Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips For Finding Work, Advancing Your Career, And Loving Your Job

Studies confirm that storytelling is the most powerful form of communication there is. By transforming your career history from a chronological list into a story with personality, you’ll leave a strong impression on the interviewer. Rob shared tips to tell your career story with a strong narrative arc in 5 steps: The Thread: Connect the dots of your history, and boil it down to one common theme. Disruption: Tell a story that impacted your career trajectory. Turning point: How did you decide to turn a corner. Conflict: Summarize a couple of impactful challenges. Resolution: Explain how you resolved the challenge and what brought you here. Our Guest for This Episode: Rob Biesenbach Rob Biesenbach helps organizations and individuals capitalize on the power of storytelling.  He’s an award-winning consultant to Fortune 500 companies, an engaging and informative keynote speaker, and a Second City-trained actor. Rob is also the author of two fun, practical books that use principles from the world of perform

What makes podcasts such a great medium for sharing career advice? I share my love of audio storytelling, conversation, and helping people find great jobs with dozens of other podcasters. On this bonus episode, I talk about how great podcasts are for career development, and introduce you to my new guide, Top Career Podcasts of 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Losing a job is tough; getting laid off unexpectedly is even harder. It's emotionally devastating when all of the sudden you lose your job, your paycheck, and the vision you had of yourself, all in one fell swoop. Career coach and guest expert, Sherri Thomas, shares her tips on how to bounce back from such professional setbacks. She recommends: Take some time to heal. Process and quiet the negative chatter in your brain before looking for a new job. Feelings of confusion and embarrassment will be noticed by hiring managers, so work through your emotions before embarking on your next job search. Identify areas for improvement. Try writing down what you and your previous manager could have done better. This exercise may highlight opportunities for professional growth. Emphasize the positives. If you are wondering how you should address your departure in conversations, Sherri recommends this recipe: share something you are grateful for from your last position, talk about an impact you made at the organizati

Your resume is probably the most important document you use when looking for a job. It offers a great opportunity to tell your story and demonstrate what you can offer an employer. Guest expert Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter shares her top 6 list of what’s hot and what’s not in creating a great resume for today’s job market. What’s Hot in Resumes Focus — Make your resume format quick and easy to read and keep it employer focused. What's in it for the Employer — Research pain points the employer has and integrate your strategic insights about the issue. Creative Problem Solving Skills — Use specifics from your background to show how your critical thinking has solved problems. Leadership — Display your ability to help other push forward. Have a Career Portfolio — Have a skimmable resume, a meatier resume, and professional profiles.   Value-Focused Resume — Showcase the core values you would bring to an organization. What’s Not - And How to Fix It Brain Dump — Unless it directly benefits the employer, leav

Dressing for work is especially fraught for women. This came to the fore nationally in July when a female journalist in Congress was turned away from the House lobby because her dress didn’t have sleeves. The story reignited our recent discussion about what “professional business attire” really means. For this bonus episode, we bring back Karla Miller, the Work Advice columnist for The Washington Post Magazine to talk about what Washington dress codes mean for the rest of us. How should business leaders address a vague dress code, and is there a tried and true rule for sleeves in the workplace? What do you think of our show? Rate and review our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Informational interviews are a fairly recent strategy in the search for a new career. The application process and job searches of the past were more formal endeavors. As a job seeker, this new adaptation gives you more networking opportunities than were available before. Consider your existing network and divide it into two categories: Your strong ties — People you immediately think of as business connections. Your weak ties — People who are separated from you by a few degrees. Friends of friends, for example, can become a great career resource. When working to build your network, guest expert Kate Gremillion recommends asking your strong ties this question: “Knowing my interests and knowing what I want to be doing in my career, who would you suggest I speak with?” She says people genuinely enjoy helping other people, so this is a great place to start. Checking LinkedIn connections of people who have influence at a company you want to work for is another great tip. These “weak” ties can turn into stro

Business casual means dressing for business, but in a casual way. Wait, is that a trick question? Clothing choices in the workplace can be frighteningly complex. In this episode of Find Your Dream Job, we tackle office fashion. Karla Miller writes about dress in the workplace for the Washington Post Magazine. In the episode, Karla shares tips for preparing your outfit for an interview or first day of work. Ask yourself these two questions, then build your outfit: What does the ideal worker at this company look like? What kind of clothes would they be wearing and how would they be groomed? Baby boomers and millennials may have a different idea of what dressing for work means. Always check out the company guidelines or employee dress code to get a baseline for what you should wear to work. If there are no specifics, look at how the people who are a level or two above you are dressing. Karla and the Mac’s List team also get into clothing taboos, including gender discrepancies, tattoos, and more. About Th

