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Network Leader: Caroline Ceniza-Levine
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Heath Port Should one indicate on their LinkedIn profile when they are between jobs? I have heard conflicting views on this. On one hand it helps advertise to perspective employers you are available, but on the other it doesn't really give you an opportunity to explain why you are between jobs. What do people think on this? I voluntarily left my last job so my wife and I could move to Denver for her new job and now I am on the hunt for a new job. Thoughts? Recommendations?

21 weeks ago from Rocky Mountain Networking, Denver Careerists, Networking Tips, Mentors & Mentees and Ask A Coach3 more

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Natasha Smith: I'm going to go against the grain and say that you absolutely should list your unemployment on LinkedIn. Networking is all about letting people ...MoreI'm going to go against the grain and say that you absolutely should list your unemployment on LinkedIn. Networking is all about letting people know a) what you can do for them and b) what they can do for you. It's a give-and-take. There's nothing inherently wrong with being unemployed; you simply don't want to come off as desperate, which many unemployed people inadvertently do. As far as leveraging your period of unemployment, there are many ways to do that. For instance, you may be spending your time exploring a passion, educating yourself, volunteering, or of course, supporting your family in any number of ways. You've also just moved to a new area, so you're still getting settled in. Maybe you challenge yourself to a new endeavor and start a blog chronicling your experience. The questions about what you've been up to or why you left your last job should be answered concisely and confidently, but your focus in an interview is playing up your strengths and letting the interviewer know what unique qualities you'd bring to the position. Anyone who doesn't give you an interview because of your status as currently unemployed isn't worth your time, in my opinion.
20 weeks ago
Mike Ambassador Bruny: Great question and great follow-up from the Brazen Community. My thoughts are that you should always be working on "something." Being ...MoreGreat question and great follow-up from the Brazen Community. My thoughts are that you should always be working on "something." Being "unemployed" means you are not working for someone else. I like the idea of volunteering or working on some kind of project that does NOT show a gap in "employment."

I think there is a difference between getting your foot in the door for an interview and showing your value. If you cannot get your foot in the door, you really don't have an opportunity to example your gap in employment. You can take on a project or two while you are unemployed and have that on your resume / LinkedIn profile. Once you get in the door, you can talk about the projects you are working on and the transition from the last time you worked from someone else.

I would definitely factor in the perspective of whom you would like to hire you. They are looking through stacks of resumes and LinkedIn profiles. Let's say you don't have a referral to speak to your greatness; they have nothing to go off of except your profile and resume vs. the profiles and resumes of tons of other folks. You might as well give yourself the best chance of getting the opportunity to explain your situation and your greatness.

Your Ambassador,
Mike Bruny
6 days ago
 
TOP IDEA: Allison Cheston At the risk of repeating myself, I am interviewing college grads up to age 30 who were not that engaged in high school and college but have blossomed in their careers. Are you someone like that? Would you like to be interviewed for my upcoming book? If so, please let me know if you will spend a half hour by phone with me. Career advice included, gratis! Allison@allisoncheston.com

53 weeks ago from Career Changers, Career Rocketeer, Advertising Professionals and Ask A Coach2 more

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Suzanne Kaplan: Allison,
I just saw this and wow, you are doing something AMAZING. Long story short, I'm volunteering at an alternative type of "school." When ...MoreAllison,
I just saw this and wow, you are doing something AMAZING. Long story short, I'm volunteering at an alternative type of "school." When is your book coming out? This will be a great resource to promote on our website for prospective parents.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Kaplan
5 weeks ago
shane wrne: this is good
4 weeks ago
 
Coach Al Johnson January is National Mentoring Month! As a coach, I believe having coaches and mentors of my own helps me stay on top of my game. I'm curious -- how do you all go about starting your own mentoring relationships?

4 weeks ago from Ask A Coach

 
Coach Al Johnson COACHING TIPS: Are you a young professional in a less-than-ideal job? If so, see what other career coaches and I had to say in the Wall Street Journal this week: http://www.inspiratude.com/about-us/press-room

4 weeks ago from Ask A Coach

 
Shawn MacDonell I am looking for some inspiration and would love to hear some of your most creative ideas. What are you as coaches doing to challenge your clients or yourselves in 2012? Please read this quick post and leave any answers you may have: http://creativisiononline.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-fun-will-you-have-th...

5 weeks ago from Ask A Coach

 
Yosh Beier Want to understand what turns team players into team members? This free team effectiveness survey gets you thinking... http://collaborative-capacity.com

5 weeks ago from Professional Development, Ask A Coach and Management Consulting1 more

 
Lara I'm a management trainee in an insurance company. I'm not happy about my work and its environment. I've already lost my confidence level in performing my tasks. My boss keeps on pounding me to strive but I've totally lost my appetite to recover my mistakes. I want to leave but there's a bond that I need to pay if I leave voluntarily. It's too big for me to pay. I'm depressed and I don't know what to do. Please help me.

