Looking Overseas to Find a Job

The Sunday, November 25th edition of The Washington Post carried an interesting article about Americans looking overseas to find jobs. It highlighted several individuals who were unable to find well paying or even any kind of job in their fields here, but found new and very good jobs abroad. The Department of State estimates that 6.3 million Americans right now are studying or working abroad. If you are looking for work, consider this as an option.

Lots of these newly employed Americans are teachers, but the article also follows one couple who are respectively a medical research assistant and a non profit employee and who both found work in Asia, a booming area, per the writer, Emily Matahar. Because of the high number of foreigners moving abroad, the writer also states that most Americans, even without local language skills, easily find the international community and fit right in.

There is no doubt that the job market is still a tough sell for most people. People will pay you for the skills that they want. You may have an easier time finding work aboard, at the same time adding to your resume as well as your bank account, by looking to the other side of the world.

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Videos...Videos

Never underestimate the power of a video. You've reached out to prospective employers with resumes, your own website, blogs, LinkedIn sites...etc. How about a video?

Videos are easy to create, and you can upload something short highlighting you in action to your own website, if you have one, or to your LinkedIn. It is one more way to communicate and to get your message out. Make sure you spotlight a situation where you are demonstrating your skills, be it in public speaking, training, leading a meeting...whatever. A picture is better than a thousand words. Try it today.

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Network, Network, Network!

Recently, I worked with a client who is finishing her master's degree and is concerned about her future employment. She asked me for the one outstanding piece of advise that I could give her...and I told her what I wrote above..."network, network, network".

People hire people, not resumes, or networking cards or LinkedIn profiles. People hire people who they either have worked with before, or who have worked with someone they know and value. That is why smart employers offer cash rewards to employees who bring them hirable candidates. This has always been important, and now more than ever.

Is being invited to networking functions enough?...no...you have to go, and work the room. Is being on LinkedIn enough?...no, you have to use it. Should you wait until you need a job?....no, networks need tending. Popping up on someone's radar only when you need them is ill advised, and frankly rude.

Networks do not grow overnight, and can easily die if not cared for. So pay some attention to your LinkedIn; take the holiday invitation and respond "yes" and go. Your working life may depend on it.

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Are You of "A Certain Age"?

If you are a job seeker of a "certain age", that is, over 50, you are probably aware that especially for you the job market is tough. I write this as a follow-up to my recent "relevancy" post because I had an experience with a potential client of a "certain age" for whom relevancy is a non-starter.

This gentleman owns a business in an industry that is dying. Ten years ago, he changed his business model and it helped somewhat; however, since the beginning of the most recent economic downturn his business has been failing. Right now he thinks he will be closing his doors by the end of this year. During our discussion it was clear to me that he has done little to nothing in the past several years to improve his situation.

Clearly, this gentleman needs identification of personal transferable skills; he needs to understand how to prepare generic and targeted resumes. He needs networking skills in order to locate even a survival job until and quite possibly he locates training in a new field. He also needs to figure out if he can save his present business. When we spoke he gave me a long list of issues including poor economic decisions, lack of education, etc...What I told him is that that was then and this is now. Relevancy rears again. He needs to act, and quickly. This gentleman has probably at least a dozen years left to work before he can think of retiring. He has to determine what he wants, what he can do and then do it. I hope he does. There are no magic answers.

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Be Relevant

Do you "get it"? Are you relevant?

In today's job market, you must show transferable skills that someone is willing to pay you for. Do you know what your transferable skills are?

• Are they current – that is, used within the last 10 years?
• Do you know the kinds of skills a hiring manager or a recruiter in your field is looking to "buy"?

If you cannot answer "yes" to the two questions above right now, then it is time that you learn to, and learn to quickly, because you are wasting your time if you do not. What skills you developed even just a few years ago, if not relevant and current now, are of no use to you in any job hunt.

Try Google Alerts and Indeed.com and look at job descriptions that come up. If you are not at least a 90% (and more) match then do not bother to apply; even with this, showing added value as well as using your network to come to the attention of the hiring manager is key.

Many clients ask me about functional resumes, very popular with career changers. What I tell them is that today, functional resumes are usually red flags to hiring managers and recruiters. What these folks want to see on a resume is a match and experience with the skills that they are hiring. If you do not have those skills, get to work on getting them by volunteer experience, schooling or certifications. Be relevant. You will be glad that you did.

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Getting Ready

Occasionally I come upon clients, or better still, clients come upon me who
realize how important it is to always be looking ahead.  This is no simple feat, because life and career can change so rapidly and frequently that looking ahead sometimes is as clear as mud. This morning I met with such a client who has targeted Sept. of 2013 as when she wants to be working in a new position. She paid attention to what she sees coming, contacted me and is giving herself plenty of time to get ready and launch an effective job search campaign. In this recessionary atmosphere, it is the rare job change candidate for whom the next position comes along quickly. Take time to look ahead...take even more time to prepare and launch. You will be glad that you did.

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It Can Be Done!

This am, I had a call from the mom of a former client of mine. The client is a 2012 college grad who has just landed her first job. It is not exactly what she wanted, and it looks like it may not last beyond the end of 2012, but she secured it by working her network, she will be making a decent salary, and she has benefits. It also gives her about a 6 month reprieve to look for her next  position and adds to her resume and her network. I sent congratulations to my former client, wishing her well, and praising her on her success. She kept at it, presented herself well and is now employed!