Do you know what is going to make you happy and fulfilled in your next role? On today’s bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Scott Barlow, Founder of Happen to Your Career and host of the Happen to Your Career Podcast, identifies the four key traits that lead to career happiness. Scott also illustrates how clarity in these areas builds a framework for a successful job search. The 4 Key Traits you must have to find happiness and fulfillment in your job are: Helping people — Most people want to know how the work they do helps others. Your basic needs must be met. Your work must be engaging, and you must have a clear understanding of how you are doing. You must have supportive co-workers and a leader. If you approach your career as if you are putting together a puzzle, and start with your strengths as the corner pieces, and then add the outside pieces, which are your wants and values, you will have the framework of your ideal career profile. Scott and his team at Happen to Your Career have put togethe

Do you search online and wait for your dream job to appear? It can be a tedious and unfulfilling task, since up to 80% of available jobs go unadvertised. Most positions today are filled by way of referral. So, get proactive and take control of your job search. Guest expert Katrina Collier encourages people to perform targeted searches and take a direct approach, by making the most of LinkedIn and corporate websites. She says most companies love being approached directly by people who tell them why their skills are a good fit for the organization. Companies benefit from your direct approach by saving recruiter fees and seeing your proactive interest. 5 Steps to Take Control of a Job Search Create a LinkedIn profile that includes your skills and recommendations from your peers. Proactively search for companies in your area that may have a role that fits your specialty. Look beyond recruiters and include department heads or hiring managers. Thoroughly research the company before you reach out to them. C

If you are an older job seeker, you have probably wondered if your age has been a factor in not getting an interview or a job offer for a position you wanted.Ageism is a very real thing, but not every rejection is due to age discrimination. Guest Jacob Share says being the right cultural fit for a position is the most important factor in your being invited into an organization. People want to hire people they will enjoy being around on a day-to-day basis.If you are finding it difficult to get an interview, Jacob recommends using LinkedIn as a tool to find other people who have similar characteristics and experience. Observe which companies have hired them and reach out to current and past employees. Ask for a copy of their resume so you know exactly what type of information the company is looking for. Many positions in today’s job market are filled by personal or professional referrals, so networking can be an important aspect of your job search.We discussed tactics you can try to squash common concerns a com

Understanding who you are, the way you work, and your beliefs are all key to finding the right career for you. Core competencies and skills are important, but truly understanding what lights you up, and what you love doing, can propel you into your next career. Career coach Kylie Butler says it can also be helpful to look into your limiting beliefs and what may be holding you back. Practical Steps to Understanding Yourself Take the time to ask yourself these personal profiling questions. What do I enjoy? When am I in ‘flow’? What were my unique gifts as a child? Do personality assessment tests. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. DiSC profile assessment. Review your CV or resume with someone you respect Consider what excuses you have been making around reaching your goals. But before you leap onto the job boards you should create and develop a success mindset. It can mean the difference in finding the right job for you and finding it quickly. Key Tools to Help You Mentally Prepare for Success Take t

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re ready to find a new job but want to stay in your current company while you look for a better opportunity, you need to engage in a thoughtful and sensitive “stealth” job search. You don’t want your boss finding out that you’ve already got one foot out the door! Recruiter, Bernie Reifkind, reminds job seekers to “trust no one” with their plan to seek employment elsewhere. Even co-workers who have become close friends should not know about your plans. If the information were to slip out, you could be terminated from your current position. If you are networking as part of your job search (and you should be!) Bernie recommends using certain phrases which subtly imply you are in the market for new opportunities. He also recommends asking others to respect your confidentiality. A confidential candidate resume is one way to send your resume to respective employers while keeping your personal data hidden. Make sure your resume is world-class, then replace your name with “Confidential Candidate,” set up a

Everyone has distinct interests, skills and passions. But when it comes to work, most people are looking for the same general thing: a career that is meaningful, engaging, and (ideally) well-paying. Most of us want a balanced life full of work that brings happiness and prosperity.  On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Chris Guillebeau, author of Born for This and The $100 Startup, explains the three things that contribute to this sense of balance. To find the job you were born to do, you need to focus on: Joy: A job that makes you happy Money: A career that is is financially viable Flow: A livelihood that maximizes your unique skills You can find more useful job search insight in Land Your Dream Job Anywhere, now available on Amazon. To preview the first chapter for free, visit www.macslist.org/anywhere. Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people make success in the workplace look easy. Others struggle and fail in spite of great talent and ability. This week’s guest, Lolly Daskal, believes that they key to success is knowing your strengths and mindfully acknowledging your weaknesses. Successful people lead from their strengths and avoid getting stuck in their gaps. Your unique capabilities and your competencies are what give you confidence. Your self-doubt keeps you from mastering your leadership abilities. These self-doubts, or gaps, are what make you feel small or inadequate. Everyone, at some time, feels like an imposter. Awareness and a daily reflection practice can help you to assess the things you did well during the day and consider how you can improve on it in the future. Our Guest for this Episode: Lolly Daskal Lolly Daskal is the founder and CEO of Lead From Within. She’s an advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs and boards, and has coached the leaders of hundreds of companies, across 14 countries. Lolly has written online articles for

