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

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BONUS: Getting Ahead by Being Unprofessional (Brittany Bennett) Apr 04, 2016

Show notes

Image is an important part of a job search--and career management, in general. You always want to present yourself as a competent, talented and, enthusiastic professional. But it's also important that your brand reflects who you are. Ultimately, authenticity matters more than professionalism. Your brand, no matter how polished and practiced, is worthless if it doesn't reflect your genuine personality.

On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Portland-based marketing professional, Brittany Bennet, shares her experience learning the importance of authenticity. She reads "Get Ahead in Portland by Being Unprofessional", her contribution to our book, Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond).

While Brittany's comments are specifically about her experience in Portland's casual professional culture, her lesson about being authentic will resonate no matter where you are.

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.

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Ep. 028: How to Look for Work After Age 50 (Kerry Hannon) Mar 30, 2016

Show notes

It is illegal for an employer to discriminate based on age, but many job seekers over the age of 50 will tell you it happens every day. Older workers stay out of work longer and may earn less than in previous jobs when they do return to the workforce. According to AARP the average period of unemployment for people 55 years and older is 54.3 weeks, almost twice as long as the 28.2 weeks younger workers spend job hunting.

This week on Find Your Dream Job, we explore the challenges of job hunting when you're 50+. Mac talks with Kerry Hannon, a career and personal finance expert who has written extensively on the subject. Kerry shares practical, actionable tips older jobseekers can use to overcome age bias and find a job they love.

In this 34-minute episode you will learn:

The reasons employers are hesitant to hire older workers
How to overcome age stereotypes when you're looking for a job
Simple ways to prove your technology savvy to prospective employers.
The importance of networking and volunteering for older job hunters
Why an accountability buddy (or support group) can help you maintain optimism while job hunting.

This week’s guest:

Kerry Hannon (@KerryHannon | LinkedIn)Personal Finance Expert and AuthorWashington, D.C.

Listener question of the week:

My current employer assigns “homework” to job applications that make the shortlist. This is a small task that reflects the kind of work they would do on the job. Do many organizations do this? Is it a growing trend?

Answering our question this week is our guest co-host, Michelle Hynes of MichelleHynes.com. 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:

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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 027: How to Find Work Overseas (Marcelle Yeager) Mar 23, 2016

Show notes

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live and work in a foreign country? More people than ever are living and working outside the country where they were born. According to the United Nations, the number of international migrants now stands at a record 232 million people. That’s a significant increase since 1990. For many of these people the move to a new country is permanent; for others, it may be a temporary stay for a year or two.

This week on Find Your Dream Job, we talk about how to find work outside the United States. Our guest is Marcelle Yeager a career coach and recruiter with deep experience in international employment. Marcelle shares tips for how to find and land work opportunities throughout the world.

In this 35-minute episode you will learn:

First steps in looking for a job overseas.
Networking tips for overseas opportunities.
Cultural challenges you may face when working abroad.
The most high-demand jobs for American expats.

This week’s guest:

Marcelle Yeager (@careervalet | LinkedIn)

President, CareerValet

Washington, D.C.

Listener question of the week:

I want to move across country, but I can’t afford to relocate without first having a job lined up. Do you have any advice on how to “woo” employers from 2,000 miles away?

Answering our question this week is our guest co-host, Jenny Foss of jobjenny.com. 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:

If you have a job-hunting or career development resource resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at ben@macslist.org.

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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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

BONUS: How To Deal with a Bad Reference (Vicki Lind) Mar 21, 2016

Show notes

In all likelihood you've had at least one negative experience with a past employer or supervisor. Many of us have. Whatever the cause, these experiences can have a lasting impact on your career in the form of a bad professional reference.

Any prospective employer will want to talk to your past supervisors. So how do you overcome a potentially negative reference when you're on a job hunt?

On this 6-minute bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Vicki Lind, career coach and principal of Vicki Lind and Associates, shares a comprehensive strategy for how to minimize the impact of negative feedback from a past employer. She reads "How to Deal With A Bad Reference", her contribution to our book, Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond).

Do you need more practical and proven job search tips to find a job you love? Check out Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). The updated Mac's List guide teaches you everything you need to get where you want to be in your career.

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!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 026: How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Irresistible to Recruiters (Arnie Fertig) Mar 16, 2016

