when you look back, a few months from now, from the security of your new position.

Best Wishes for a Joyous Holiday Season!

Mark S. James, CPC
Hire Consulting Services
http://www.HireConsultant.com

Top 7 Ways to Say “Thank You”

Never underestimate the power of a “Thank You”. Recently, I thanked someone for helping me get connected to someone I wanted to meet. She then replied to my note of thanks by inviting me as a guest speaker for a group she chairs. I didn't even know she chaired this group and had never considered speaking there – until now. This upcoming speaking opportunity would never have occurred if I hadn't taken a moment to say thanks. It started me thinking about how often saying thank you turns into new relationships and new business.

Here in America, November is Thanksgiving month. This month is a great time to pause to reflect on our gratitude and appreciation. So it's an excellent time to consider “7 Ways to Say Thank You” that can bring you more referrals:

1. Say “Thank-You” to everyone who makes a difference in your life and career. When you thank people for going out of their way to assist, advise, guide, coach, connect, compliment, suggest, recommend, or pay it forward to you several positive results can ensue. Being thanked encourages them to remember how good it made you feel and how appreciative you genuinely are for what they did. Expressing thanks gives you another reason to reach out to get in touch with them again, find out how they are doing, and let them know what is new with you --- which is a great way to stay connected and networked. It also shows them that you are a professional who follows up and follows through and never takes anything for granted.

2. Thank those who refer prospects that never turn into anything. Referrals that don't often result in productive opportunities may seem as if they don't warrant thanks. But it's essential that you thank people every time they refer someone or something to you. When a referral doesn't turn into a solid lead or job opportunity because he or she chooses someone else or you aren't a good fit, or you're too busy to follow up, the prospect frequently tells the referrer that "it didn't work out." As a result, that referrer is unlikely to send you any more leads, tips, ideas and referrals.

Instead, say thanks for every prospect, no matter what happens. It you end up not working with that person, tell the referrer why. If the referral wasn't a match for your background, say more about who would be a good fit for them. If you're too busy, explain that it's only temporary and future referrals would be welcome. And if the prospect chose someone else, express thanks for the great opportunity and that you'd appreciate more just like it. Always remember to be a giver – not just a taker!

3. Thank your friends and family. Sometimes those that are closest to us are the ones that are taken for granted. Even when you are interacting with the closest people you know on daily basis, taking a moment to thank them for their continued trust will increase their love and respect for you, boost their loyalty gratitude, and encourage them to want to help be there for you even more.

4. Thank the leaders of groups you belong to. Association officers, program and membership chairs, and special interest group leaders deserve your thanks for the hard work they do. And, these high-profile individuals are often asked to refer someone with a particular specialty for an interview, speaking engagement, or business opportunity. Expressing your thanks gives you a chance to get better acquainted with them so they'll think of you first.

5. Thank people who mention you in articles, blogs, and social networks. It has happened to me more times than I can count that I have thanked people for mentioning me or my work in an article or LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or blog post, and they have replied by asking me to speak for their group, be interviewed for an article, or contribute to their blog. Saying thank you increases the affinity between you and those you thank. It makes them want to find other ways to engage with you.

6. Thank those who provide good service. A lovely way to thank people who serve you and your business is to offer a testimonial they can use in their own marketing. Making your thanks public can result in higher name recognition for you and your business, inbound links to your website or social networking profile, and sometimes even gains you priority service because the recipient of your testimonial wants to keep your goodwill.

7. Thank prominent people whose work inspires you. Those who generously give of their time to help and inspire others are seldom thanked enough for their efforts. When you go out of your way to give thanks, you'll stand out and be remembered, adding influential people like these to your personal network.

So many ways to give thanks may suggest that you could spend your whole day thanking people, and that's not a bad thought. Saying thank you isn't just a nice thing to do, it's a practical approach to strengthening relationships, encouraging referrals, staying in touch with your network, and reminding people what your business is about. With a simple thank you it can lead to more business in so many ways, perhaps they should become a significant part of your job search marketing strategy.

And by the way, THANK YOU for reading this article, attending my networking events, being my client and sending referrals my way! I appreciate your trust and look forward to serving you when and if you need help.








