You are one of the lucky ones: you have a job. However, you've decided that it's time to move on. This could be for any number of reasons:



• You’re concerned about the viability of your current company

• You’re convinced you have much more to offer to someone else

• You’ve had 5 different bosses in the last 18 months

• You’re seeking something new and different

 

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Whatever the reason, you've made your decision and it's time to take action. And now you start to realize just how hard the task ahead of you will be. Here are some of the challenges you are facing:



​Time. This is by far the biggest one. You already have a full-time job and it's important that you keep working at that professionally and effectively as long as you hold that position. You've just added a new and very time-consuming activity: you have accepted the role of job seeker. How do you carve out the hours necessary to do this professionally, effectively, and in a reasonable time frame?



​Expertise. As many of the unemployed have found out, there is a vast difference between your proficiency in your chosen profession in life and your effectiveness as a job seeker. Very few people have developed a high level of expertise in this important task. It's always been difficult. However, in this economic environment, if you're not at the top of your game, you will find that you'll not only have difficulty "landing" your chosen position, you won't even be able to get appointments.



"Covert" Job Seeking. One of the more unpleasant and nerve-racking aspects of the job hunt while working a full-time job is that this is normally done without the knowledge of your current company. It's a fact of life that companies take a dim view of current employees seeking positions elsewhere while still employed. You can't change your LinkedIn profile with a new heading that says "actively seeking work in the financial industry because I hate my current job and can't wait to get out of it."  You will need a slightly more sophisticated approach.​

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One possible solution; let me do some of the "heavy lifting"! Sure, you can do it yourself but is that the best use of your time? And time, as we've already mentioned, is going to be a very rare commodity when you're trying to balance two full time jobs: your current profession and your new vocation as job seeker. I've been helping people in the job hunt for over 35 years. I know what works and, just as importantly, what doesn't work. Together, we can create a professional effective job search methodology.



 To learn more about Bill Freind and ​Tag for Productivity click the "About Us" tab



Getting Started


 Engaging in a coaching assignment is much like dating. The two parties - coach and job seeker - have to determine if they're compatible. I always like to begin with a very important discussion. I call it:

"Are you sure you want to do this?"  In America, we become a "throw away" society. Have a problem with an appliance? Throw it away and get a new one. Having a few problems with your marriage? Throw the spouse away and find a new one. Something about your job that you're not happy with? Throw it away and go find a new one. I take it totally different view. After spending 40 years in corporate America, I have come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a perfect job in much the same way as there is no such thing as a perfect marriage or a perfect friendship. There are always things that you wish were different. However, it has always been my policy to address these items to people who are capable of changing them. How did it work for me?  Remarkably well. If you have a valid concern and one that is affecting your productivity, many people in your Corporation would be delighted to try to remedy that situation if at all possible. It just makes good business sense. Time and time again, when I was concerned with something and brought it to the attention of my superior, I got a quick effective solution or a much better understanding of why that situation had to exist.​
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This is why in my first meeting with a potential client, I really want to get a very good understanding as to why they are planning on leaving their company. In many cases, I have talked myself right out of the coaching assignment. I told the client about cases where people who reported to me were seeking a promotion to a position for which they were uniquely unqualified. They looked at this promotion as a wonderful opportunity. I looked at it and saw a train wreck. After an analysis of their strengths, areas for improvement, and things that they really like to do, more times than not, they saw the light and that this promotion, rather than bringing them joy, would bring them nothing but heart aches. 
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If a client is working for a good corporation in a position that she enjoys and receiving a reasonable salary, it would be foolish to throw all that away because of a problem that is eminently fixable. If, after this conversation, the client and I agree that the reasons for moving on are valid, we begin to put our plan in place. Each client is unique and thus each plan customized. Some of  things we will look at together are the following:​

 

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In depth assessment of where you are.


This exercise will help bring focus on such items as:
    -Are you “crystal clear” on your objective?
    -Do you know exactly the job you are seeking?
    -Will you be pursuing multiple different jobs at the same time?
    -Are you seeking something completely different from where your "experience
     base" is?
    -Do you currently have a job search plan in place?
    -Are you totally satisfied with it?
    -Is it written, prioritized and dated?
    -What results have you been getting:
       -How many interviews with different companies?
       -How many multiple interviews with one company?
       -Are you satisfied with the number of interviews you are going on?
       -What are the parts of your job search that are going well?
       -What are the areas where you feel you need improvement?
       -What parts of the job search make you feel most uncomfortable?​

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Development of a Job Search Plan.​

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The first part of this plan will be a frank discussion of how much time the client is willing to devote on a weekly basis. The more time the client can reasonably devote, the shorter the time to success. Once we agree on this, we move on the Search Plan.

This is customized activity based on the results of your assessment. In some cases, the job search plan will have to be built “from scratch”. In other cases, all that will be needed are some minor modifications and help with the parts of the job search that are causing discomfort. Some of those things might be:
     -Executing a contact plan
     -“Tweaking” the resume to make sure your accomplishments come through
     -Practice interviews.

In all cases, however, it is important that all the key aspects of the job search are addressed. Some of the items to be addressed will be:

• An in-depth, results-oriented, prioritized, dated, written job search plan.
        -Key Point about the Job Search Plan: This must be your plan. I will provide
         advice and counsel but, in the end, you have to “own” it. For this reason,
         discussion and disagreement will be encouraged – actually demanded!
         If you agree to something you don’t believe in and to which you are not
         completely committed, failure is assured.
• Continuous activities designed to help the job seeker get crystal clear on "you".
• Fine tuning one – or several – resumes designed to have positive impact on the person to whom it is sent.
• Development of a contact list of at least 80 pair of eyes and ears to help in the job search.
• Development of a crisp professional phone presentation to give to each and everyone on your contact list.
• Insuring that your resume incorporates on paper all the things you have reviewed with your contacts on the
   phone.
• The "care and feeding" of your contacts.
• Identifying and committing to at least 2 and no more than 4 methods of job hunting.
• Reviewing and fine tuning your methods for researching a company prior to contact and prior to the interview.
• Practice, practice, practice with me on both the job interview and the contact phone presentation, several of
  which will be videotaped.
• Anything else necessary to insure success – and I’m sure there will be plenty more.

Regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings.


In these meetings we will jointly review the plan, discuss obstacles encountered and ways to overcome these obstacles and, where necessary, revise and revamp your plan. We will also spend time finding ways to increase the effectiveness of the job search and do whatever is necessary to move steadily toward the objective – the “Job of your Dreams."
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Major Point:
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In addition to the above, I will provide two other services that I think are critically important in accelerating success in the job search:

• Motivator / Cheerleader - I consistently tell my students, "I have a much higher opinion of you than you have of yourself." I will strive to help you continually feel better about yourself both as a human being and as a resource for any company that is lucky enough to hire you.
• "Nudge!!!" - I call this the “Jiminy Cricket” factor. I will serve as your conscience, task master and general all around pain in the neck. Once you have committed to doing something, I will endeavor to use all my powers of persuasion, pleading and, yes, nagging to insure that you follow through.



If you'd like to find out more, let's talk.