Show notes

LinkedIn is a vital part of any serious job search or recruitment. Smart job hunters use LinkedIn to tell a compelling professional story, document accomplishments, and show what they can do for others. A vast majority (94-97%) of recruiters and employers use the platform to find candidates who have the right skills, experience, and connections. This week on “Find Your Dream Job,” we talk with Arnie Fertig, a career coach and LinkedIn expert, on how to use this platform to find a job. Arnie knows what recruiters on LinkedIn are looking for. He shares practical tips for building a compelling, eye-catching profile, as well as strategies for building rewarding professional relationships on LinkedIn. In this 35-minute episode you will learn: Tools for making your LinkedIn profile look polished and professional How recruiters use LinkedIn and what they’re looking for in your profile Strategies for attracting recruiters and potential employers with your profile Why you need to be speaking in the first person (using “I”, “me”, and “my” on LinkedIn) What NOT to include in your LinkedIn profile This week’s guest: Arnie Fertig (@jobhuntercoach | LinkedIn)Principal, JobHunterCoach.comBoston, Mass. Listener question of the week: What should my LinkedIn title be if I’m currently unemployed? Answering our question this week is Dawn Rasmussen, Chief Resume Writer at Portland-based Pathfinder Writing and Career Services. If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact us at communitymanager@macslist.org. Resources from this week’s show: JobHunterCoach.com Find Your Dream Job Ep. 017 - The Social Media Job Hunt World Bad LinkedIn Photo Day | Mathys+Potestio 7 Tips to Make Sure Your LinkedIn Picture Is Helping, Not Hurting, Your Prospects | Entrepreneur.com The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Image Sizes | Social Media Examiner Pathfinder Writing and Career Services Your Career Begins With What You Wear | LinkedIn Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource 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. -- FULL TRANSCRIPT Mac Prichard: This is find your dream job a podcast that helps you get hired and have the career you want and make a difference in life. I am Mac Prichard your host and publisher of Mac’s List. Our show is brought to you by Mac’s List and by our book Land your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond. To learn more about the book and the updated edition that we published on February 1, visit macslist.org/book. Ben Forstag: Hey Mac been here I have a question for you. Mac Prichard: Fire away Ben. Ben Forstag: We have an audience for a podcast that goes across the country and indeed around the world. Mac Prichard: I understand we are huge in China. Ben Forstag: We are big in China and we even have some listeners in Iran and I’m going to put out my call again if you’re listening to us in Iran please send me an e-mail I would like to hear your story. The reason I bring this up if I’ve gotten e-mails from several of our listeners asking whether our book is only appropriate for people looking for a job in Portland. Mac Prichard: That’s a great question we are Portland is our home town and we are very proud of it. Much of the information in the book is aimed at Portlanders it reflects our strength. You’ll find that if you do read the book that it’s valuable to anybody looking for work. There are eight chapters and they take you through what you need to do in any job search whether you’re in New York, Austin, Portland or even Tehran. The questions that you will find that we answer in the book include how do I find a well-paying engaging job. What can I do to stand out from other applicants. How do I learn about jobs that are never publicly posted. What do I need to do to get started in a new field. These are common problems for all job seekers and the advice you will find in our book will help you no matter where you live. LinkedIn is a vital part of any serious job search or recruitment. Smart job hunters use LinkedIn to tell a compelling professional story, document accomplishments and show what they can do for others. Recruiters use LinkedIn to find people who have the skills, experience and connections that employers want. In a recent show episode number 17 with Joshua Waltman who is the author of Job Search and Social Media for Dummies. We touched on the importance of a LinkedIn account and the basic elements your page must have. Now that you’ve taken that first step it’s time to do more. After all of as of last year there was almost 400 million LinkedIn members. What will you do to stand out in such a crowded field? This week on find your dream job we will tell you how to make your LinkedIn profile irresistible especially to recruiters. I speak to our guest expert Arnie Fertig former headhunter who has helped hundreds of people create great LinkedIn profiles. Ben Forstag has seven practical steps you can take now to shine on LinkedIn and our guest co-host Dawn Rasmussen will answer a question from a listener. Joining us again this week is our guest co-host Dawn Rasmussen a pathfinder career and writing services. Dawn thanks for coming into the studio. Dawn Rasmussen: Thanks for having me, it’s good to be here. Mac Prichard: It’s great to see you again. Dawn, Ben when you two think about your LinkedIn profile what’s the one change that you’ve made that has produced the best result for you? Dawn Rasmussen: I would say making your profile as robust as possible. So many people they just do a very cursory just one liner about their work or whatever. You really need to go in with a fine tooth comb and add as much relative content as possible. Making sure that you keep track of those keywords because that’s how people search for you and for me, my clients find me through keywords on LinkedIn. You have to pay attention to those things. Mac Prichard: Okay good tip. Ben? Ben Forstag: For me it’s just updating my profile regularly instead of one big massive edit I try to go in there and tinker with it every couple of weeks or so. The thing that does is it puts you out there in front of your contacts, they see the changes you’re making and it is just a trigger for a conversation with contacts. I remember during my last job search I made some change on my profile and I got two or three people who reached out to me and said oh hey Ben it’s been a while since we talked tell me what’s going on what are you looking for what’s the good word. I think that’s a good habit to get into just so you’re always up there with folks. Dawn Rasmussen: I was going to say one other thing I actually publish articles too and I had one unexpectedly went viral there’s no magic formula for things going viral. It was kind of a controversial thing I said what you wear determines your career. It was talking about how people should dress for interviews and things like that. It really sparked a pretty big conversation on LinkedIn, I think I got over 117,000 views on that article. It’s just interesting because that brought a lot of people to my profile too because they were checking me out. That is a great publishing platform is to Ben’s point is to have some content that’s constantly coming out that’s refreshed about yourself too. Mac Prichard: I remember that post that you wrote Dawn and the attention you got from it, that’s a great point. It’s actually related to my tip which is there’s a status update section and even if you’re not creating original content to publish on LinkedIn you can take blog posts for example that you’ve already written for your company blog or an organization blog and write a little status update about them there and draw people to them blog. It gets to your point Ben about having a dynamic site that engages people and attracts the attention of others. Now