Mark S. James, CPC
Founder and President
Hire Consulting Services, LLC
Career Management Coaching
Expert Mock Interview Training
Strategic Recruiting Solutions
ExecuNet Meeting Facilitator - Irvine and San Diego
760-230-4301 San Diego
513-708-4112 Cincinnati
mjames@HireConsultant.com
www.HireConsultant.com
CoachingCatalyst.blogspot.com

One day, the phone just stopped ringing?

At first, you may not have noticed it. You were too busy applying to online job postings like all unsuspecting job seekers do. But then the one job opportunity you had gets filled with another candidate. Now you have no other job leads and your opportunity pipeline is now empty. Suddenly you realized that it had been quite some time since any new opportunities were referred to you. Does this sound familiar?

Whether you've been in looking for a job for 1 month or 10+ months, it can take you by surprise when referrals suddenly dry up. When your job search is thriving, referrals routinely arrive from friends who say they heard about an opportunity or someone thinks of you and passes along your name for a job that matches your background. If those types of things are not happening, you have a big problem. Without leads and referrals, you'll have to work much harder to get a new job. Want proof? Think back in time about all the jobs you had in your career – how did you find them? Of course, it was through a friend or networking relationship!

But where have your referrals gone? You may need to put on your detective hat and do some sleuthing to find out. Here are some of the most common reasons why referrals disappear, and what you can do to get them back.

1. You've dropped out of sight. When was the last time you attended a networking event? Volunteered on a committee? Wrote an article? Spoke in public? If you stop being visible in your target market or professional community, people forget about you very quickly.

Clues: The only appointment in your calendar this week is to get your teeth cleaned at the dentist. When you run into a friend or colleague, they say, "How are you? I haven't heard from you in a long time?"

Solution: Make it a point to complete FIVE (5) new job search activities every day to keep you visible and in front of more people. Do the math – that’s 25 new job search activities every week! Hint: Sending an email and hoping the phone rings is NOT the right type of activity.

2. Your network has stopped expanding. When your contacts are limited to people you already know, your referrals are limited to only the people that THEY know. Without anyone new in the circle, there's nowhere for fresh referrals to come from.

Clues: You haven't added any new names to your contact database in months. You don’t double-back and follow up with your network to stimulate more referrals, because you've already talked to everyone you know.

Solution: Ask the people you already know to introduce you to any of their contacts who might be helpful. Follow up and make appointments to meet and spend some time getting to know these new folks. Then they will become your contacts, too, and your network will automatically expand. Your goal is to secure 3 new referrals from everyone you meet.

3. You're networking with the wrong people. Perhaps the people you meet are not really connectors that have do not have deep rolodexes and can't help you?

Clues: You're in touch with the same old people on a regular basis, but no one is referring leads and job opportunities to you. When a get a dead-end referral you lose interest, drag your feet and/or never follow up on it and lose more momentum.

Solution: Identify categories of people who have regular contacts with your target market, and are likely to encounter job leads that fit your background. For instance, focusing on industry specific people who have many business relationships with companies that you have targeted to pursue. You will be more likely to get referrals from networking with attorneys, accountants and financial planners and other similar service providers.

4. People don’t know you are looking for a job. Bottom line: You will never get referrals if you keep your search a secret.

Clues: You hear that one of your former co-workers just got a great new job with a competing company. Someone tells you, "I didn't know you were unemployed - how long have you been looking?"

Solution: Reach out to all of the people you know especially the most successful contacts. Tell your brief job search story and (important part) ask them “How can I help you? Return all phone calls and emails promptly. Return the favor and refer them on to someone else you trust, then REALLY THANK the person who has helped you along the way. Hint: Forget email...you need to write hand-written thank you notes. This will encourage your contacts to keep referring you leads and introductions in the future, because they know their referrals will always be acted on by you quickly.

Don’t just be a taker - Focus on giving! People always remember how you treat them and you want to be remembered when the time is right. In order to keep a constant flow of referrals coming, you need to give your referral-building activities the same high-quality, consistent attention you give to your family and best friends.

