Everyone is looking for a “new way to get hired.” There is no doubt that the old ways are of limited use. Maybe it’s possible that the “new way” is actually ages old? Using emotional intelligence to your advantage in a job search makes a lot of sense in an environment where “fit” can be even more important than actual skills.

Lisa Caldas Kappasser’s new book, The Smart New Way to Get Hired – Use Emotional Intelligence and Land the Right Job, explains how, unlike your IQ, your emotional intelligence can be improved and developed – specifically to impact a chance to get a job that is a good fit.

Importantly, Kappasser makes the point that emotional intelligence (EQ – emotional quotient) helps you “make the most of your other qualities.” Some skills (page 7):

• Adapting to change
• Knowing your strengths and weaknesses
• Communicating well
• Cooperating and collaborating with others

It is not difficult to understand how important these skills are in the workplace.

With chapters  highlighting how to apply emotional intelligence for job search, self-management, social awareness, social skills and developing emotional intelligence to achieve your career goals, Kappasser offers some practical solutions and ideas for anyone interested in improving his or her standings in the EQ realm.

Win a copy of Lisa’s book! Comment below for a chance in a random drawing!

If you want to stay competitive in today’s job market, it is crucial to incorporate today’s social networking tools into your job search. Not necessarily to find more job postings (although that is certainly possible), but to connect and interact with people you might not ever have another opportunity to “know” online or meet in person.

I first meet Ellen Sautter and Diane Crompton, co-authors of the book, Seven Days to Online Networking, last April, and wrote about their presentation sharing some details from the book. I have since had the opportunity to get to know Ellen by attending a weekly networking event with her. Anyone looking forward to reading the book should know that Ellen really lives by the philosophy of helping job seekers connect and goes out of her way to be generous and helpful to anyone who requests her advice and assistance.

Ellen and Diane’s book really does cut down the clutter to help job seekers and others dive into social networking in a short amount of time. By first explaining WHY you would want to network with millions of people (!), exploring the issue of how to find the time and identifying the importance of social networking, they bring the reader to the “guts” of the book – How to Stand Out in the Cyberspace Crowd.

With a market flooded with profiles, blogs and digital dirt, can one person really make inroads and “be someone” online? The answer is yes – if you know what you are doing and how to get there! Ellen and Diane offer an easy to understand and digest tutorial to help even the most resistant networker join the fun online.

Readers will learn the “do’s and don’ts” of online networking, how to optimize their use of blogs (their own or others’), various professional networking sites to explore (such as XING and Ryze) and how to start thinking about a “webfolio” – information on a website identifying skills and accomplishments.

I highly recommend Seven Days to Online Networking to anyone who is overwhelmed at the prospect of jumping online, but recognizes how important it is for career success. WIN a copy! Leave a comment here and at my other blogs for a chance in a random drawing!

Keppie Careers

Examiner.com

Secrets of the Job Hunt

Sometimes, it pays to  hire a coach to teach you everything you need to know! Need some help getting your job search jump started? Not sure you can put all of the great tools at your disposal to good use? Need a great resume? Learn how I can help you propel your job hunt forward.

I am a big proponent of “driving your own career bus.” I believe that each individual maintains responsibility for his or her career path. Sometimes, driving your own career bus means identifying red flags at work that indicate a potential lay-off, sometimes it means finding a new job because you really hate the current position or because there are no growth opportunities. However, sometimes, driving your own career bus means purposefully seeking a promotion at your current job.

Some may ask, “Can I really work on getting a promotion? Isn’t it more about waiting for the good news from my boss?” If that is your approach, RUN, don’t walk to get a copy of 30-Day Job Promotion by Susan Britton Whitcomb. So much about your career is in your hands, and you need to have good information and advice to empower yourself to drive to the next stop in your career plan!

Susan takes the reader, step-by-step through a series of tasks and considerations. First stop? Figure out what the promotion will really do for you? Are you sure that is the job you want? The fact is, while you may have a more prestigious title and earn more money, it is important to consider how a promotion will impact your life and day-to-day happiness.

There are many important factors when considering seeking a promotion. A few covered in the book: timing and your promotability. With detailed charts, checklists and explanations, the author helps the reader uncover key issues and outline a game plan.