let’s turn to Ben Forstag our managing director who is out there every week exploring the Internet and he’s looking for blogs, podcast, books all kinds of tools that you can use in your job search. Ben what do you have for his this week? Ben Forstag: This week we’re talking about LinkedIn and I want to share a couple of resources around one of the most visible aspects of your LinkedIn profile. That’s the photo you use and I know it seems a little silly to be talking about a LinkedIn photo on a podcast, but it’s amazing how many bad LinkedIn photos there are out there and what a turn off this is for prospective employers. Mac Prichard: Are you looking for nominations right now because I have one I could share? Ben Forstag: Well you know lets hear it. Mac Prichard: I got an e-mail from somebody who wanted an informational interview, good guy and I went to his LinkedIn profile and there was a photograph of him with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Dawn Rasmussen: I had an executive client who had a LinkedIn profile that had him in a water ski flotation vest with a woman’s hair cut off at the shoulder. It was pretty bad. Mac Prichard: That’s hard to top I guess if he had been wearing Speedos. Dawn Rasmussen: It was shoulders up thank goodness. Ben Forstag: I know our friends over at Mathis and Potestio which is a recruiting firm here in Portland and we actually had Steve Potestio on an earlier episode of the podcast. They had a bad LinkedIn photo contest where users could submit their own bad LinkedIn photos which is well intentioned and well hearted little contest. I’ll see if I can find the link to that and include it in the show notes. On past shows we talked about the importance of having a professional looking photo on LinkedIn. Our specific advice for those photos has been fairly high level. No spring break photos with a woman’s hair in the background. No photos of your cat etc. I thought I would get a little more into the weeds today and offer some more specific tips for taking the perfect LinkedIn profile pic. I’ll be showing two different blog posts today. The first is from the website entrepreneur.com and is entitled seven tips to make sure your LinkedIn picture is helping not hurting your prospects. These are all quick and dirty rules for having an appropriate LinkedIn photo and I will go over them real quickly. One, appear approachable, friendly, smiling and looking at the camera. Two remember this is about you don’t include other people distracting backgrounds etcetera. Three make sure your photo is up to date and they have a great quote here. “If your professional headshot isn’t old enough to buy a drink in the bar it’s time to get a new one.” Look the part, clothes and grooming matter no wrinkled shirts, shorts et cetera, this speaks to your point earlier Dawn. Five, skip the Facebook esk photos. LinkedIn and Facebook are different platforms with different audiences so you want to get a photo that’s appropriate for the LinkedIn. Six, no selfies allowed this is a big one I think especially for Millennials. Selfies tend to be lower quality and it’s clear that you’re taking a selfie of yourself and the image itself is often pretty hazy. Seven, Photoshop with caution, a little bit is great but too much is bad. Mac Prichard: It’s important to invest in your career and your job search and getting a good quality headshot from a professional photographer might set you back $50 $100. Again it will pay so many dividends down the road. Ben Forstag: Increasingly at professional conferences I noticed the organizer of the conference will bring a photographer as part of your registration you will get a headshot. If you’re at an event and that’s an option certainly take advantage of that because that’s gold for your career. The first part of the equation is taking a good photo. The second part is formatting that image so it looks great on your profile. LinkedIn recommends an optimal image dimension of 400 pixels wide by 400 pixels tall. Meeting those recommendations is important to make sure that your photos are crisp and clear. On LinkedIn you can tell when someone has uploaded a profile photo that is too small because their photo will be highly pix-elated or blurry or sometimes it appears like a little small picture with a blurrier version of a picture behind it. Here’s the rub though, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and all of these other social media platforms all have their own optimal image dimensions. They always seem to be changing those dimensions every 12 to 18 months. For the second resource I want to share today, it’s a cheat sheet for keeping up to date with those optimal image sizes. It comes from a website called Social Media Examiner and it’s titled the Ultimate Guide to Social Media Image Sizes. This is a resource I use on a regular basis when I’m posting articles for Mac’s list, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and so forth. I’m not going to delve into all of the numbers here but I definitely suggest you check it out. Let me add there is a benefit here beyond looking good in your profile photos. When you’re adapting your images to each social media platform you are so showcasing your familiarity with that service. This is a great way to show your employees that you know how social media works. That you know how to connect with different social media audiences and that you have a higher level of attention to detail, all important skills when you’re talking to a prospective employer. Mac Prichard: Thank you Ben, if you have a suggestion for Ben, he would love to hear from you. You can e-mail him his address is Ben@Macslist.org. Now it’s time to hear from you our listeners, we are going to turn to our guest co-host Dawn Rasmussen from Pathfinder Career and Writing Services. She joins us here in the studio to answer one of your questions. Dawn Rasmussen: The question from a reader reads what should my LinkedIn title be if I am currently unemployed. Hint, unemployed is not a job title it is not gold. Unfortunately a lot of people do that. Mac Prichard: The other variation I see of that is currently seeking opportunities in _________. Dawn Rasmussen: Or looking for my next opportunity that’s not helpful. Mac Prichard: Right what do you think of those? Dawn Rasmussen: That’s not helpful, that’s not specific. I always say you don’t want to draw attention to the fact that you’re unemployed. When you’re thinking about your LinkedIn title you want to think about the job title that you eventually want to have and so that’s the first thing anybody is going to see and they’re going to put you in a bucket. What bucket do you want to be put in. You don’t want to be put in the unemployment and you don’t want to be put in the looking for the next opportunity bucket. You need to be aligning yourself with your target and that will help your audience understand you. Mac Prichard: Lets just pause there for moment Dawn, why don’t you want to be in the unemployed or seeking opportunity bucket? Dawn Rasmussen: It raises a lot of questions and it brings up negative before positive in my opinion. I think you should be optimistic and looking forward instead of ruminating about what just happened and so it’s just a bad place to be in my opinion. Mac Prichard: I agree and I would also add that there’s research that shows unfairly employers tend not to hire people that have been unemployed for a long time. Dawn Rasmussen: That is true, that is true. One thing that you do you want to do along this whole process it’s a fine line but you want to come up with a headline that’s accurate and speaks to your experience but also focuses on your next opportunity that you want. For example, if you’re in the field of journalism your title should either include journalist or reporter or…