Conclusion: The secret to avoiding the "feast or famine" networking cycles that plagues many job seekers is to stay visible instead of hunkering down in your office waiting for the phone to ring. You need to make a better plan to increase your face-to-face meetings and nurture your network for the rest of your career and life.

Mark’s Moral: “It’s not what you know or who you know. It’s who knows you and what they are saying about you that matters most.”

Good Hunting!
Coach Mark

Unemployment Update

There are recent reports that unemployment will not peak for at least another eight to 12 months as the economic recovery takes root. The unemployment during the economic downturn was not expected to decrease very rapidly amid the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. It appears these workforce problems in 2010 may be much more difficult to solve than were originally forecasted by our government.

Are you an unemployed executive? What are you currently doing to better compete for the open positions that are available? It may be time to hire a career coach.

Good Hunting!

The LinkedIn Advantage

I spend a great deal of my time networking with the executives that are in transition and those that do the hiring. I started using LinkedIn slowly in 2003. Back then it seemed less than useful as a networking tool. Over the years, as more and more people have joined, and LinkedIn itself has evolved, it has become a phenomenal resource for job seekers and recruiters alike.

Looking for a job is never an easy task. During these challenging economic times it can be quite an overwhelming process. It’s been my experience that Internet Job Boards do more harm than good to the people they claim to be helping. Internet job postings can be an addictive curse for job seekers by creating a lot of “false hope”. Simply applying to a job online perpetuates the illusion of being busy and productive in your job search, when it’s really not!

Currently, on average, only 5-10% of new jobs are landed by people whose resume was posted to a job board. The moral of the story: “Clicking and sending your resume and hoping the phone rings can be a huge waste of time and energy. Fact: 8 of 10 people land their new job through networking relationships and getting connected to new people through warm introductions and referrals. Want proof? Just look back in your career and remember how you found most of your jobs!

LinkedIn is by far the best online networking tool for job seekers because it empowers them to touch more people by connecting virtually, which leads to more conversations and “face-to-face” meetings. Having a LinkedIn profile that is “100% completed” will help you improve your visibility to recruiters and human resource professionals. It is one of the best and most modern job search tools around.

Being a member of a “LinkedIn Group” is another great way to stay connected and allows you to be “passively proactive” with other people that have a common goal – landing a new job!

I expect all my career coaching clients to update their LinkedIn profile periodically and suggest that they join the ExecuNet LinkedIn Group, which was created exclusively for the executives that attend the ExecuNet monthly networking meetings that I host and facilitate in San Diego and Irvine, CA. I always encourage the ExecuNet LinkedIn Group members to post discussions and comments and to share job leads.

This type of virtual communication builds relationships and increases positive momentum for everyone in transition and provides new connections that can help them move from where they are to where they want to be!

Mark S. James, CPC
Founder and President
The Career Catalyst Blog
Hire Consulting Services, LLC
www.HireConsultant.com

The Real Cost of Being Unemployed

If you are unemployed, it is critical for you to understand how much salary you are actually losing by being unemployed.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics), the average time it takes to land a job is 9 weeks in normal hiring conditions!

This means if you were earning $70,000 and it took you 9 weeks (45 business days) to find a new job -- you lost $12,105 by being unemployed!

If you are an executive level manager, the Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us the average search time is 13 weeks. In today's job market, this is more like 6-8 months!

Therefore, if you earn $180,000 annually and it took you 13 weeks to find a job - then you have lost almost $45,000 in salary by being unemployed!

Please refer to the "Loss of Gross Pay Calculations" chart below to see how you may be affected:

Salary - Weekly Pay Loss

$70,000 - $1,345
$80,000 - $1,540
$90,000 - $1,730
$100,000 - $1,925
$120,000 - $2,310
$140,000 - $2,690
$160,000 - $3,075
$180,000 - $3,460
$200,000 - $3,845
$250,000 - $4,807
$300,000 - $5,796

"Career-Critical" Time Considerations
Trimming just a week or two off your job search can save you a significant amount of money, whether in savings, or in lost income. For those of you who are unemployed, we ask that you keep the following facts in mind. "Time" should not be wasted. If it is, not only will you continue to lose money being unemployed, you run the risk of becoming "underemployed," which will negatively impact your compensation track.

