Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips for Finding Work, Advancing your Career, and Loving Your Job

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 new email account and remove any and all personal information. During a stealth job search: Lock down your LinkedIn with privacy options. Keep your activities private from your current colleagues. Never use a company computer to search. Be cautious about responding to blind job postings. Our Guest for This Episode: Bernie Reifkind Bernie Reifkind is the founder of Premier Search, Inc. His company offers career counseling, strategic planning, and executive recruitment services for clients in healthcare and other industries. His clients include CEOs, mid-career managers, and recent graduates. Bernie is about to launch a new website for C-Suite executives. You can find out more by following @Guru2Interview on Twitter, or connecting with him on LinkedIn. Ben’s Job Search Resource: Employee Referrals Ben’s resource this week references one of the most powerful tools you can have while searching for a job: an internal referral. The U.S. News blog post, 7 Things You Should Know About Employee Referrals, describes why an employee referral increases your chances at getting the job. Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: “Cold Resumes” Becky, Ben and Mac offer advice to Melody Dawn, from Portland, who wants to know: How can I make my “cold resume” stand out from the stack of applications? These segments are sponsored by Mac’s new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere. The book offers practical, actionable, and proven tools to help you get clear about your career goals, find hidden jobs, and ace your next interview. Get the first chapter of this useful resource free. Be a part of the Find Your Dream Job podcast! Ask your job-related question! Email it to becky@macslist.org, or leave us a message at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air, you will receive either a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere. Share your best job resource with our listeners! Send your resource to ben@macslist.org, and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. 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

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 many publications, including Inc.com, Fast Company, Huffington Post, and Psychology Today. She is the author of a new book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness. Ben’s Job Search Resource: Transferable Skills Worksheet Ben’s resource this week is a transferable skills worksheet, developed by Portland State University. This sheet provides a structured way to identify your transferable skills, particularly if you are considering moving into a different field. Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Covering Resume Gaps Jessica, Ben, Beth, and Mac offer advice to Kim Morrison, from Portland, who wants to know: What to do on resumes that have gaps because of downsizing and layoffs. And, what to do in cover letters and job applications to explain the gaps. Be a part of the Find Your Dream Job podcast! Join in: Ask your job-related question! Email it to becky@macslist.org, or leave us a message at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air, you will receive either a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere. Share your best job resource with our listeners! Send your resource to ben@macslist.org, and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. 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

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 burned bridges. This Week’s Guest: Joseph Liu Joseph Liu is a career consultant, keynote speaker, columnist, and host of the Career Relaunch podcast. He believes you must be willing to make a brave leap to create positive changes in your career. Tapping his previous experience as a global marketer, Joseph has helped hundreds of professionals and business owners build and relaunch their personal brands to pursue more meaningful work. Read a blog post and download a worksheet of Joseph’s 3-step Resignation Process. He is also launching online courses about designing and pitching a personal brand. This Week’s Job Search Resource Ben’s discusses an article by Liz Ryan on the ”Five Good Reasons to Quit Without Having Another Job.” Sometimes there’s a very good reason to quit before having another gig lined up! This Week’s Listener Question Jessica, Ben, and Mac answer a question from listener, Suzanne Van Amburgh “What is the best way to find out which staffing agency the company I want to work for uses?”  If you would like the team to answer a job-related question or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about email it to ben@macslist.org or call at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air, you will receive either a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere or a Mac’s List Coffee Mug, your choice. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing 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

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 commentary included. It’s a simple way of growing your personal brand and getting your skills and ideas in front of others. 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

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 someone with your skills. In your resume, mimic the keywords and language found in the job description. (The terms that are most likely to get you past the company’s applicant tracking system.) Accomplishments: In LinkedIn, you should list your biggest accomplishments in the summary section or headline, as these are the most commonly read parts of your profile. On your resume, each accomplishment should be associated with the relevant job. Ed also recommends having a master resume with a complete inventory of your work, educational experience, and accomplishments. It makes customizing a resume for a specific opportunity easier, and you can see all of your amazing accomplishments at a glance. This Week’s Guest: Ed Han Ed Han is a recruiter with a passion for networking and helping people put their professional best foot forward, especially on LinkedIn. His own career includes stints with a major Wall Street firm, an international fashion brand, and a publishing company. You can find Ed Han on LinkedIn or at his Land Faster job search and support Facebook group. This Week’s Job Search Resource Ben’s shares a blog post from LinkedIn: 101 Great Words to Use in Your Resume (and 5 to Avoid) by Mike Figliuolo. This Week’s Listener Question Jessica, Ben, and Mac answer Darroch Cahen’s question: “How do I pursue a dualcareer, both professionally and on LinkedIn?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about email it to ben@macslist.org or call at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air, you will receive either a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere or a Mac’s List Coffee Mug, your choice. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing 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

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 related to the position to which you are currently applying. Share five flattering (but honest) words to describe yourself, starting with “I am…” Explain why you are interested in this specific position. Tell the interviewer why they should hire you. The trick is to communicate everything above in a concise and direct way. Your entire answer shouldn’t take more than two minutes. The best way to ensure you have a tight, well-tuned response is to practice, practice, practice! This Week’s Guest: Katherine Burik Katherine Burik is a partner at The Interview Doctor. She works with both job candidates and employers, and speaks frequently about career development and successful job search methods. Katherine has published three books on job hunting, as part of The Job Seeker Manifesto. Her a fourth book, Talent Search Marketing Plan, is in the works. This Week’s Job Search Resource Ben shares a list of 10 Jobs that didn’t exist 10 years ago to highlight why you have to be flexible and adaptable in your career. You can’t predict the new career opportunities that will emerge in the future (or which jobs will simply disappear) so you have to stay informed and open to change. This Week’s Listener Question Jessica and the team answer a question from listener, Andrew Cameron: “I’ve heard feedback on a number of my interviews that I’m overqualified. I’d be really interested in hearing your thoughts on what that means, and what I might be able to do about that.” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about email it to ben@macslist.org or call at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air, you will receive either a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere or a Mac’s List Coffee Mug, your choice. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing 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