Full show notes at the publisher

Ep. 025: How to Make a Career Pivot (Jenny Blake) Mar 09, 2016

Show notes

These days none of us need to be told that change is the one constant in the workplace. Our job responsibilities change regularly--and so do our careers. The old model of climbing the corporate ladder or sticking with one profession for life is giving way to more fluid, transient, and cross-sector careers. Just 27% of college graduate have a career related to their major. And the average American worker switches jobs--if not entire careers--every 4.4 years. So how do you create career stability in a constantly changing job market? By pivoting. This week on “Find Your Dream Job,” we talk about career pivots with with Jenny Blake, a coach for professionals and organizations looking navigate change. Jenny defines a career pivot as “a methodical shift in a new related area, based on what’s already working” and encourages job seekers to continually refocus on their strengths and passions. In this 31-minute episode you will learn: Why changing jobs every few years is the new normal Why you should be doubling down on your professional strengths How to manage your pivot in four phases: plant, scan, pilot, and launch How to avoid professional stagnation and career crises Why even unsuccessful career pivots lead to unexpected, positive rewards This week’s guest: Jenny Blake (@jenny_blake | LinkedIn)Principal, Jenny Blake EnterprisesAuthor of Pivot: The Only Move that Matters Is Your Next and Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You WantNew York, N.Y. Listener question of the week: I've recently had an interview with a prospective employer but after several weeks, I haven't heard back from them. How do I appropriately follow-up with the company? Answering our question this week is Dawn Rasmussen, Chief Resume Writer at Portland-based Pathfinder Writing and Career Services. If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact us at communitymanager@macslist.org. Resources referenced on this week’s show: 14 Ways to Tell if It’s Time To Quit Your Job | Forbes.com Pivot: The Only Move that Matters Is Your Next Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want JennyBlake.me Strengths Finder 2.0 Pathfinder Writing and Career Services Pivot Podcast Mindset: The New Psychology of Success If you have a job-hunting or career development resource 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. -- Transcript Mac Prichard: This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life. I'm Mac Prichard, your host and publisher of Mac's List. Our show is brought to you by Mac's list and by our book, "Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond." To learn more about the book and the updated edition that we published on February 1st, visit MacsList.org/book. Ben Forstag: Hey, Mac. Mac Prichard: Hey, Ben. How are you? Ben Forstag: I'm doing great. As our listeners might now, the book comes in 3 editions. We've got a paperback, a digital version for your Kindle, iPad, or Nook, and we've got a PDF version that you can view online. I'd mentioned before that the paperback version is our best seller, but the PDF version is really popular, too. Mac Prichard: What I hear from our readers who buy the PDF is they not only enjoy the book, but they get with it a set of videos, an audio interview, and tips sheets and checklists that you can use to turbocharge your job hunt. You can find a complete list of all the extra resources that come with the PDF on the website, but they include things like a salary negotiation checklist, 10 steps to success, or a fact sheet about how to work with recruiting agencies as well as video and audio interviews with career experts. Again, these are available only to people who buy the PDF version of the book. You can learn more by going to the website. These days, none of us need to be told that change is the one constant in the work place. Our job responsibilities and the skills required change regularly and so do our careers. One estimate says Americans now average 4.4 years in a job. Just 27% of college graduates have a career related to their major. The old model of climbing a corporate ladder or sticking with one profession for life is giving way to the career pivot. Today, we're talking about career pivots, what they are, and how you can make them. Ben Forstag has a website that will help you figure out whether it's time to leave your job. Dawn Rasmussen, our guest co-host, answers a question about how to follow up on an interview once you start pursuing your next career. I talk to this week's guest expert, Jenny Blake, author of the forthcoming book, "Pivot: The Only Move that Matters is Your Next One." We're in the Mac's List studio, and joining us this week as our special guest host is Dawn Rasmussen of Pathfinder Career and Writing Services. Dawn, it's great to have you back. Dawn Rasmussen: Thanks for having me. I appreciate it, Mac. Mac Prichard: Yeah. You were one of our first guests here on the show. I have to give you a shout out. Your episode remains one of our most popular in downloads. Dawn Rasmussen: Wonderful. That's great to hear. Mac Prichard: Yeah. Let me ask you 2, Dawn and Ben, have you ever made a career pivot? Dawn Rasmussen: Boy, have I ever! Mac Prichard: Tell me about that, Dawn. Dawn Rasmussen: Oh, gosh. Well, let's see here. How many? I started out in television actually. I switched over to the hospitality industry. Then, I switched over into education and teaching. Then, I switched over into sales and marketing. Then, I switched over to owning my own business, so which one would you like to talk about? Just kidding. We don't have 5 hours. Ben? Ben Forstag: I've done a couple, as well. I started off in outdoor education, which is a pretty niche field, and then got into nonprofit management, and recently made the move from nonprofit to the for-profit space, working here at Mac's List. Mac Prichard: I've done the same. I stared out working for human rights organizations in Washington D.C. and Boston, and made the switch to politics, government, and political communications. Then, went to work at a university, and then eventually started my own businesses almost a decade ago, now, so a lot of change. We're going to be talking more about those changes and how people can make them with our guest expert, Jenny Blake, later in the show. First, let's turn to Ben, who is always out there on the internet looking for tools you can use, blogs, podcasts, books, and other resources that can be helpful in your job search. Ben, what have you uncovered for us this week? Ben Forstag: On today's show, we're talking about making a change in careers. I'm sure our guest, Jenny Blake, will provide a lot of insights on how to make that specific career pivot. For my resource this week, though, I want to focus on one of the first steps that we have to think about when you're making that change, which is deciding to leave the job or the career that you've already got. Quitting your job is a scary thing, especially if you don't have a clear picture of what you're going to do next. I know there have been times in my life where I've been generally unhappy in my job, but I didn't leave either because my unhappiness wasn't acute enough or because I was too afraid to move. I think the big thing for me when I was a younger person was I was just really passive about my career. I know in one specific job, I got stuck in a pattern where I would reach a breaking point with my position, and then they would offer me a pay raise. That would buy me off for a couple months, and I'd be happy. Then, 2 months later, I'd be right back at that same breaking point. Instead of leaving that job, they would just offer me another raise, and I would stay there. I probably stayed there a couple years too long because I got stuck in that cycle. Mac and Dawn, have you ever had a job where you weren't entirely happy, but you also weren't sure it was time to move on? Dawn Rasmussen: Yeah, I have. It was a difficult situation because the job that I was in, I had just started it actually. I realized that they hadn't really told me all the details about what the job involved. I don't tell this to many people. Why not tell it to 10 thousand people? Anyway, there was one aspect of job I had no idea how to do, and I'm a pretty resourceful and smart person. I remember going to a conference that was discussing about how to actually execute that portion of my job, and I broke down and started crying. I don't like giving up, but I just knew at that point that was not the right job for me because one half of my job, no problem. It was done. I was making changes. The second part I had not a clue, and it hadn't been really told to me in the interview about that emphasis. I had to make a change because I realized I just could not do it. It was hard. It was scary, too. Mac Prichard: For me, I think of an organization where I work that was getting off the ground and growing. It was experiencing dysfunction. It was not a place that worked well. Because of that, there was a lot of conflict, and it was not a happy place to go to work. I had only been there a number of months, and I just thought, "I need to stick this out." I hung on for almost 2 years before I found another opportunity. It did get better, but the lesson I took from that experience was if it's not working after 3 to 6 months, you probably should move on. Ben Forstag: Yeah, I think one of the themes that you hear in each one of our stories is that sometimes, there's a virtue to quitting. Oftentimes, we're told, "You never want to quit. Quitters never win. Winners never quit." Sometimes, it isn't the right fit for you personally, or it isn't making you happy. There's a virtue in quitting. My resource this week is a cheat sheet to provide you some perspective on when you migth want to consider leaving your job, when it would be a virtue. It's a post from Forbes.com, and it's titled "14 Ways to Tell if its Time to Quit your Job." It's a real long article, and they go into depth with each one of these points. I'm just going to read the kind of top lines here. Here are the 14 things you might want to think about: 1. If you're miserable every morning. I've been there. That's a tough one. 2. If your company is sinking, like Mac's experience. 3. If you really dislike the people you work with and/or your boss. 4. You're constantly stressed, negative, and/or unhappy at work. 5. Your work-related stress is affecting your physical health. 6. You don't fit in with the company culture and/or you don't believe in the company anymore. 7. Your work performance is suffering. 8. You no longer have good work/life balance. 9. Your skills are not being tapped. 10. Your job duties have changed, increased, but the pay hasn't. 11. Your ideas are not being heard or used. 12. You're bored and stagnating at your job. 13. You are experiencing verbal abuse, sexual harassment, or are aware of any other illegal type of behavior. 14. You're just generally not happy. I think all of these are good points to think about. The one caveat I would throw in here is that there are times in every job where you might feel like this for a little bit, and it's about differentiating whether this is a temporary feeling or it's been going on for 3 to 6 months, as you pointed out. Mac Prichard: It's important for people to remember that they do have choices. Sometimes, you have to stay with a job because you have bills to pay, and the pay check is important. You do have to do that, but that doesn't stop you from also thinking about what your next move is going to be and where you might go, and taking steps to do that while you continue to work in a job that, frankly, isn't meeting your needs anymore. You do have choices. Ben Forstag: Yeah. Obviously, some of these are a bit more of a deal-breaker than others, right? If you're being sexually harassed, verbal abuse, or there's something illegal going on, it's probably best to leave as soon as possible. Others, where your work/life balance is suffering, that's one of these things where you might look for a long-term trend. Is it trending towards getting worse or getting better? You've got to make those decisions, and like you said, you've got some flexibility in how you direct your career. Mac Prichard: Well, thank you, Ben. If you have a suggestion for Ben, please write him. His email address is Ben@MacsList.org, and he may share your idea on the show. Now, let's turn to you, our listeners. Our guest co-host this week is Dawn Rasmussen of Pathfinder Career and Writing Services. She joins us here in the Mac's List studio to answer one of your questions. Dawn, what are you hearing from our listeners this week? Dawn Rasmussen: Well, this week, we have a question from listener BJ [Roshanich 00:10:13]. BJ writes in and says, "I've recently had an interview with a prospective employer, but after several weeks, I haven't heard back from them. How do I appropriately follow up with the company?" Well, that's a toughy. You have to try to get ahead of this situation. Probably the key thing you need to do is during the interview, before it concludes, is you need to actually ask and set the stage for a follow up process, instead of just leaving it dangling. First of all, if you can proactively say, "What's the next step? When are you making a decision," that kind of thing. Then, if you do forget, sometimes people get a little nervous in interviews, so you should be following up. When you have a sense, maybe a week or so after they are done interviewing people, it's good to send an email. You should send a thank you right away, either by email or by snail mail. That's always a good business process to follow, but really, it's getting ahead of the 8 ball and understanding how their process operates so that you can actually respond accordingly. Mac Prichard: Yeah. Excellent advice, Dawn. This is a question we get a lot, and the best way to answer it is to do exactly what you recommended, which is to ask at the end of the interview, "What's the next step? How's your process going? How can I follow up?" They'll tell you. Thank you, Dawn. If you have a question for us, please email us at communitymanager@MacsList.org. These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of "Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond." We've made our book even better by adding new content and offering it in the formats that you want. For the first time ever, you can read "Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond" as a paperback book, or you can download it onto your Kindle, Nook, or iPad. Whatever the format, our goal is the same: We want to give you the tools and tips you need to get meaningful work that makes a difference. For more information, visit MacsList.org/book and sign up for our special book newsletter. You'll get updates there that aren't available elsewhere, including exclusive book content and special discounts. Now, let's turn to this week's guest expert, Jenny Blake. Jenny Blake is a author, career and business strategist, and…