Yes. It is true. The longer you are unemployed, the less marketable you could become, depending on what industry you are in.

92% of people who have been out of work for more than 12 months have had to take a pay cut when they found a new job.

If you are considering hiring a Career Transition Coach and you are not seeing the return in investment, ponder this: Assuming you earn $120,000 base salary and engage 6 months of expert career coaching for $5700. If you land just 2½ weeks faster you recover your entire investment!

At HCS, we coach executives nationally and globally. We are upfront and directly communicate with our clients via phone, webcam, email and one-on-one meetings. We've been in this business for a over 19 years and we will tell you how it is without sugar coating specifically based on your current job search situation and requirements.

So the question remains - How much compensation are you foregoing each week WITHOUT a career coach?

Good Hunting!
Coach Mark
Hire Consulting Services

Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People (Translation = Keep the Faith)

Beginning in 2012, the Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964), 76.4 million strong, are approaching their 65th birthdays. As their saving-minded parents, pass away, they will inherit billions of dollars.

In fact, according to a report from the McKinsey Global Institute, maturing Boomers will be the most affluent demographic segment in recorded history. McKinsey believes their money will represent 40 percent of all of the transactions in the United States in the next decade. Imagine the political clout they will have!

At this point in time with our contracted economy, Baby Boomers are spending less and saving more. When the recovery gets here and their investment portfolios return to reasonable levels, we will see a significant release of these funds. Some marketers are forecasting significant shortages of computers and automobiles, due to reductions in capacity.

Before the current downturn, we had seen record interest among seniors in "re-careering" to lower-paid less-stressful jobs. For now, we are seeing them choosing to stay in their current position as long as possible. Wise companies are looking for ways to capitalize on this valuable population segment without alienating the Generation Xers who want to move up. Once this recession is history, expect to see a return to previous attitudes and actions.

By the year 2030, more than one-fifth of the US population will be over the age of 65. They represent a phenomenal opportunity to marketers well-positioned to sell them goods and services. Besides the obvious healthcare needs, the affordable housing industry will be the beneficiary of this aging Boomer market as will a wide range of other service suppliers. Affluent seniors will be in the market to buy numerous services to handle tasks they simply do not want to do themselves, including running errands, food shopping, and cooking.

The national and local opportunities presented by this Senior Surge are unprecedented. Enlightened marketers are already preparing to address the wants and needs of this lucrative group and positioning themselves for success with this growing market segment.

Good Hunting!
Coach Mark

Online Scammers Prey on the Jobless

As the unemployment rate skirts double digits, criminals are preying on the anxiety of the jobless to relieve them of cash and their identities.

READ, LEARN and pass along to someone you know in career transition.

Click Here to read full NY Times article

Be a Smarter Job Hunter!

Coach Mark
Hire Consulting Services, LLC
Career Management Coaching

Culling of the Headhunters

You think you have it bad as a job seeker? Executive recruiters are really having a bad year to the point of closing their doors!

However, I pose this question to your brains. "Why do good companies need recruiters in this market?" Because the average tenure for executives is now 18-36 months. Message to company executives: The pendulum swings both ways....Do you want recruiter's finding that person for you, or from you?

A good recruiter partners with growing and progressive companies. A good recruiter does not chase transactions. Good recruiters are constantly building new relationships with growing organzations. It's the ONLY way to make themselves recession proof.

History does have a way of repeating itself. Hence, the culling of the herd of recruiters happens every 5-7 years. Remember the last fallout of 2002-2003?

Take heed: "History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.”

Good Hunting!
Coach Mark

Get Your Job Search Edge!

For those of you looking for the next opportunity, following are a few questions, thoughts and tips to get your edge:

Get clear on what you are looking for and what energizes you.

Discover your “highest and best” use for companies alike.

What are you interested in doing?

What are you "great" at doing? (If you don't feel like you know this one, think back on what everyone has always said you are great at, what have others come to you for to get mentoring or guidance...?)

