how to find a new job

How to Be a LinkedIn All-Star to Supercharge your Job Search

November 19, 2019 By Katherine Burik

How to Be a LinkedIn All-Star to Supercharge your Job Search and find a job using LinkedIn using Job Search Tips with the Interview Doctor.

Katherine Burik is a Job Search / Career Coach and, in this video, she shares her top tips to optimize your LinkedIn profile to help you have a profile that will help you be found on LinkedIn so you can find a job, faster.

Get more Job Search Tips from the Interview Doctor and Network with confidence on LinkedIn! Get your free copy of the “7 Tips for Career Success for the Shy Person” and begin to step out and onto a new career path today.

Want to learn how to Find a Better Job? Register for this FREE Job Search Training from the Interview Doctor – Get instant access here.

Tips to Unstick Your Stuck Job Search

September 19, 2019 By Katherine Burik

Scott disappeared. Poof – just like that. We organized his job search, created his job search materials then… nothing.

Scott was stuck. Or rather, Scott’s job search was stuck and it was dragging him down into the job search sink hole. You know the place.

I was there once. I remember as clear as if it was yesterday. I was standing on the Michigan Avenue Bridge in Chicago when the 11:30 clock struck and a million people streamed out of offices into the bright summer sun. It occurred to me that everyone in that crowd had a job except me. I never felt so low.

I was stuck. Being stuck feels terrible.

You send your resume away to dozens of open jobs that sound perfect, but nothing happens. Since you don’t know why this is happening, the human brain starts filling in the gaps with possible reasons why you are still unemployed while thousands of others have jobs. “I must be too something.” “Too old.” “Too young.” “Too female.” “Too male.” “Too dark.” “Too light.” You want to find a reason.

But usually those “somethings” are not the reason. You just need to get “unstuck.” Fast.

Getting unstuck involves changing what you are doing. Any change might be the right change to get you unstuck.

Here are some tips:

Create or change your job search marketing plan.

Change the balance of time you devote to networking and responding to postings. Try to network at least 70% of the time. That forces you to change your focus and increase your activity.
Set daily and weekly goals to increase your networking activity.
Identify target companies and start meeting people and building relationships, even though those companies do not currently have open positions. The conversations could lead to introductions to other people and increase your activity.
Start talking to your existing LinkedIn connections and add more connections. Be curious so you ask questions that get other people talking to you.
Schedule some informational interviews with people who work in your field. People will respond when you ask interesting questions professional to professional.

Get out of the house.

Join a job seekers group to find other folks in similar circumstances who might have more ideas.
Get active in a professional association. These groups welcome volunteers so raise your hand.
Volunteer to get out of the house, do something useful and meet new people. Pick anything just pick something!
Move your office to a new space every day or periodically. Go to a coffee shop or the library to get some new scenery.
Get out of the house every day for some exercise. Go for a walk around the neighborhood or find a park to walk in. The change of scenery can help your perspective.

Be more aware.

Find something to celebrate every week.
Start journaling to see what is sucking up your time and how you might change your viewpoint so you see the world more positively.
Seek out a coach for unbiased feedback about your job search strategy. Maybe they can think of something you overlooked.

What are you doing to move your job search forward and get unstuck? Check out The Interview Doctor’s Free Video training: 5 Tips to a Successful Job Search or Career Transition.

How Is Setting Up Networking Interviews Like Golf?

July 9, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

People often wonder how I can compare Golf to Networking Interviews for a Job Search.

But, they are very similar… I recently realized that golf, a game I have known most of my life, can only become MORE satisfying and rewarding if I do three things:

Relax and enjoy when you play. No problem there. I only play once a week, in a church golf league, and it is easily one of the highlights of the week. Win or lose, I do enjoy it.
Remember to study what works in the game you’re pursuing, and practice what you are learning. In golf, that means find a pro, and get a lesson, or if you are the adventurous DIY kind of person, get a book or a dvd, and review the basics of the game yourself. I did get a book on the short game, chipping, putting, around the green stuff. My strategy: read a chapter, then go practice what I read. It worked! It has remarkably improved my game, almost overnight.
Play more than once a week. Anyone who has played golf (or tennis or mountain-climbing or words-with-friends) knows that the more you do it, the more likely you’ll make adjustments, and get better. So I’m now resolved to play at least one other nine holes during the week.

So what does Golf have to do with setting up Networking Interviews?

It has EVERYTHING to do with Setting Up Networking Interviews.

My experience in coaching folks going through a job search or career change and want something different job-wise is that they are generally ready for a new challenge, unhappy with their current position, out-of-work, AND no of them like to do networking interviews!

The vast majority of job-seekers think that the on-line job board is where they need to spend all their time. Why? Well, yes they do help in the search process, but the real reason is that most people dread the thought of seeking work by talking with people who could help them – that is until they relax and get into a rhythm of setting networking interviews.

So…to help you relate your golf game to networking interviews to help your Job Search… here is a list of tips to help you:

Relax, and enjoy this game called networking. It can be quite satisfying, and remarkably rewarding.
Read a blog (like the Interview Doctor!) regularly, and begin to understand the techniques of a good job search plan.
Make some phone calls on a regular basis. Use the script below to help you focus on what to say and practice to set up interviews.

A: “Hi, this is Dan Toussant. Do you have a minute?” (If they hesitate, ask, ‘Is this a good time?’) Then wait for them to say ‘yes’ or ‘sure, what’s up?’

B: “I would like to pick your brain (or talk with you) about my career options.” (If they say, ‘sure, what do you want to know?’ go right to the statement D to book a time to talk. If they say ‘What are you looking for?’ go to the next statement, C)

C: “I would like (or ‘I’m looking to have’) 20 minutes of your time to get your thoughts on my resume and job (or career) options that I might consider. Would you have some time to meet this week or next week?” (Wait for them to say ‘yes.’)

D: “What would be a good time for us to get together?” (and schedule the meeting!)

Now it isn’t often THAT easy; there are typical push-back reasons they will offer; but that’s more content than I have room to cover in one article.

And again like golf, the more times you call someone to set a networking interview, the more likely your networking game will improve.

For specific help in setting these interviews, contact us; we can coach you to become a highly-skilled networker and land that job you are seeking.