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

Google the words “cover letter” and you will find lots of opinions on the best tactics: which format to use, the right salutations, and to whom you should address your letter. Our guest expert this week, Susan Rich, author of How to Write a Kick-Butt Resume Cover Letter, says people are missing the most important point of all: an employer has a problem that needs to be solved.  The applicant who shows she or he can solve problem has a huge advantage. Susan shares her advice how to focus your thoughts into to key talking points that address the employer’s needs. A dynamite headline and a powerfully structured cover letter showcases your skills in a way that is uniquely appealing to employers looking for help. In this 26-minute episode you will learn: How to frame job seeking as a business transaction Why being a problem solver is the key to your job search How to organize your thoughts to focus in on your key points for a cover letter The elements of a strong cover letter headline How to structure a cover letter that actually gets read This week’s guest: Susan Rich (Twitter | LinkedIn) Author, How to Write a Kick-Butt Resume Cover Letter Portland, Ore. Susan Rich deliver results, not promises. People call her an idea refinery, always creating a new way forward. She is widely recognized for her strategic business and marketing savvy, her internal & external communications strategies. She is an expert speaker and trainer, and professional journalist with more than one million words in print. Listener question of the week: “With email as the primary form of application these days, how formal do cover letters need now?  Do I still need to include the employer’s address?” - Beckie If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at jenna@macslist.org. Resources from this week’s show: Weekend Resume Kit The Muse's 185 Powerful Verbs That Will Make Your Resume Awesome RichWriting.com Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) – On sale through June 15! If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at ben@macslist.org. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. 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

This week on Find Your Dream Job, we’re talking about negotiation, a vital skill, especially at work. Maybe you’re considering a job offer. Perhaps  you’re about to ask for a raise. Or you’re chasing a  promotion. Whatever your ask, it will require negotiating. Many people treat negotiations as a win-or-lose situation for the parties involved. If you get what what you want, it’s at someone else’s expense. It doesn’t have to be this way.  We speak with Jeff Weiss, author of the Harvard Business Review’s “Guide to Negotiating.” Jeff will share his tips for how you can move from a game of concessions and compromises.   He’ll also talk about how to use collaboration and creativity so that you get better results and good working relationships with others. In this 32-minute episode you will learn: The three negotiating mistakes most people make The questions you should ask when you’re told “no” The importance of understanding “why” you want a raise How to find creative solutions and compromises in your negotiations Why systematic preparation is key to great negotiating - from asking for a raise to managing contractors. This week’s guest: Jeff Weiss (Twitter | LinkedIn) Author, Harvard Business Review’s Guide to Negotiating Cambridge, Mass. Jeff Weiss is a founding partner of Vantage Partners, a Boston-based consulting firm that works with Fortune 500 companies on improving how they negotiate.  Jeff has published extensively on negotiation is the author of the “Harvard Business Review Guide to Negotiating”.  He is also a member of the faculty of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In July 2016, Jeff will become the ninth president of Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Listener question of the week: “When should you bring up salary when interviewing?” - Ben If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at jenna@macslist.org. Resources from this week’s show: Weekend Resume Kit Harvard Business Review’s Guide to Negotiating Vantage Partners IWillTeachYouToBeRich.com Glassdoor.com Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) – On sale through June 15! If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at ben@macslist.org. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. 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

Networking and coffee often go hand-in-hand; inviting a professional contact out for coffee is one of the easiest ways to score an informational interview or stay in touch with your network. Chances are, before anyone accepts your coffee invite they are going to check out you out on social media. So it is vital that your social media profiles are a true reflection of who you are as a professional. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Joshua Waldman, author of Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies and founder of Career Enlightenment, shares his advice on how to keep your online presence and profiles up-to-date and professional during your job search. His top tips? On top of having a stellar LinkedIn profile, consider giving your new contact more information about yourself with a simple About.me website. If you’re looking for more advice on how to network, check out our book, Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond. You’ll find everything you need to get a great job whether you’re in Portland Oregon, Portland Maine, or anywhere in-between. For more information on Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond, visit macslist.org/book. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this shoe, 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