Most importantly, what do you not want to do, and under what parameters do you not want to work?

Make a simple grid of these things and prioritize them. Use this as a tool to compare and contrast each opportunity that presents itself.

Set targets for how many people you want to connect to each week. Try to make at least 1/2 of them new connections and 1/2 of them re-connections.

Update your resume and ask for ongoing feedback from others on both your resume and your approach.

Have inexpensive personal business cards printed up with your contact information on the front and key bullet points on the back highlighting your expertise.

Register on Linked-in and Plaxo. Be sure to join groups that make sense for what you are looking for (alumni associations, professional and industry groups in your area of expertise, etc.).

Find out what local events are going on with professional associations, industry councils, local chambers of commerce, etc. and attend them.

Register on subscription job posting sites like ExecuNet and RiteSite. Warning: Avoid wasting too much time looking at the candy through the windows. This activity can create false hope and it’s not a productive use of your valuable time.

Get organized and track your progress -- keep copious notes on conversations and meetings you have with others so that when you have the opportunity to speak with them again you can refer back to something that you talked about in your previous conversation/meeting. This will help you build rapport faster and likely make the second or third meeting more effective.

Send thank you notes both electronic and hand written!

Keep an open mind to opportunities that may be different to what you had in mind initially.

Don't think finding a new role will happen without persistence and focus. That is why goal-setting is so critical.

Don't bad mouth your previous employer or anyone you have interviewed with or worked with before. Don't sit at home thinking it is all going to happen through social media on your computer. Face-to-face/personal communication is needed to balance out the process.

Don't be a whiner - everyone goes through tough times and many of us end up better than we were before. Remember, we all like to be around winners, so act like one even when you aren't feeling quite like one.

Take a day off every now and then to do something you have always wanted to do - it will refresh you.

Good Hunting!
Coach Mark

Surviving a Downturn as a Consultant

Many executives in career transition are consulting as independent contractors during the interim of their job search campaign. Here are thoughts on surviving and thriving through a downturn as a consultant.

It is very important that you strengthen your offering, positioning and foundation.

OFFERING
Over-deliver core offerings to core customers. The temptation is to expand into new products or new services and new customers. The issue is the risk/reward trade-off of that investment, particularly given the likelihood of irrational behavior by the people who will lose business or customers to your initiatives. Plus, there's the additional risk of diluting your positioning. Instead, deploy extra resources to strengthen your core offerings and delight your core customers.

POSITIONING
Strengthen your existing positioning. Downturns are good times to increase market-share. They're even better times to increase mind-share. Use extra time to accelerate your thought leadership in your current area of strength, resisting the temptation to try to broaden your positioning.

FOUNDATION
Manage cash. This is different than managing profits. Downturns require disciplined management of cash inflows and outflows. There are longer-term investments that make sense in normal times that may be too risky for the short term. Remember, you have to make it through the short term to get to the long term.

Good Hunting!
Coach Mark

Working a Room in Under 60 Minutes

By Bruce Allen – Marketing Catalyst Blog

I attend more than 150 business events every year. That's a lot of crackers, cucumbers, cheese, cheap wine and name badge spotting. It takes its toll, and I'm not always able of handle a full two-four hour production. During heavy event seasons I've also had to cover two or more events in one evening. And, sometimes work or life commitments dictate how quickly I need to leave. Whatever the reason I've learned a few things about maximizing my time at an event without staying for the duration.

Arrive early. When possible I might be the first person there. This allows me time to talk with organizers, association principles, etc. These are all good connections to have and explore. They can key me in on expected attendees, future activities and opportunities.

Read the names on the badges at the registration table. I like knowing whom I might meet – prospects, clients, competitors, referral resources, etc.

Once people start flowing in I stay near the entrance to the main networking area. People are more easily engaged in a conversation earlier than later. Plus, I will have a better chance of meeting everyone I want to meet. I am also by a maximum of attendees. Being
seen is almost as important as being known.

If I visit the bar or food tables – I’ll invite someone to join me. From the front door almost everyone is headed to one of those two places as their first stop after registration.

