I am very excited about story-telling techniques I learned at a workshop in New York on Saturday. Stories have an unmatched power to convey meaning and connect with an audience and are the very best way for job candidates to communicate their uniqueness and value.

What’s more, when you think about “universal” experiences - experiences that many people can relate to on personal level (emigrating to a new country, giving birth, surviving high school, choosing a career) - each experience is unique in its own way. Telling the story of your “universal” experience not only allows you to express your uniqueness, it connects deeply with your listenener who will tap into his or her own similar (but not identical) experience. I’m not suggesting that you discuss your birth experience or high school days during your executive interview, but do look for opportunities to share personal stories (as appropriate) and entice the interviewer to do the same.

For several years I’ve been using the “Tell Your Story” tagline for my business, representing my passion for helping my clients communicate their uniqueness in a way that is meaningful for their audience and helpful for their careers. The workshop I attended validated my approach and gave me some deeper insights and new tools to apply in my interview coaching sessions. And, I hope to wow them from the podium at my next presentation!

Verizon (telephone company) should answer their phones when you call them. Whole Foods should use good environmental practices. Hairdressers should have great hair. If these things DON’T happen, you lose faith in that individual or company!

The same is true for executives in a job search. Your resume content must match your elevator speech, your online profile, your networking chit-chat, your interview stories, and every other aspect of your career marketing messages to create a congruent, believable, provable image. All of the above should position you as “you” - just the best, brightest, most relevant “you” with regard to your current goals!

Had a great interview a few weeks ago with producer Elsie Nolan of WBZ-TV, the Boston area’s CBS affiliate, all about how to recognize an impending downsizing and what to do about it.

Article and video clip here.

The bottom line, from my perspective, is that you always need to be alert to what’s happening in your department, at your company, in your industry, and in the economy in general. A downsizing or layoff shouldn’t come as a surprise. But regardless, if you lay the groundwork for long-term success throughout your career, you’ll find the landing much softer and the bounceback much quicker.

Things you should always be doing:

• Stay active in professional associations to build a network of contacts in your profession and/or industry.
• Create visibility for yourself by taking on leadership roles in those organizations and/or reaching out to leaders with feedback, ideas, comments, and compliments.
• Create visibility for yourself at work by volunteering for the tough assignments (and, of course, succeeding at them).
• Share your expertise - whatever it is - with others in your company, your industry, and the whole wide world through articles, comments, blogs, etc.
• Do your job really well! Track and measure your performance so when you say, “I’ve done a great job,” you can support that statement with facts and figures.
• Update your resume every 6 months or so. Be ready for opportunities that will come your way.

If you’re unemployed, or even employed and actively looking for a new job, are you REALLY putting in the effort it takes to succeed?

If you’re like most Americans and Europeans, the answer is “no.”

Reported in Weddle’s excellent newsletter are the following statistics from a 2008 survey reported recently in  The Economist:

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 Length of time Unemployed Workers Spend Looking for a Job (per day)

• U.K.: 10 minutes
• Sweden: 10 minutes
• Germany: 10 minutes
• Spain: 20-30 minutes
• France: 20-30 minutes
• U.S.: 40 minutes

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In 10-40 minutes per day, what can you accomplish? Surf the web for the latest postings… dash off a couple of resumes… call one contact and give up when he or she has no leads for you.But just think what you could do if you devoted 2, 4, 6, or even 8 hours of your day to your job search - strategies and activities that will expand your horizons, your opportunities, and your results.

• Prepare and practice your “elevator pitch” so you can smoothly and confidently deliver it during an interview, at a formal networking event, or to a casually met acquaintance.
• Write out your greatest career “success stories” and practice relating them in a clear, compelling manner.
• Create a list of 50 people you can contact and make 10 phone calls per day to complete the list in a week. (Use your new elevator pitch for best results.) Make a new list next week.
• Review your resume and cover letters and edit/polish to perfection.
• Identify and research 10 companies that might be a good fit for you. Use LinkedIn and/or your personal network to connect to decision makers (or anyone) at those companies.
• Pick up the phone and call them! Use your referral as an introduction, then deliver a brief message about your potential value to the company. Ask for a meeting.
• Start a new list of companies next week.
• Read a book or online articles about trends in interviewing. Think about how you’ll respond, and practice your answers to tough questions.
• Review your interview wardrobe and replace, repair, polish, mend, or iron anything that looks less than perfect.
• Identify your top value points that you’ll want to communicate in your next interview. Focus on value to the company, not interest to you.
• Make an interview “cheat cheat” of your top value points and keywords for your success stories. Practice your interview responses using just the crib sheet.
• Call someone you know who’s unemployed and ask if you can be of help.

