Recently, I had lunch with a friend who shared his experience looking for his next position.

He is a senior media executive and is the final candidate for two positions, while still employed. How many people would like to say this?

For one position, my friend had 15 interviews which included 10 different visits. I can see 5, maybe 6 visits – but 10 – and over six months??  Seems over the top. It begs many questions – difficulty making decisions? Budget-shy due to economic concerns? Do the job specs keep changing? Are they being ridiculously picky on meeting all the specs to every degree?

My friend ran into someone who was on his roster of interviewers at an industry function. The job is still in play and this individual asked my friend if he could interview him for one of his own departmental positions. Awkward.

For another position, my friend was asked to create an entire strategy and branding campaign for a live situation for a potential employer. In my line of work, that is considered free consulting, among other things. My friend did not get any substantial feedback on this work and the next month the entire business was rebranded. The company also never ended up filling the vacant role.

My takeaway? Anything goes. You have to be clear in how far you are willing to go to get the job – and then let the chips fall where they may. Years ago, when I was interviewing at a Fortune 500 company, they brought me in five times over a year timeframe and wanted to bring me in again – for only a mid-level position. I finally said no. “I am not going in again. You know enough about me – make your decision with what you know.” I got the job.

What’s the balance point between accomodating requests in a “buyers market” and being willing to jump through any hoop?

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC      www.sagelead.com

Did you catch this article in The Wall Street Journal on Lessons of Extreme Job Hunting? It pays to be as creative as you can in this market! 

The world has gone mad – and you want to be a Life Coach to help sort through it all? We all know someone who has been laid off, is dealing with a divorce, a major disease or grieving loss of a loved one. The planet is definitely detoxing and clearing out…

First, be clear on WHY you want to be a life coach and WHAT this requires.

Because you have bi-polar and handle your disease well, you aren’t suddenly qualified to be a therapist and treat others. So too, because you feel you are successful in your life, doesn’t suddenly qualify you to be a life coach. Many people DO hang out their shingle this way – some without a college degree, work experience or any formal training in what it means to coach or how to coach. While well intentioned, you can do a lot more harm by working with what you don’t know you don’t know. We humans are complex, messy creatures.

You CAN be a great friend, role model or mentor – someone who gives advice.

Your own successful life experience is certainly a prerequisitie for being an effective coach. It also requires proper training and supervision. I strongly recommend receiving coaching yourself. In addition to superior listening skills, you must have clear boundaries and facility with various tools and concepts. You are a sherpa  – because you have navigated your own inner terrain, you know the landscape, and can guide your clients through nooks and crannies of their challenging or dark journey, assisting them in achieving their goal(s).

One of the most important tenets is to be clear on what your issues are and how they are effected by your client so you are clear on what they need vs. operating from your own needs. Ultimately, It’s as hard and simple as that.

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC        www.sagelead.com

The challenge is to be so different that you get attention and make people want to inquire further but not so outrageous that you are not taken seriously. You medium is your message. How have you solved difficult problems in your career? How do you translate this tenacity, creativity and perserverance to your personal branding? Darin Lonergan, about to take off…

Walking Billboard

Is it “funemployment” or “wiseemployment”?  It depends on your perspective.

There is some bad press out there about Millenials - ”Generation Ys” – who are twenty-somethings just entering the workforce. If you are a Baby Boomer or a “Gen Xer” and you hire or manage a Millenial, you may be questioning their commitment, drive and ambition.

One Millenial said he would rather ride out the down economy by supplementing bartending with golf or travel until the economy turns around.  “Since there is a slim chance of getting a job in my field, I may as well get out and see the world.  I’m only 22. Taking a year or two off won’t hurt as long as I make enough to pay my bills.” Are Millenials slackers or intelligent optimists trying to balance practicality with purpose and meaning?

When they do get a job they want to be promoted to SVP within the year. Reality check required for sure! And yet, is there a balance point between recognizing they do need certain experiences AND that the world has changed and sometimes checking all the boxes to progress in a linear fashion may not be necessary?

Are all these attributes generational characteristics or is there a different consciousness or attitude coming into play as the entire workforce sorts through the revolution of technology, its ramifications – different business models and skillsets required – and the disillusionment with the corporate ladder? Who really expects to spend 15 or 30 years at the same company these days?

Millenials ‘work to live’ versus their parents ‘living to work.’  I’d say this is right alignment with yourself regardless of age. Your career search must start and end with you. If you don’t have a life and perspective on where your work fits into it, where are you?