Full show notes at the publisher

BONUS: Knowing Yourself is the First Step in the Job Search Process (Linda Williams Favero) Mar 07, 2016

Show notes

A dream job is one that perfectly fits your abilities, passions, preferred working habits, and lifestyle needs. As such, the first step in finding the perfect job is understanding yourself and knowing exactly what you're looking for in your career.

On this 5-minute bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Linda Williams Favero, career coach and program director at the University of Oregon Alumni Career Services Office, shares the questions you should ask yourself before you start looking for a job. She reads "It's All About You, Knowing Yourself is the First Step in the Job Search Process", her contribution to our book, Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond).

If you’re looking for more advice on how to stand out as a stellar job candidate, check out Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). The updated Mac's List guide gives you all the tools you need to identify, find, and land rewarding work.

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!

---

Full Transcript

Mac Prichard:

This is Find You Dream Job. The pod cast that helps you get hired, have the career you want and make a difference in life. I'm Mac Prichard, your host and publisher of Mac's List.

On today's bonus episode, we're sharing exclusive content from our new book, Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond. Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond compiles job search tips and career management tools into one simple easy to read guide. It's the definitive tool kit for anyone looking for meaningful work. The book also includes special contributions from an array of job search experts and today you'll hear from one of them.

Here's Linda Williams Favero, program director at the University of Oregon Alumni Career Services Office reading her contribution, It's All About You, Knowing Yourself is the First Step in the Job Search Process.

Linda Williams Favero:

I encourage you to answer the following questions to begin your own self assessment process. First, what do you do best? What are your skills, knowledge and competencies acquired through education and experience of all kids, whether it's employment, volunteer work, life experience and so on? They represent your principle assets in the job market. So, an important part of communicating your value is correctly identifying and labeling these skills. Also, your personal characteristics or adaptive skills are inborn or developed early in life. They can include abilities, talents or predisposition to certain career directions. Third, your accomplishments or the things you've done that you are most proud of.