There are a lot of reasons why you might resign from your job. Maybe you’ve outgrown the role and have found a new position that better fits your interests. Perhaps another organizations is willing to pay you more for the same work. Or maybe you’ve just had enough with your current employer. Whatever your reason for resigning, departing on a positive note should be your number one priority. This isn’t a time to air long-brewing grievances or slack off as you daydream about your next position. Instead, use this time to reinforce your relations with your supervisor, co-workers, and the organization as a whole. The best thing for your career is to ensure the the transition goes smoothly for yourself, your manager, and the company you are leaving. So says this week’s guest, Joseph Liu, a career coach and host of the podcast, Career Relaunch. Your behavior and attitude the last few weeks leave a lasting legacy. Make sure people remember you as someone who covered all the bases before leaving, not someone who bur

LinkedIn is more than just a collection of professional profiles; it is increasingly a publishing platform where people share articles and ideas. With an audience of over 450 million users, LinkedIn has become one of the best tools for building your professional brand with insightful content. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Joshua Waldman, founder of CareerEnlightment.com and author of Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies, explains how you can use LinkedIn’s publishing tools for your professional advantage. Whether you’re sharing an interesting article, commenting on someone else’s post, or writing your own thought piece, adding new content helps you stand out from the crowd. You’re no longer just another lifeless, corporate profile. It shows you stay informed and that you have something to say! Plus, LinkedIn articles tend to generate a lot of reader feedback. This helps you to build your online network and supports your job search. Start by sharing an article with your own commentar

As a job seeker, you need both a resume and a LinkedIn profile. These two documents shouldn’t be mirror images of each other. Each has their own particular purpose and, together, they function as a complimentary review of your work history.Your LinkedIn profile is a broad overview of what your professional value proposition is. Your resume should be customized around particular job opportunity. It’s important to use keywords from the job posting in your resume so when the hiring manager knows you are familiar with the language and the culture of the opportunity. Our guest expert this week is recruiter and career coach, 
Ed Han. Ed says you need to be consistent when talking about yourself online and in your resume, but that you need to customize each piece. Here are two areas where your resume and LinkedIn profiles should differ: Keywords: On LinkedIn, you should use industry-specific keywords. (What search terms would an average recruiter or hiring manager be searching for when they’re looking for someon

It’s the first question in a majority of all interviews: “Tell me about yourself.” While it seems like a simple prompt, it can make or break the rest of your interview. Mess it up and you’ve ruined your first impression with the employer. Ace the question and you’ll set the tone for the rest of the meeting. The question is so important that job coach, Katherine Burik, has written an entire book on how to craft a winning answer. Katherine shares the “Cliffs Notes” version of her strategy this week on the podcast.   The foundation of Katherine strategy is to is to plan ahead. Think about what the interviewer wants to hear, and share ideas and experiences that speak to their needs. You’ve got to be honest, but you can shape your experience in a way that will resonate with the employer. To ace the “Tell me about yourself” interview question, Katherine offers a five step approach: Provide a short, high-level overview about yourself. Highlight a specific accomplishment you are proud of--preferably one that is

At some point in your career you’ll need to negotiate. Maybe it’ll be for the salary you deserve. Or for better benefits. Or for some extra time off for a special vacation. Whatever your ask, you’ll probably need to negotiate with your boss to get what you want. When people think about negotiation, they tend to imagine a haggling session, where each side makes demands—one high and one low—and they eventually meet somewhere in the middle. According to Jeff Weiss, author of Harvard Business Review’s Guide to Negotiating, this kind of linear, zero-sum thinking limits your opportunity to find creative, win-win solutions. In this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Jeff shares four strategies to improve your negotiation skills and get better outcomes. His tips include: Know your “why’s.” Understand the underlying reason you’re asking for more time, money or benefits. This can open up more opportunities for a mutually beneficial solution with your employer. Don’t fall into stereotypical thinking.  Don’t fal