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC        www.sagelead.com

Have you lost focus of what gives you meaning in your career? If it’s just about a paycheck, then you are checked out. How can you spend at least 1/3 of your life not enjoying what you are doing? Life is too short. And the world needs a lot of help so please be fully engaged with all your talents and gifts.

We are so conditioned by our society starting from an early age with our educational system, and other people, to pursue certain paths. Make sure you are on the right path for you.

I LOVE this clip from Alan Watts who packs a lot of fruitful messages in two minutes. Don’t miss the point. It’s never too late to change paths. Enjoy.

Music and Life

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC     www.sagelead.com

How and where work gets done has changed dramatically in the last 10 years due to the introduction and acceptance of a host of new technological tools – social media, laptops, cell phones, videocams. All contributing to a sea of effects - organizational restructuring, global sourcing, the creation of new jobs and founding of new career paths. Twenty years ago did anyone hear of a web designer or CIO? We went from MIS VP to CIO or CTO. What will the next 5 years bring us in terms of paradigm shifts and new careers?

If you were laid off recently and don’t want to get another job doing what you have been doing but are not sure where to go now, I say – live with the question honestly and deeply – and pay attention to the trends and shifts in the world and in business.

The intersection of your dissatisfaction coupled with answering a need in the marketplace is where you want to be. When you don’t have the answers, then you are open to your own creative forces. This is where you can find answers to your career transition or more accurately stated: career search. You can’t find something if you aren’t looking for it.

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC        www.sagelead.com

When you are one of many thousands who have been laid off.

30 years ago “being laid off” vs. “fired” was so rare that you would have had a scarlett letter on your resume and black balled from your next job. 15-20 years ago, it became more acceptable – translated: “nothing to be ashamed of.”  What helped cement this enlightened orientation, in 1993, is when companies like IBM initiated their first round of involuntary layoffs, marking the end of an era.

I attended my high school reunion this past weekend – yes, omitting the year ! When I asked one of my classmates what she did for a job, she reluctantly said, “I was hoping no one would ask me that. This job didn’t work out so I don’t know what I am doing now.”

I said, “Say you are in a career transition.” She replied, “Oh that’s good.” She seemed relieved to have the words without needing to give a long explanation. There is no stigma these days to those two words, “career transition.” It doesn’t have to be any more clear than that – if it’s not right now.

And that is Okay. You are in good company with great companies – and many of your neighbors.

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC  www.sagelead.com

Yes, there are statistics on how jobs are actually found. ..and you will get lots of opinions on this.

Many of you probably know that the number way jobs are obtained is through networking. If you are talking about a straightforward job search in this economy then we are talking upwards of 80-90% chance you’ll find your next job by networking – through someone you know or some who knows someone who knows someone you know.

If you are talking about a CAREER search – then that is another matter altogether. Career searches require some soul searching, informational interviews, and a clear assessment of your skills, experiences and interests.

With both, you need to get out there and TALK to people. Not just network on social media sites. These are best used for introductions and points of contact but they DO NOT replace HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS and FACE to FACE contact. Yes, we live in a virtual age but we are still humans.

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC  www.sagelead.com

These days there is a ton of information out there on the ingredients to this dish: 1 part summary, outline your companies and positions with 3-5 parts accomplishment statements per job, throw in education, certifications and special trainings or interests – keep enough white space to make it digestible and don’t let it simmer too long – not over 2 pages.

Outside of this formula or general practice - every career counselor or colleague might have an opinion about how to refine and write for optimal impact or readability, but whatever you write needs to reasonate with you. You shouldn’t forget the context for this “dish” and your key ingredient. The context is – what are you looking to do? The key ingredient is – what is your story? Especially if you have a 15, 20 or more year career with multiple jobs or companies, you can’t, nor should you include it all in a resume. This should accent your salient highlights and the “so what factor” – what was the impact.

The resume is a marketing tool to tell your story – either to spark interest to get the interview or as a leave behind – “tell me more” -  after a networking meeting.

Don’t lose focus – the most important point is – does it tell the story – position your experiences and lead your reader to where you want to go? My statistics teacher in grad school always said, “the numbers know not what they say.” We can massage and shape the numbers to create any argument we want. So too we can interpret and frame our experiences to tell the story we want to tell.

Keep where you have been in perspective to where you want to go in light of where you are today. One gentleman has made a blog out of his job search experience in hopes of helping others, specifically targeted toward those over 50 – http://joewantswork.blogspot.com/.

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC www.sagelead.com