Lessons from the season...

Fall is probably my favorite time of year.  There's an energy and an excitement in the air as one contemplates the cooler temperatures, the onset of football season, the wonderful holidays.  This in spite of the fact that Fall is a time when nature exhibits a dying phase - leaves changing and falling, animals storing up for the upcoming harshness of winter.  It's a time of shuffling off the old and preparing for the new.

We should take a chapter from mother nature's handbook and apply this same policy of "out with the old, in with the new" in our approach to career searching.  This is a time to shuffle off legacy practices that require great effort yet yield little in terms of results.  Time for a new beginning - time for change!  Here are a few suggestions to put some "spice" into your search efforts:

• GET NETWORKED:  If you don't have a LinkedIn profile - get one!  It's free and it affords you exposure to a tremendous number of recruiters, candidate developers and hiring managers.  As the Director of Talent Acquisition for a large professional services firm, I've been tasked with conducting interviewers with literally hundreds of Talent Acquisition recruiters.  Without exception, they've all pointed to LinkedIn as their top source of on-line candidate resourcing.  Nearly every recruiter I know is using it as it allows them to proactively mine for talent as opposed to sifting through the hundreds pushed through job portals.  But you've got to be listed to get recognized.  So stop reading, go create your FREE LinkedIn profile, then hurry back to finish this article!

• GET MODERN:  Have you considered starting a blog?  Think you're too old, not technologically-savvy?  Think again!  Blogs have become an incredible resource for recruiters to identify talent because most bloggers use their forums for the sharing and exchange of ideas, opinions, suggestions.  It's a great way to see individuals showcasing their knowledge of relevant issues, workplace-related challenges, and creative and innovative solutions.  It provides a lot more color on an individual and their contribution potential than any resume ever will.  Plus it's fluid, it's current, it's today!  Try blogger.com - the site walks you through each step of the process and it's easy and user-friendly.  What's more, you can link your blog to your social/professional network page, you can include the link on your resume, or you can incorporate it into your email signature.  People reviewing any of these will see you as somebody taking charge, effectively current, and positively branded - all great ways to move yourself to the top of the stack!

• IT'S STILL SOMETIMES ABOUT WHO YOU KNOW:  Don't give up on talking to everyone in your circle of personal and professional contacts about who they know and what jobs they're hearing about.  Many of you have probably already exhausted this resource and don't feel this applies to them - think again!  Go back to the people you've asked and this time ask them to provide 1-2 names of individuals they work with that they think might be helpful to aid in your search or to expand your network.  Meet these people and get connected to their contacts, and then their contacts, and then - well, you get the idea.  Your network should be fluid and ever-expanding.  The larger the net, the better chance of catching the prize.  

• STAY POSITIVE, PROFESSIONAL, AND POISED:  It's easy to get frustrated with the same old job search routine.  So mix it up!  If you've relied solely on job board applications, try something different.  Consider attending an in-person networking event, a career fair, a lecture series - all are great places to get noticed and expand your professional circle.  Consider the associations/organizations relevant to your chosen career field.  Visit their member websites and register for a local meeting or event.  Look at opportunities to serve in your community.  Many corporations sponsor their employees at these same events - you never know who you might rub shoulders with on a Breast Cancer Walk, or a Habitat for Humanity project.  It's great exercise, it's serving your fellow-man, and it's a great opportunity to connect with influencers in your community.  Don't fall into the trap of conformity and habit - mix it up!  I believe Einstein was quoted as saying, "Insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over and expecting different results".  Hey, the guy was a genius...

So enjoy the Fall season.  Roast some marshmallows, enjoy a rousing college or professional ball game, take the kids trick-or-treating.  Just remember that along with these time-honored traditions, there's always room for a little newness and novelty - a chance to stretch your comfort barriers and try something new and fresh in your search.  May you find and enjoy the successes that come from keeping yourself in the driver's seat in your career exploration efforts!

Until next time...