6 weeks ago from Ask A Coach

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Caroline Ceniza-Levine: I would tease out all the separate problems that are lumped together above as 1 problem: paying back the bond -- can you save up for this so you ...MoreI would tease out all the separate problems that are lumped together above as 1 problem: paying back the bond -- can you save up for this so you have an option to leave if you want to; improving your situation at work -- can you get extra training or even communication training to better manage up your boss; looking for a new job -- even if you think you can't leave, it's nice to know your market value and feel you have options.
5 weeks ago
EmmanuelKumah: Look for what you can do to help the company grow it would give you the impetus to do more
5 weeks ago

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Caroline Ceniza-Levine: Enjoyed the post. Thanks for sharing!
5 weeks ago
Eric Pennington: Glad you enjoyed it.
5 weeks ago
 
La Donna Lokey .@DanSchawbel is ruffling feathers in his blog post on Forbes, where he pronounces the death of job boards and resumes based on new LinkedIn functionality. http://onforb.es/mFT8Vn I agree that it's time for a game-change, and that this (as well as social job matching) signals a new era for jobseekers and recruiters. But how do you feel about submitting your LinkedIn profile instead of a resume when applying to a job? Is LI becoming the defacto home for all of your professional information?

35 weeks ago from Ask A Coach, We're Hiring, Citi and Personal Branding2 more

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Dana Leavy: That was an interesting article - I wouldn't jump too far ahead and say it's the death of the resume, but certainly it's a channel gaining ...MoreThat was an interesting article - I wouldn't jump too far ahead and say it's the death of the resume, but certainly it's a channel gaining momentum, and something to pay attention to. Everyone should have a LinkedIN profile in my opinion, and people vary in opinion as to how much info to put on it. I think the most important part is a well-written branding summary. You can leave all the job description details out, because typically you would tailor your resume to fit each role anyway, and you don't want to represent yourself ineffectively. But it's worth taking a look at what you have and fine-tuning it, so that if this thing does take off, you're on the edge of it as a job seeker. Plus it's good practice in online personal branding anyway.
35 weeks ago
Obi Okere: @Sena. You're using Linkedin exactly how it should be used. It is a great research and networking tool.

I don't see the death of job boards ...More@Sena. You're using Linkedin exactly how it should be used. It is a great research and networking tool.

I don't see the death of job boards happening anytime soon. Using LI to submit a resume would be very limiting to a job seeker who is marketing themselves very differently to different industries. One can only truly brand themselves for one job function at a time on LI. A job seeker who is conducting a job search on different job functions would not want to use LI.
35 weeks ago
 
Taft Love I am hoping for some feedback from some coaches (and anyone else willing to help) with a new idea in my job search. My current job has made it impossible to search for a job in person in the places where I want to work. I decided to get creative and start a blog (http://taftsjobhunt.blogspot.com/) to market myself. Would you please take a look and give me any feedback that might help maximize the effectiveness of the blog?

8 weeks ago from Ask A Coach

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Taft Love: Thanks for checking it out, Mike. I appreciate your input. I would like to put a link in the site's home page directly to my LinkedIn page.

I ...MoreThanks for checking it out, Mike. I appreciate your input. I would like to put a link in the site's home page directly to my LinkedIn page.

I would love to do the "test before you buy" idea, but my location and current job might make that difficult. I work a crazy schedule that might make it hard to coordinate something like that.

Thanks again,

Taft
6 weeks ago
Smykker: I will think about it and get back to you
6 weeks ago
 
Keith Marshak Looking to get some feedback based on a conversation I had earlier about my job search. There is this company that I am very interested in working for and have used all the normal, expected channels to get my resume to them however I want to take it one step further. I have used LinkedIn to find out who the key HR people are and found that one of them recently listed their new hire top qualities in an online article. Should I reference those qualities in the letter I plan to mail them? Thanks

7 weeks ago from Ask A Coach

Eric Pennington: If you possess them, I would definitely reference them.
7 weeks ago
Keith Marshak: Thanks Eric. I think what I meant to ask was whether or not I should reference the article ala "In the article on xyz date you said that the ...MoreThanks Eric. I think what I meant to ask was whether or not I should reference the article ala "In the article on xyz date you said that the following qualities are what you look for in a candidate" and then list the qualities and draw direct connections to my previous work experience. That's the question. Thanks.

7 weeks ago
 
Caroline Ceniza-Levine I'm helping some of my corporate clients on the coaching side with 6 recruiting requests. These roles are all based in NYC, and any recommendations are appreciated! Internal Consultant to media co, Media Director for beauty account, Strategy Consultants in CPG and risk management, and Recruiter for media. See all details at http://www.sixfigurestart.com/job-posting/cool-job-alert-6-openings-in-d... Thanks for any ideas!

7 weeks ago from Ask A Coach, Brazen Careerists in New York City, Economics and Finance and Jersey Pride!2 more

 
Scott Span, MSOD I thought these recent articles may interest the group: - Goal Setting: Why Bother? Are You Setting Your 2012 Goals? posted http://tolerosolutions.com/goal-setting-why-bother-are-you-setting-your-... - A Pat on the Back Please! Are Your Employees Recognized for Their Performance? posted http://tolerosolutions.com/a-pat-on-the-back-please-are-your-employees-r...