Next, what do you like to do? Your interest should help shape your professional objective which should be something you are interested in as well as something you are good at. In addition, your values or your core beliefs about what is the most important in life that usually evolves slowly and may change across your life. Next, consider what are your priorities in life. These are your personal preferences or things that might relate to location, schedules and income. Your professional objective should be consistent with your career vision and lifestyle needs. Also, your motivation. Consists of the drivers or needs that propel you along in your chosen career direction such as a sense of accomplishment, the satisfaction of being part of a team or the desire to travel.

Next, where do you fit? Although you may appreciate a good wage, you should also consider many other factors especially when you're working in Portland. First, culture. Do you want a clear line of command or something less hierarchical? Wellness. Does the company offer yoga, encourage noon time runs, discount at gym memberships? Global opportunities. Do you like to travel to the far reaches of the planet or hang close to home? Workspace. Have you dreamed of the corner office or prefer an open environment with beanbag chairs? Flexibility. Do you need an office to stay focused or enjoy the opportunity to work from home? Professional development. Do you want an MBA or the chance to travel to conferences in sunny spots? It does get awfully grey here sometimes.

Explore your strengths and weaknesses in other ways. Sometimes more tangential approach can yield productive insights and results. What's most important is to really that you are important in this decision making. It's important for you to consider what you do really well, what you enjoy doing, what are your priorities and what is the most important fit when you think about next job, your next career, your next move.

Mac Prichard:

If you're looking for expert advice and insider tips like what you just heard, check out Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond. You'll find everything you need to get a great job whether your in Portland, Oregon, Portland, Maine, or anywhere in between.

The 2016 edition includes new content and for the first time ever, it's available in paperback, as well as in an array of e-reading devices including Kindle, Nook and iBooks. For more information on Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond, visit Macslist.org/book.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 024: How to Return to Work at Any Age (Kristin Schuchman) Mar 02, 2016