I often offer to bring drinks to a gaggle of people. They will definitely include me in their conversation when I return and people feel good about people that pamper them.

After about 30 minutes, when the crowd has really grown and a good buzz is happening I walk from the entrance to the furthest point away from the door in the networking space. Along the way I greet people I know but haven't spoken with yet, I wave and nod at
people I've already talked to, and smile at as many people as look me in the eye.

Once at the back of the room I survey the room for a cluster of VIPs hoping I know someone in the gaggle. If so, that's where I'm headed. If not, I look for a fellow service provider to discuss who is attending. What we can do together is make mutual
introductions and share information/insight about people in the room.

When the event is 45 minutes old I have pretty much "worked" the room and can start toward the exit much like I entered; nodding, shaking hands, and smiling. What I have accomplished is immense! I was seen by many, I appeared to be known by many, I made important connections (and set up opportunities for private meetings), and been a contributor to the "buzz" of an event.

For the record let me say that I think it is bad form to leave an event early. For all of the effort that individuals put into an event it is the decent thing to stay to the end. I hope for the same from attendees at events that I orchestrate. But at every event it is not possible for me as it is not possible for everyone that shows up. So if you find that your time is limited these were just a few ideas for making the journey productive.

Good Hunting!
Mark S. James, CPC
Career Catalyst
Hire Consulting Services

Current U.S. Job Trends

The Hire Report
Current U.S. Job/Career Trends

Trend #1: Senior executive talent is still in demand, albeit with more scrutiny and selectivity than ever before.

Trend #2: Shortages in "qualified" candidates still remains, although the pool to select from has grown very large and competitive. Well-networked candidates are the ones getting hired!

Trend #3: Innovation is still king, especially as companies rethink how they can compete on a different landscape.

Trend #4: Baby boomers, who are relevant for today's market, are finding more job openings for their experience, wisdom and expertise.

Trend #5: Revenue is key today – period!

Trend #6: Smart companies are approaching the recession as a chance to upgrade talent at the same price.

Trend #7: Middle management ranks are getting squeezed; the greatest number of layoffs are with the $100K - $185K (US) executives.

Trend #8: New entrepreneurs are cropping up from the ranks of laid off executives. Independent Consulting and Interim Management positions are very hot right now!

Trend #9: Although the war for talent may have cooled, relative to the current battle -- however, the war still rages on for good companies to hire top talent.

Trend #10: Companies started in this recession will be the leaders in the new economy that arises out of today's ashes.

Good Hunting!
Coach Mark

2009 Business Sector Rankings

Environmental services and so-called ‘clean technology’ lead the list of industries executive recruiters expect to generate the greatest growth in executive-level hiring in 2009, according to ExecuNet research. This sector moved from #7 to #1 on ExecuNet’s list of top growth industries for executive hiring in just over 12 months.

Current 2009 Ranking (January 2008 Ranking)
1. Environmental Services/Clean Technology (7)
2. Healthcare (1)
3. Life Sciences/Pharmaceuticals (3)
4. Energy (5)
5. High Tech (4)

Source: ExecuNet Recruiter Confidence Poll

Good Hunting!
Coach Mark
Hire Consulting Services

10 Truths About Layoffs

1. There are worse things than being laid off -- like staying in a bad job for "security."

2. In fact, losing your job may be the best career move you'll ever make.

3. But don't be surprised if you are unemployed longer than you expected at first.

4. Start your job search right away, but don’t network too soon. Update your resume and create a job search strategy first.

5. The Internet job postings won't necessarily solve your job-search problem. It only yields a new job about 5%-10% of the time. You must be able network effectively to find the next job!

6. There may be sacrifices ahead and you may have to settle for less money.

7. You might have to reinvent and re-brand yourself by changing disciplines and industries to be competitive.

8. You may also have to consider relocation to a different city.

9. For all the turmoil, never forget that your professional life span is longer than that of most companies.

10. Your real job is to discover what you truly love and then find a way to make a living doing it.

When in doubt -- hire a career transition coach to help you define your skills and competencies and develop a strategy to conduct a professional job search campaign and find your new job more quickly and efficiently.

Good Hunting!
Coach Mark
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