Ever think about quitting your job? A vast majority of people do. One survey cited by CBS News found that 84% of Americans want to switch employers. Yet most of us show up for work every Monday even when we want to be somewhere else. There are many reasons we don’t quit our job--even jobs that make us unhappy. Top concerns people cite include: family, money and opportunity.   But what if you walked out of your office today without lining up your next job? Does that sound crazy? This week on Find Your Dream Job, we speak to author Tess Vigeland, who makes a case for why you should quit your job now - even if you don’t have a “Plan B.” In this 34-minute episode you will learn: Why leaving a dream job might be the best move you can possibly make How to know when it’s time to quit your job How to review, understand, and present your employable skills How to discover who you are outside of your traditional career role This week’s guest: Tess Vigeland (Twitter | LinkedIn) Author, Leap: Leaving a Job with No Plan B to Find the Career and Life You Really Want SE Asia Listener question of the week: “How does one brand themselves in the midst of a career / industry transition?” - Chris Be sure to leave a comment on our Facebook page to be entered to win a special prize!  If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at jenna@macslist.org. Resources from this week’s show: Weekend Resume Kit Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Outlook Leap: Leaving a Job with No Plan B to Find the Career and Life You Really Want TessUntethered.com Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) – On sale through June 15! If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at ben@macslist.org. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. 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 graduation season and a time to celebrate the great accomplishments of our graduating high school students. It’s also a time for those students to make some big decisions about their future. Should they continue their education? Enter the workforce? Take a gap year? Or perhaps sign-up for service? “What to do next” is  a big question and one that can causes teenagers and parents a lot of stress. It’s also choice on many people’s minds as graduation season nears. This week on Find Your Dream Job podcast, we talk about how to help teens choose what to do after high school so that they build a solid foundation for their career. Our guest is Dearbhla Kelly, author of Career Coach, a book to help parents and teens with career planning for young people. In this 31-minute episode you will learn: How influential parents are on career choice for teens Why parents need to guide (not lead) teens when it comes to career management skills How open ended questions can help teens make good career choices The importance of informational interviews, job shadowing, volunteering, and career day opportunities This week’s guest: Dearbhla Kelly (Twitter | LinkedIn)Career CoachAuthor, Career CoachDublin, Ireland Listener question of the week: “How do you stay challenged in your job while helping others?” - Cheryl Curry Don’t forget to leave your question (or comment) on Mac’s List Facebook page!  If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at jenna@macslist.org. Resources from this week’s show: Career Coach The Weekend Resume Makeover online course Good.co Mobile App  SkillShare Luminosity Strength Finders 2.0 DearbhlaKelly.com Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) - On sale through June 15! If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at ben@macslist.org. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. 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

When it comes to interviews, your wardrobe matters. You want to pick the perfect outfit for your interview--one that is professional, but which also honors the existing office culture that you hope to join. Doing so creates a good first impression with the hiring manager and signals that you might be a good fit for the organization.  On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Cecilia Bianco, former community manager at Mac's List, shares her advice on picking the right interview outfit. Learn the do's and don'ts of professional attire, as well as tips for customizing your outfit to accomodate the organization's internal culture. If you're looking for more advice on how to ace your interview, check out our book, Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond. You'll find everything you need to get a great job whether you're in Portland Oregon, Portland Maine, or anywhere in-between. For more information on Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond, visit macslist.org/book. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this shoe, 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

