Do you share some of these questions?

• ”I’ve never looked for a job before; it’s been over 25 years.”
   
• ”It’s not fair…just when I’m ready to slow down, I may have to find something else.”
   
• ”My career ladder has stopped a couple of rungs short of the top. Without throwing away 20 years, what options do I have?”
   
• ”I’m afraid I’ll be downsized and I’m too old to be competing with 30-somethings.”
   
• ”I’m no good at chit-chat, but everybody says you have to ‘network.’ How can I?”
   
• ”My spouse wants to take a position in another city, but I’m afraid to start all over again. How can I keep us both happy?”

The rules for making a career move have changed.

Maybe the last time you looked for a job you were 23 and eager to start. Most likely the job market was in a better position and you had your choice of spots. Maybe you answered a few newspaper ads and got a couple of interviews from which you chose your position. Maybe a relative found you a spot in the Manufacturing Company where he had worked for twenty years.

Today, over 75% of all positions are found through someone you know…and the rest through more traditional approaches including newspaper ads, search firms and recruiters. Internet sites, easy to use and taking not much effort, account for 5% or less of jobs found. The odds are high that your next move will come through networking and a marketing campaign that targets your employer of choice.

Networking can be difficult if you look at it as “chit chat” or “making small talk” or “asking for a job.” Networking can be easy if you approach it to learn new things and to give of your resources to others. Your beliefs about networking and your goals for networking will determine not only the quality of your contacts but also the ease with which you network! Smart networking means you consider your venues carefully, set objectives for yourself and focus on giving to others.

The more targeted your position(s) and employers, the better you can develop a plan to market yourself, your skills, your benefits to those targets. It’s critical to know and use marketing skills in your transition and search: know your target, do your homework, identify the employer’s needs, show exactly how only you can fill those needs, overcome objections, follow up and close the “sale.”

A coach is that ally who models and explains the skills and approaches you must use to be successful in the job market, helps you face fears and uncertainty about needed approaches and keeps you on task and moving toward your goal.

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