Odds Are You’ll Be Fired Before Retirement, So Build “Career Security”

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For those over 50 and gainfully employed, a new study says you have a 56% chance that you’ll be let go before you’re ready to retire, risking substantial income loss. The study supports my own observations via client work that there is no real job security, only “career security.” In a sense employees are really all consultants.

But not to worry! Here’s a list of things you can do to both minimize the risk of an unwanted departure and set yourself up for a quick, positive transition if necessary.More

Want to Ace Your Interview? Tell a Great Story

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The single most effective thing you can do in an interview is to make your experience come alive through stories or examples. Yes, you need to get other things right in an interview as well: ask the right questions, prep for handling issues with your candidacy, follow-up effectively and so forth. But telling a good story is the most powerful way to stand out from the competition, since our brains are wired to remember the imagery, the drama, and the emotion that’s conveyed in a good story.More

How to Optimize Your Relationships and Jump-start Your Career

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Building and leveraging a network of mutually beneficial career relationships is easier than you may think. And having this network of relationships is crucial in today’s environment, where being good at your job is simply not good enough, or where applying to lots of jobs is an inefficient way to search. Whether you’re eyeing a promotion or seeing layoffs on the horizon, your network will help you. In a job search, your network will enable you to shortcut the application process and tap into the hidden job market where you’ll find the best opportunities.

Here are some ideas to help you to quickly build and optimize your network of career-advancing relationships.More

Want to Get Hired Quickly? Play the Numbers Game to Win

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Even if your resume, pitch and communications skills are stellar and your background is in demand, you may still be in for a long job search. Many opportunities simply won’t pan out through no fault of your own; budgets, priorities and hiring managers can change unexpectedly. To ensure that you’ll have a quick job search, play the numbers game to win; have many thingsMore

The No. 1 Way to Get Attention on LinkedIn

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Business prospects or employers are probably searching on LinkedIn for someone like you. The single best way to ensure you’ll show up in their searches, and stand out from competitors, is to have the right profile “keywords.” These are the words or phrases that resonate. They’re used in search queries, and answer your target audience’s main question: “How can you help me?”

Profile keywords have benefits beyond boosting your LinkedIn search ranking. Since search engines like Google andMore

You Need to Start Leading Now. Here’s How

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In most workplaces, the key to achieving job security and advancing in your organization is to demonstrate leadership. Going above and beyond the status quo for the greater good will improve your chances of getting promoted. Plus, taking initiative to improve the organization may be the reason you get to keep your job if layoffs are in the forecast.

No matter where you are in your organization’s hierarchy, you are leading if:More

Turn Job Search Rejection into Opportunity

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All too often, jobseekers snatch defeat from the jaws of victory; they see rejection too quickly and end up essentially rejecting themselves. If you can adopt the mindset of a successful salesperson, however, you’ll see opportunity where others might see rejection.

That’s because in a job search, your “job” is now sales (you’re the product), regardless of what you do professionally. More

Listen Up! Resolve a Work Conflict with This Technique

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A work relationship can suffer greatly from poor communication, perhaps a result of clashing communication styles, faulty assumptions, or overly quick reactions to perceived slights. One effective way to improve communication and heal an ailing work relationship is to combine two proven approaches: “active listening” and “reflective listening;” let’s call this combined approach active/reflective listening. The key elements include:More

Looking for a Job? Don’t Tell LinkedIn

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While having a resume means you’re looking for a job, having a LinkedIn profile doesn’t send the same signal. As a result, many jobseekers think their profile needs to say that they are actively searching. Otherwise, how else would an employer know to contact them? So they’ll add phrases like “open to new opportunities” or “seeking a position in…”

As I discuss in my book Advanced LinkedIn, however, you’re making a mistake if you add anything to your profile that indicates you’re looking. Here’s why.More

Graduating? Do these 4 Things to Ensure Career Success

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Before you leave campus, you have a unique opportunity to take advantage of face-to-face interactions and your “student” status to set yourself up for career success. Graduates who implement these four ideas have faster job searches and easier career transitions down the road. More

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