7 weeks ago from Ask A Coach

 
Edward Antrobus What do you use for RSS feeds? I've been using Google Reader ever since I knew what RSS was, but am looking to switch. I could care less about the social features that it's loosing; I don't use them anyway. But the new look makes my eyes hurt. I need more contrast.

10 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers, Brazen Bloggers, Denver Careerists, Rocky Mountain Networking and Ask A Coach3 more

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Edward Antrobus: Kate, in Reader once you have the new look, you can't go back to the old look.
9 weeks ago
Kate Davids: I know, but they'll take it away eventually!
8 weeks ago
 
Eric Pennington The danger of being and wanting to be in the wealthiest one-percent. http://epicliving.blogs.com/epic_living/2011/11/you-dont-want-what-the-o...

13 weeks ago from Ask A Coach

 
La Donna Lokey It's that time of year again - performance appraisal time! I've been avoiding it, but now must buckle up and just do it. I know I'm not alone here. I could give you a 75 page report on the topic of your choice, but when it comes to self-evaluation, I cringe. Why is it sometimes so hard to talk about ourselves? How do you handle it?

14 weeks ago from Citi, Human Resources, Ask Penelope Trunk!, Ask A Coach and inCORPorated3 more

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Beatriz Alemar: I'd say it's hard because you want to be honest, but you also feel pressured to show yourself in the best light. Then there's the added pressure ...MoreI'd say it's hard because you want to be honest, but you also feel pressured to show yourself in the best light. Then there's the added pressure of what will your employeer think of what you put. It can be very stressful!

I'd take a few deep breaths and then get out a sheet of paper. Remind yourself that no one will see this paper - this is just a place for your notes before you actually write your review. Look over the goals you had in the year or quarter and rate yourself on how well you think you did. Then under that write bullets supporting your rating. List everything you can and get as specific as you can. You have permission to brag as much as you want (remember no on is going to see it). Look back at your work and see if what you wrote matches what you rated yourself. Do you need to adjust up or down? Only after you've written down the good, can you go back and pinpoint areas you can improve in.

It's a lot easier to praise yourself (and write an honest review) when you have concrete evidence of the things you've accomplished.
14 weeks ago
Heath Port: This can be especially tough when your job success isn't really quantifiable and depends more on softer skills. In my previous evals I tried to ...MoreThis can be especially tough when your job success isn't really quantifiable and depends more on softer skills. In my previous evals I tried to put together some narratives on how some of my soft skill sets helped the organization reach their goals. I also would reach out to others I had worked with for recommendations that they would either send directly to my management or wrote up and sent to me to be shared during my eval.
13 weeks ago
 
TOP IDEA: Beatriz Alemar I'm starting a new coaching business to help young professionals and entrepreneurs like you, and I value your opinion. Would you please help me by taking this 5 minute survey? Your input is super appreciated. :) Here's the link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WK6SHC7

24 weeks ago from Entrepreneurs, I am Gen Y, Social Entrepreneurs and Ask A Coach2 more

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Jana Schuberth: Hey Beatriz, I think we're in the same field - if you ever want to have a chat about starting your practice and my experience of what works and ...MoreHey Beatriz, I think we're in the same field - if you ever want to have a chat about starting your practice and my experience of what works and what doesn't let's just meet up for a Skype coffee call :-)
15 weeks ago
Beatriz Alemar: Thank you so much everyone! I've sent you PMs (or introductory messages if I couldn't PM you) answering your questions.
14 weeks ago

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jasonvin: It's interesting
14 weeks ago
Noel Rozny: I love this post! A much better measurement than Klout. :)
14 weeks ago
 
Jana Schuberth Is your goal pretty big and not straight forward? A life-changing one maybe? Here is how I am LEARNING my way towards my big goal at the moment: http://www.janaschuberth.com/blog

20 weeks ago from Wordpress Bloggers, Career Changers, Creating a Life You Love, Ask A Coach and Young Professional Women (YPW)3 more

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Blay Whitby: Good for you Jana but if your friend Jim (and some other fitness coaches) had said: "I think you are uncoachable, Jana." what would you have done ...MoreGood for you Jana but if your friend Jim (and some other fitness coaches) had said: "I think you are uncoachable, Jana." what would you have done then? It's an thing easy to say you could do by yourself from the books. Can you honestly say that you would find the motivation after a rejection like that?
20 weeks ago
Jana Schuberth: Hi Blay, I have had many rejections in my life so I understand what you mean, but in this case my biggest one came from myself: That I didn't ...MoreHi Blay, I have had many rejections in my life so I understand what you mean, but in this case my biggest one came from myself: That I didn't think I could ever do it. So rather than relying on other or even my own opinion I still decided not to give up on my goals. Also, I am not being coached on this topic. Coaching isn't necessarily the right help for every circumstance.
20 weeks ago
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