Show notes

Most Americans begin work full-time after high school or college and hope to retire at age 65 or older. That doesn’t mean, however, that we remain in the workplace continuously for 40-plus years. Along the way, many of us will stop working outside the home to care for children, parents, or other family members. You may also choose to take time off for yourself, to explore the world, or get clear on what you want from life. Whatever your reason for putting your career on hold, one day you will likely be ready to go back to work. Jumping back into the professional world after a prolonged absence can be difficult; and the challenge grows proportionally to the time you've been away from the workforce. This week on Find Your Dream Job, we’re talking about how to return to work at any age. Our guest is Kristin Schuchman, a career coach who works with professionals in transition, whether they’re changing careers, starting businesses, or re-launching into the workforce. As a mother who returned to school after age 40, she is especially attuned to the needs of midlife professionals in transition. In this 33-minute episode you will learn: How your professional priorities may shift and change when you take time off work How to talk about and frame time off with prospective employers Why volunteering is a crucial part to stepping back into the workforce How to manage expectations when going back to work Tips for getting clear about what you want to do when you return to work This week’s guest: Kristin Schuchman (@aportlandcareer | LinkedIn)Career Counselor and Solopreneur Marketing CoachVicki Lind & AssociatesPortland, Ore. Listener question of the week: I paused my career for several years to raise my children. How should I explain that gap on my resume? What’s the best ways to frame this experience with a potential employer? Answering our question this week is Aubrie De Clerck, principal at Portland-based Coaching for Clarity. If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact us at communitymanager@macslist.org. Resources referenced on this week’s show: Reboot Your Life: Energize Your Career and Life by Taking a Break Find The On-Ramp | Working Mother Vicki Lind & Associates Strong Interest Inventory Myers Briggs Type Indicator Never Eat Alone, Expanded and Updated: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time Aubrie De Clerck | Coaching for Clarity Find Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource 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. -- TRANSCRIPT BELOW: Mac Prichard: This is Find your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want and make a difference in life. I'm Mac Prichard your host and publisher of Mac's List. Our show is brought to you by Mac's List and buy your book, Land your dream job in Portland and Beyond. To learn more about the book and the updated version that we published on February 1st, visit macslist.org\book. Ben Forstag:: Hey Mac, so, I've been involved in this iteration of the book and I know that you had a first edition that was out before I started working at Mac's List. I've always kind of wondered, what inspired you guys to write this book? Mac Prichard: It was our readers of our blog that really drove this Ben. We wanted to share our best advice from the blog, especially the insider tips from more than dozen local experts. We had readers tell us they didn't have time to weigh through three of years of blog post. We as you know, because you added the blog now, there are three to five posts every week. We wanted to make all of our best work available in one easy to read book, and that's what readers will find, eight chapters, a hundred and twenty pages. They'll find in the book insider information you won't find anywhere else. Most Americans begin work full time after high school or college and hope to retire at age sixty-five or even older. That doesn't mean however that we remain the workplace continuously for forty plus years. Along the way, many of us will stop working outside the home to care for children, parents or other family members. Sheryl Sandberg author of Lean In estimates that forty-three percent of highly qualified women with children are leaving careers for a period of time. The Huffington Post says that there are more than ten million Americans older than age fifty who are caring for aging parents. Whatever your reason for putting your career on hold, one day you will likely be ready to go back to work. This week on Find your Dream Job, we're talking about how to return to work at any age. Ben Forstag has a book that shows you how to plan a break from your job and return to employment when you're ready. Aubrie De Clerck answers a listener's question about how to explain a gap on your resume when you stay at home to raise your kids, and I talk to this week's guest expert, a career counselor who helps people return to the workforce after a long absence. We're back in the Mac's List studio, joining me are Ben Forstag, our managing director and our guest co-host this week, Aubrie De Clerck of Coaching for Clarity. All of us are employed full time right now, but I'm wondering have either one of you taken time out from your career either to care for children or other family members or for another reason? Ben Forstag: I've never taken a prolonged period of time off. I did take a month off when my son was born a few months ago. My wife though, she graduated from law school, worked for one year and has not worked for the last three years as she's been taking care of our children. Managing that dynamic of a professional taking time off, being home and trying to balance family responsibilities with a desire to do something with her career, that's something that we face everyday. Mac Prichard: That's a lot to juggle. How about you Aubrie? Aubrie De Clerck: I haven't taken any specific time off. I have had a period of my time in my work life where I used the flexibility from an employer to its maximum amounts. My mum has MS and there is a time where with her illness she needed a lot of support and care, and I was really fortunate to have a company and a manager that supported me in going and coming whenever I needed to, trusting me to get my work done, which I did. I have felt the pull between family needs and also work needs. Mac Prichard: Yeah, I'm glad you had that support and you were able to have that time with your mum. Let's turn to Ben who is always out there doing research every week between shows, he's looking around the Internet for blogs, podcasts and other tools you can use in your job search. Ben, what have you got for us this week? Ben Forstag: This week, I want share a book that I read actually about a half a year ago and it's called Reboot your Life, Energize your Career and Life by Taking a Break. It's by Catherine Allen, Nancy Bearg, Rita Foley and Jaye Smith. This book is all about the value of taking time off from work, which I admit is an odd topic for a podcast that's all about getting a job. I thought there were some really valuable insights in this book that I wanted to share with our listeners. I think most folks recognize that many professionals if not all professionals today are genuinely overworked. The scope of this problem is probably bigger than we often recognize. Not just corporate big wigs are being overworked, it's everyone really.If you think about how we take our work home with us now in ways we didn't five, ten, fifteen years ago, it's really clear. The authors write, "Today, we rarely have time for rest, we have lost even our short breaks as technology, pagers, PCs, laptops, the Internet, cell phones, Blackberries and smart phones beckon us to be on 24/7. Even when we're supposedly off on weekends or in the evenings, we're on and it's taking a toll." The solution according to the authors is to create more time and space away from work, which gives us not just an opportunity to relax, but also a chance to examine and think about the challenges we face in the workplace. This last point is really important as one of the underlying premises here is that of all the hours we're logging in the office each day and all the emails we're responding to, the truth is we're really not that productive in our day to day work lives. This is a classic quantity over quality issue where we're doing more, we're just not doing it as well as we used to do or could be doing. The big push by the authors here is to take full sabbaticals, three to six months out of the office. The book is full of testimonials from people who've taken those kinds of sabbaticals and about the value it's brought to their lives. It reduces stress, it encourages creativity, and upon returning to work, these people report dramatic increases in productivity. The authors provide a fairly comprehensive list of tools to help you prepare for a sabbatical including financial planning and how to manage things like health insurance and retirement savings. Here is the bottom line, not everyone is going to be able to take three to six months off of work. In fact I'd venture to say that most people can't, I include myself in that. That being said, I think there's some important lessons in this book that can apply to most people's work experiences, and that's really what I want to focus on here. The first lesson is the importance of stepping away from work even for short periods of time. As the authors say, this provides perspective, it reduces tension and it generally improves the contentment you have with your job. When we operationalize this idea, it doesn't need to be big prolonged times away from the office, but things like turning off your email when you leave for work at the end of the day, or taking weekends off or stepping away from a project if you have eaten your time line to do so, so you can get some clarity about that project, think about in a way that's not time line driven or deadline driven. I know I have a problem with this as well. Mac, you're a great boss and you don't demand that I'm checking email over the weekends, but I have a hard time not checking email and part of that is just I don't want to be ambushed by a negative email on Monday morning kind of mentality. I know that the more I can step away on the weekends, the more fresh I am and the more productive I am on Monday morning coming in and addressing things at a more creative way. The other nugget of information I want to take out of this is that they talk a lot about the gift of time. That we need to give ourselves time to decompress from work, to think differently about work. I actually read this book when I was unemployed and the value I got from it was not taking a sabbatical, I was already kind of on a sabbatical but, treating that unemployment time as the gift of time, that because I didn't have a job, I could use this opportunity to think differently about what I wanted to do with my career, or think differently about projects or courses or issues or workplace dynamics that were important to me, or new ways to approach the kind of work that I knew I wanted to do. Taking advantage of that unemployment and that gift of time to reset my professional clock and my way of thinking. It's a really interesting book and again, I encourage everyone to read it whether you're working or looking to take time off or maybe you already have time off, there's a lot of good insights there. Again, the book is called Reboot your Life, Energize your Career and Life by taking a Break, and I'll include a link in the shout outs. Mac Prichard: Great. Thank you Ben and kudos to you for during your time of unemployment seeing that period as a gift of time. I certainly struggle myself, I got two long periods of unemployment in my career with just the anxiety that comes with not knowing where your next job is going to be. Intellectually, I think personally I was aware that well, I should take advantage of this time off but, I, myself found it hard to do because I thinking about how do I get that next job. Ben Forstag: Don't sing my praises too highly Mac, I panic just about everyday. It's this unfortunate reality that you either have time or you have money but rarely do you have both of them together. After a month of actively searching and driving myself nuts during unemployment, I came to this realization that I can use this time not just to find a new job but, to do other things with my life and kind of reframe how I think about things. Mac Prichard: Okay. Thanks. Well, do you have a suggestion for Ben? A book or a website or a podcast that has been helpful to you with your career or your job search? Write him at ben@macslist.org and you may hear your suggestion on the show. Let's turn to you our listeners, our guest host this week is Aubrie DeClerck of Coaching for Clarity. She joins here in the studio to answer one of your questions. Aubrie, how are you? Aubrie De Clerck: I'm very good. How are you Mac? Mac Prichard: Good. What did you hear from our listeners this week? Aubrie De Clerck: Well, this is what we have this week. I paused my career for several years to raise my children. How should I explain that gap on my resume? What are the best ways to frame this experience with a potential employer? This can be a really painful question for a lot of people, that the gap is something where they have a lack of confidence, they put a lot of time and attention on this gap. One of the things I wanted to mention is there's a great article on Working Mother called Find the On-Ramp. On-Ramping is a phrase that's used a lot in these scenarios. It talks about speaking about that time regardless of whether you talk about that in terms of volunteer work, in terms of the work that you did at home, but doing that with confidence and not going into a lot of detail. I love that suggestion because we want to focus on what's going to open the doors for someone rather than go down this detailed trail around what that time at home was about. I think also looking at what was going on during that time and thinking about relevancy around the skills set and the contribution of the things that did happen, so that's the time at home or the time during volunteer work or connection around the community or doing part time which a lot of people dismiss, but has a lot of validity during this time. Making sure that the conversation and the threads that pull those things together relate directly to what an employer is asking about. That's one way of addressing with an employer let's say in a verbal context a lot of times, during an interview. When we take a look at the resume, there's a couple of choices that are there. Some people state they put something in specifically about their time at home that covers that gap so there isn't that an empty spot. You can fill that in with the things that I was already mentioning like the community involvement, the volunteer work, part time work or connection to the skills. A lot of times if people are home schooling their children, there's a lot to be said about the skills set that takes to do that in application to a future work. Mac Prichard: I think that's terrific advice Aubrie as a job seek…