Susan reminds readers that being promoted is “all about value” (p. 132). You need to know it AND you must be able to communicate it well if you expect a positive result. Suggestions of what to research, sample scripts and success stories round out this useful book for anyone thinking about taking the next step in his or her career.

Win a copy of 30-Day Job Promotion by commenting here or on these blogs. Comment on all of the posts to improve your chances  in the random drawing!

Examiner
Keppie Careers
Secrets of the Job Hunt

By Miriam Salpeter, M.A.

If you are afraid to make a change in your career and/or hesitant to begin to take the wheel to drive your own career bus, you are not alone! Many people facing a change stop in their tracks because they can’t figure out what to do next and don’t want to make the “wrong” move.

Enter Katy Piotrowski’s book, The Career Coward’s Guide to Changing Careers.

Katy guides her readers through a series of stages to help them decide on their plans and overcome roadblocks caused by fear and hesitation. She offers exercises and support from the “discover your natural talents and best skills” stage through to the point of being ready to learn “how to succeed and progress in your new career.”

With confidence checklists and profiles throughout that demonstrate success stories and cases in point, Katy brings her (potentially reluctant) readers along and offers courage to overcome “panic points” to succeed.

My favorite chapter? Chapter 8 – Execute a Successful Informational Interview. Katy offers sample scripts to secure the meeting and step-by-step instructions to help readers know “What to Wear, Where to Meet and How to Act.” Key advice? “Take notes and leave your resume at home.” Successful networkers conduct as many informational meetings as possible. ( CLICK HERE for my thoughts on info interviews.)

I highly recommend The Career Coward’s Guide for anyone who is experiencing a fearful transition – and who isn’t?

If you’d like to win a FREE copy, comment on this blog post to enter a random drawing! Feel free to comment on all of my blogs for a better chance to win:

* Keppie Careers
* Examiner.com
* Secrets of the Job Hunt

If you need some coaching to figure out what you should do next, contact my business partner, Hallie Crawford. Once you know what you want to do, if you need some help to get your job search in gear – Learn more about me and my services.- I will help!

By Miriam Salpeter, GreatPlaceJobs Career Expert
www.keppiecareers.com

Are you the job seeker who, when asked what you’re good at, or what you want to do, who says, “I am really good at a lot of things. I have many skills, such as X, Y and Z, and I am a quick learner, so I can really do anything and I am open to just about any job.”

If that sounds familiar, it is time to re-work your pitch! As Shawn Graham, author of Courting Your Career, notes in the book, being willing to do anything is akin to saying you would date just about anyone, as long as they have teeth!

Shawn’s useful and informative book helps make the job search process more accessible to readers by comparing a job search to a search for a mate.

The first step for both processes? Figure out who you are and what you want! Look beyond physical appearance and cast a wide enough net to include a variety of types of companies to “romance.”

While some may believe that “fate” should play a big role in their love life and career paths, it’s a good idea to incorporate a good dose of planning in both areas for success.

Shawn weaves the dating analogy through the “meet market” – networking, and reminds readers that “Before you can date someone, you need to meet someone” (p. 33).  He offers three principles of effective networking:

• Assess – figure out who you know
• Expand – grow outside of your existing network
• Maintain – keep up your ongoing relationships

He reminds us that leveraging skills learned from past relationships is as useful for job seekers as it is for dating!

A tip I particularly enjoyed that also is perfectly aligned with both dating and job seeking is “it isn’t all about you.” Shawn asks, “Have you ever been on a date with someone who talked about him- or herself all night long?” (p. 111). You don’t want to be the self-centered job seeker! Remember that looking for a job is just as much about connecting to the employer’s needs as it is about what you have to offer!

There are some differences between job seeking and dating…For example, Shawn reminds readers that they should NOT send flowers to thank an interviewer!

Courting Your Career is a great (and fun) read for anyone in job search mode. The message is an optimistic and useful reminder – so much is in YOUR hands! Take advantage of it and move forward successfully!

YOU have a chance to win a copy of Courting Your Career! All you need to do is comment on any one of my blogs (comment on as many as you’d like to increase your chances). Share a story, ask a question…Let us know why you could use this book. I’ll pick one winner at random on Friday to receive a copy.

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