I could go on, but you get the point. Work the process and you’ll reap the rewards.

In a recent conversation with a client I advised him to create a profile on LinkedIn - not only to reap the networking opportunities there, but to build his online presence as an essential tool in today’s world of executive search. He was openly skeptical - “I don’t think many people at my level are doing that.” (He’s a CEO.) OK, I said, but check it out anyway.

A few weeks later, he told me, “I’m a convert.” Not only was “everyone” he knew on LinkedIn (including the most tech-savvy and best-connected senior people), but he had learned first-hand that the tool was actively used by recruiters to “check him out” prior to a meeting - even when there was a personal referral or prior relationship. He definitely wanted them to find him - and to find information that is congruent, on-brand, and consistent with the value messages he’s delivering in his resume and interviews.

So … don’t get caught with the equivalent of your pants down! Build your LinkedIn profile NOW, update and improve it over time, and “be there” when recruiters are looking for someone like you.

If you’re in career transition, your current business card might not be the best thing to hand out. And if you’re currently unemployed, you certainly don’t want to be circulating an outdated card with email and phone contact information that no longer works.

The answer - in both cases - is a “contact card,” an updated (and better!) name for a business card.

It should include your contact information, of course, but why not go one step further and use your card to ideally position yourself for your target jobs. You can include your target job title, branding statement, and snippets of your most notable career achievements. List your URLs (LinkedIn, VisualCV, your own blog or website).

Here’s a sample:

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Flor San Miguel  

Strategic Marketing Executive
Marketing strategist, innovator, and tactical leader of enterprise-wide initiatives that build brand value and result in sustainable, profitable growth.

• Smythe Associates: Delivered a branding and communications redesign that positioned firm for accelerated expansion in strategic market segments.
• Pioneer Health Services: Introduced new product portfolios that drove sales up 50% and market share 40% in just 2 years.
• Fifth Third Bank, Procter & Gamble: Improved sales, profitability, and market share through creative marketing and new product initiatives focused on strategic goals and the bottom line.

513-249-8786 • 513-604-3943
fsan@cinci.rr.com
7943 Village Circle Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45241

Yesterday I spoke with a client who has been in an active job search about six weeks. He called for a quick “tune up” to be sure he’s maximizing his opportunities. We agreed that he is doing everything right - targeting his companies, finding the right people to talk to, making direct contact, arranging meetings, discussing how he can add value to the organization. He sets a benchmark of 6 direct-contact phone calls daily. In these six weeks he’s had 2 third interviews (flown to HQ cities) but was not selected for those jobs.

We fine-tuned his message a bit to better explain his reason for looking, but all in all he’s doing everything right and I predict it will simply be a matter of time before he lands a great opportunity.

Formula: Preparation + Method + Gumption + Perseverance = Interviews + (eventually) Offers

VisualCV.com gives you the chance to build a unique web portfolio - a richer, more compelling version of your traditional paper/Word resume. You can add graphics, documents, audio and video files and go from telling about what you’ve done to showing… and selling.

The site recently held a “best VisualCV contest,” and not only are the winning entries inspiring, they have also led to job offers!

Oh… and the best part? You can build and host your VisualCV for free. No fees, no ads, no sponsorships.

I have been affiliated with the company since the planning stages - I’m on the advisory board and I wrote an “Insider’s Guide” for creating a powerful VisualCV. (It’s a free download.) So yes, I guess I am biased! But I haven’t seen anything that comes close to the ease and value of this free portfolio service. Not to mention the other value-added benefits that include connecting with employers, recruiters, and others.

Kathy Simmons over at Netshare has an insightful post about the importance of “niche networking” in your job search. I love the analogy to the “Long Tail“concept… how, in our increasingly individualized society, people are looking for “one thing” (not “anything”) and can easily find it.

Just as you should use niche networking, be sure you are “niching” your career goal. Know precisely what you do best, where you can bring the most value, and the environment in which you can excel. Then, target your search toward those opportunities - and don’t settle for less! There is a perfect (or near perfect) fit for everyone, but only by clearly establishing those all important fit factors ahead of time will you be able to (a) look for it and (b) know it when you find it.

OK, you’re fired up to “network” to kick your job search into high gear. But what, exactly, do you do? Whom do you call? What do you say? My friend and colleague Debra Feldman has written an outstanding post over at CareerHub about how to “Network Purposefully.” This is a great start and will give you a clear sense of direction and many concrete steps.

But before you launch into action, be sure you are ready with the right weapons: a compelling message (what you’ll say when you call) and a powerful resume (to reinforce your message and lay the groundwork for further discussion).