Full show notes at the publisher

Ep. 023: How to Switch from a Corporate to Nonprofit Career (Marcia Ballinger) Feb 24, 2016

Show notes

More than 10 million Americans work for nonprofits today. Even the Great Recession couldn’t stop growth in this sector. According to the federal government, the number of nonprofit jobs increased by 18% between 2000 and 2010. And that trend shows no sign of slowing down in the near future.

And while the demand for skilled nonprofit workers is huge, it’s often be difficult for established professionals to transition into this sector. It can be a challenge to frame skills developed in the profit world in a way that resonates with nonprofits. Plus, there’s a huge amount of diversity within the nonprofit space.

This week on Find Your Dream Job, Mac talks with Marcia Ballinger, an executive recruiter for nonprofit organizations and co-author of The 20-Minute Networking Meeting. Marcia shares her tips for how professionals in the private sector can make the jump into a nonprofit career. She believes it’s all about fit; you need to find the type of nonprofit--and a role within that nonprofit--that aligns with your skills, passions, and professional narrative.

In this 33-minute episode you will learn:

Why so many people want a nonprofit career
The multiple paths into the nonprofit sector
How to find the best “nonprofit fit” for your professional background
Why you need to get specific and focussed in your nonprofit job search
How to manage salary and benefit expectations when you move into the nonprofit space
The role of passion and values in a nonprofit career

This week’s guest:

Marcia Ballinger, Ph.D. (@marciaballinger | LinkedIn)Co-founder and Principal at Ballinger | Leafblad, Inc.Co-author, The 20-Minute Networking MeetingMinneapolis, Minn.

Listener question of the week:

I’m currently hunting for a job in the nonprofit space. I’ve recently saw an opening where the job duties perfectly align with my skills and professional interests; unfortunately I’m not really passionate about the organization’s mission. How should I address the “passion” issue during my interview?

Answering our question this week is Aubrie De Clerck, principal at Portland-based Coaching for Clarity. If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact us at communitymanager@macslist.org.

Resources referenced on this week’s show:

If you have a job-hunting or career development resource 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

BONUS: The Secret Sauce to a Kick-Butt Resume (Dawn Rasmussen) Feb 22, 2016

Show notes

Among human resources professionals, it is commonly held that at least 85 percent of all resumes “suck.” Most resumes are are poorly written and formatted, and–most importantly–they don’t showcase the candidate’s value to the prospective employer.

Where does your resume fall? Is it in the mediocre majority or the awesome, “non-sucky” 15%?

On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Dawn Rasmussen, president of Pathfinder Writing and Career Services, shares her advice on crafting a resume that stands out, grabs employers’ attention and lands you the interview. Dawn reads from “The Secret Sauce of Kick-Butt Resume”, her contribution to our book, Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond).

If you’re looking for more advice on how to stand out as a stellar job candidate, check out Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). The updated 2016 edition is an A-to-Z reference guide for how to find and land the perfect job.

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.

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Mac Prichard:

This is Find You Dream Job. The pod cast that helps you get hired, have the career you want and make a difference in life. I’m Mac Prichard, your host and publisher of Mac’s List.

On today’s bonus episode, we’re sharing exclusive content from our new book, Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond. Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond compiles job search tips and career management tools into one simple easy to read guide. It’s the definitive tool kit for anyone looking for meaningful work. The book also includes special contributions from an array of job search experts and today you’ll hear from one of them.

Here is Dawn Rasmussen, President of Pathfinder Writing and Career Services, reading her contribution, The Secret Sauce to a Kick-Butt Resume.

Dawn Rasmussen:

Ask any Portland area human resource manager, recruiter, hiring manager, or headhunter, and believe it or not, he or she will tell you that at least 85% of all resumes suck. I know. I’ve asked them.

The good news is that there’s really a simple solution to this common problem. It’s all about shifting your perspective. You may think this document is all about you, but the truth is, it’s really about them. Them being the employer who’s reading your document.

With this staggering statistic in mind, in order to get into the top 10% of awesome resumes, your goal and mission is to start thinking about what you’ve done in the past and start positioning your accomplishments as value. That means not simply including your job duties beneath each employer. You’ve got to do better than that. Now is the time to start keeping track of on-the-job accomplishments. What have you done to make it better? What problems have you solved? How have you helped the company reach its goals? Have you helped make money, save money, or save time?

Fear not, you who have not kept track of such important things. Many times the answers to these questions lie in performance reviews, plans of work, staff reports, kudos letters, and many other recaps.

If you don’t have access to these documents, then your best guess is your best guess, but always be honest and also be conservative. The same thing goes for quantifying your results.

You should always try to put a number on your accomplishment statements that helps answer the question the employers have been thinking about when reading a candidate’s resume. Based on what this person did for the previous employer, what is he or she going to be doing for me? That’s the secret sauce to a kick-butt resume, when you can win them over with results not fluff.

Mac Prichard:

If you’re looking for expert advice and insider tips like what you just heard, check out Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond. You’ll find everything you need to get a great job whether your in Portland, Oregon, Portland, Maine, or anywhere in between.

The 2016 edition includes new content and for the first time ever, it’s available in paperback, as well as in an array of e-reading devices including Kindle, Nook and iBooks. For more information on Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond, visit Macslist.org/book.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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