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 fall for the zero-sum-game approach to negotiation. Both sides can “win.” Avoid emotionally driven ultimatums. Negotiation is stressful and people sometimes say things they don’t mean. Steer clear of manipulative language and subjective standards. Take the lead. Be proactive in your negotiation. Don’t wait for the other side to act first. 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

A job search can be an emotional rollercoaster. The process of sending out resumes, getting excited about opportunities, prepping for interviews, and waiting for feedback can be stressful. And, if you don’t get the job you want, it can be a painful blow to your ego. This week’s guest expert, Alison Cardy, argues that job search stress stems from a couple basic dynamics: Putting deadlines on things we cannot control. Job seekers have limited influence on the speed of the hiring process, so setting arbitrary expectations that you’ll find a job in two weeks--or even two months--is a recipe for future upset. Internalizing rejection. Failure is the norm in the job search process; you need to be able to accept rejection without taking it personally. Don’t let one bad interview, define who you are and the value you can bring to an organization. Putting all our eggs in one basket. Don’t focus all your attention on a single interview or opportunity. Continue your job search activities so that you have fallback options. Alison urges job seekers to maintain perspective and stay in reality. Remember who you really are and what you are capable of doing. You should also make sure you’re not investing all of your time and energy into a job search. It’s important to take care of your whole self so that you remain resilient during this difficult period of your life. This Week’s Guest: Alison Cardy Alison Cardy is the Founder and CEO of Cardy Career Coaching. Her international team guides people through career changes. Alison’s firm focuses on that crucial step before your job search begins: Helping you figure out what it is you want to do with your life. She’s also the author of Career Grease: How to Get Unstuck and Pivot Your Career. If you are having trouble which direction you should focus your job search, Alison’s book is a great resource. This Week’s resource Ben shares a post from ThoughtCatalog: 27 People Reveal The Most Ridiculously Crazy Things They Have Said At Their Job Interviews. This is a list of funny and creative answers people have given before they have been offered a job. This Week’s Listener Question This week, Kristin Schuchman, career coach at A Portland Career, joined the Mac’s List team as a fill-in guest host. Kristin, Ben, and Mac answer Stephen’s question: “How do I explain to an employer I am interested in a job I am overqualified for?” Stay up-to-date with the Find Your Dream Job podcast. Here’s how: Get an answer to your job-related question on the air! Email your question to jessica@macslist.org, or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air, you will receive either a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere, or a Mac’s List Coffee Mug, your choice. Share a job resource you think everyone should know about. Email ben@macslist.org, and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. If you like the show, please 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

The interview is your first, and sometimes only, opportunity to make a positive personal impression with an employer. You don’t want to wing it or walk into the meeting unprepared. You need to have a solid game plan and good talking points to make the most of this opportunity. However, it’s important to note that all interviews are not created equal. Every organization has its own needs and internal culture; every hiring manager has a unique personality and history that you need to consider. This is why it is so important that you research an organization and the people you’ll meet before you walk into an interview. Don’t use your one-hour meeting as discovery session. Instead, do your homework ahead of time and come in as an informed candidate with some ideas of how you can address the employer's challenges. This week’s guest expert, Jessica Smith, lays out a plan for how you can best prepare for your next interview. Read the company’s website, find commonalities between the job description and your skills, and view the LinkedIn profiles of the internal recruiter or hiring manager you’ll be meeting with. Figuring out who the company likes to hire, and knowing the organization’s buzzwords gives you instant credibility, When it’s time to answer the tough interview questions, Jessica recommends looking through your background to find a project with a clear objective or goal, and one with a discrete beginning and end. If you are unsure what project to choose, use the company’s job description as a guide. Then, describe the project using the STAR method Situation — Describe the situation.Task — Describe the task you were given.Action — Describe what you did.Result — Describe the outcome. Jessica also urges job seekers to always discuss past accomplishments in the first person singular--saying “I” instead of “we.” Job seekers often want to be modest and credit a team approach for their accomplishments. But speaking with an “I” perspective better conveys that you had an active role in these projects. This Week’s Guest: Jessica Smith Jessica Smith is a career and wellness coach for 20-somethings. Her coaching philosophy centers around the idea that everybody has an internal voice of wisdom that can help you live with more flow, confidence, and joy. Jessica is the author of the forthcoming book, Your Twenties, which is scheduled for publication later in 2017. She is also the host of the weekly podcast, Career Coaching with Jessness. Jessica has free career success guide for listeners on her website, Jessness Required. This Week’s Resource LinkedIn has a new feature that allows users to quietly signal recruiters that they are looking for new professional opportunities. This is a great option if you currently have a job and don’t want your employer to know you’re looking. To turn on this feature, go to the “Jobs” tab of LinkedIn, and toggle the “Open Candidate” button. This Week’s Listener Question: Jessica, Ben, and Mac answer Chris Mitchell’s question: “How long should I wait after a job interview to follow up with a hiring manager?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about email it to ben@macslist.org or call at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air, you will receive either a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere or a Mac’s List Coffee Mug, your choice. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing 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