Are you happy at your job? Unfortunately, most people aren’t. According to Gallup, unhappy employees outnumber happy ones, two to one. There are many reasons people end up with jobs they don’t like. Some workers take the first job offered in order to pay bills. Others stick with an employer because they aren’t clear what they want to do next. And some worry if they say no to a job offer another one won’t come. What would it take for you to be happy in your career? This week on Find Your Dream Job we explore this issue with career expert Hallie Crawford. Hallie shares strategies for finding your professional calling and tips for taking control of your career. In this 26-minute episode you will learn: Career fulfillment: what it means and how you can achieve it Tools you can use to pick a career you’ll love How fulfillment plays a key role in your professional career Why you should listen to your gut when making career decisions How a career contrast list can help you focus on your career path The eight elements of the ideal career model to identify your career values This week’s guest: Hallie Crawford (@halliecrawford | LinkedIn)Certified Career Coach and Job Search ExpertFounder, Create Your Career PathAtlanta, GA Listener question of the week: What is the difference between a resume and a CV?  Which one is appropriate to use when job hunting? If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at jenna@macslist.org. Resources from this week’s show: Unhappy Employees Outnumber Happy Ones By Two to One Worldwide Jenny Foss’ Weekend Resume Makeover Create Your Career Path Hallie Crawford’s Blog Dream Job Coaching Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at ben@macslist.org. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. 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

Maybe you’re looking for your next job. Or perhaps you want to stay on top of your career. Whatever your goal, you know you need to go to professional events.  It’s one of the best ways to meet others in your field. But does the idea of walking into a room of strangers and striking up a conversation fill you with horror? This is a common fear many jobseekers have—and it keeps them from making vital professional connections. This week on Find Your Dream we’re talking about how to work a room, with an expert on the subject, Susan RoAne. Susan’s best-selling book, How to Work a Room, teaches you everything you need to know to become an expert networker. In this 26-minute episode you will learn: Why face-to-face networking is still happening in the digital age The difference between working a room and networking Why showing up is key to a positive personal brand image How customizable introductions are key to making connections at events Why ice breakers and small talk are valuable forms of communication This week’s guest: Susan RoAne (@susanroane | LinkedIn) Author, How To Work a Room San Francisco, Calif. Listener question of the week:  How can I support my friend during their job hunt? If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at jenna@macslist.org. Resources from this week’s show: Networking for Introverts SusanRoAne.com Sign up for Susan RoAne’s newsletter & get her free e-book Nuances of Business Networking How To Work a Room Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at ben@macslist.org. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. 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

The question every college student dreads but can't avoid: "What are you going to do after graduation?" It's graduation season and university students across the country are preparing for the next phase of their lives. For most, that means a job--or at least a job search. Others may explore graduate school or an alternative learning experience. Regardless of what's next, this transition can be a time of great stress for new graduates.  On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, we share tips on how to smooth the transition from college to "real life." Gabrielle Nygaard, a Fulbright Scholar and Linfield College graduate, reads "Hello College Student, I’m Talking to You!", her contribution to our book Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this shoe, 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

Every time you switch jobs, you have the opportunity to redefine your career—to pursue new challenges and find new meaning in your work life. Most workers have ample opportunity to change career paths; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the typical American will have 10 different jobs before the age of 40.  Yet many of us struggle to make the big choice of changing professional direction. Knowing what you want to do in life often means conquering your fears. You may have to shed old ideas. Or find the strength to let go of a safe job. Put simply… it takes courage. This week on Find Your Dream Job, we’re talking about how you can plan your career instead of letting just happen to you. Mac talks with Katie Kelley, an executive coach, motivational speaker, and author of the new book, Career Courage.  Katie shares her tips on how to discover your passion, step out of your comfort zone and create the career success you want. In this 33-minute episode you will learn: How the FOG (Feedback – Opportunities – Gut Instinct) model helps you make career decisions What you should stop, start and continue doing in your career How to evaluate other careers that interest you What the “career success circle” looks like and how it can point to your next steps How to reflect on career plateaus and move forward from them Why permission to be different is the key to having career courage This week’s guest: Katie Kelley (@katie_c_kelley | LinkedIn)Professional MentorAuthor of Career CouragePortland, Ore. Listener question of the week:  When it comes to creating (or updating) my resume do I really need to include my home address? If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at jenna@macslist.org. Resources from this week’s show: Signed Copy of Career Courage Dan Ariely’s TEDx Talk Katie Kelley’s Facebook Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at ben@macslist.org. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. 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