Play Good Defense In Your Job Search

In a previous column, I talked about the importance of being proactive in the job search.  In my encouragement of playing offense, I do not dismiss the role of good defensive moves.  Defense keeps the players in the game and gives them a chance to win.  Good defense keeps you in a thorough, thoughtful and proactive job search so you get a job that you want and not just any job you settle for. 

The first coaching session I have with clients includes a 60-point checklist around career items AND a 40-point checklist around life items, most of which are NOT career-related.  Why?  There is no way I can coach someone on their career and not take into account the other aspects in their life that will influence their ability to focus, their willingness to do the work of the job search, their risk appetite.  Having a solid foundation in the other, non-career related aspects of your life (e.g., relationships, personal finances, health and well-being) is good defense and critical to keeping you in top job search form.

I also ask about money in the first session because it dictates how much time and energy someone has to focus on their search:  how much savings?  What other cash is coming in?  Are there freelance or consulting prospects to take financial pressure off so we can focus on what is best for the long-term career?  A solid cash position is good defense.  I’ve seen too many jobseekers let fear and desperation dictate their job search choices.  Get the money part taken care of as a separate focus of your search with temp work or consulting, but reserve some energy for long-term career investment.

Finally, there is the temptation to run as hard and as fast as you can from the start, with no time off and no rest.  Some people think this means they’ll be faster to market and get ahead.  Rest and reflection is good defense.  When you push too hard, you may come across as pushy.  You may push in the wrong direction and not realize it.  You may burn out before any of your efforts have a chance to pay off.  Remember that your search is a meeting of your efforts and what the market will bear.  You have to be able to stay in the search (game) long enough for the market to come and meet you. 

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is a career expert, writer, speaker and co-founder of SixFigureStart (www.sixfigurestart.com), a career coaching firm comprised of former Fortune 500 recruiters.  Caroline is a co-author (along with Donald Trump, Jack Canfield and others) of the upcoming “How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times” due out March 2010; Bascom Hill Books.  Formerly in corporate HR and retained search, Caroline most recently headed University Relations for Time Inc and has also recruited for Accenture, Citibank, Disney ABC, and others.  Caroline is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Professional Development at Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs, a life coach (www.thinkasinc.com) and a columnist for CNBC.com, Conde Nast’s Portfolio.com, Vault.com, Wetfeet.com and TheGlassHammer.com.

Filed under: career coaching, life coaching, defense, job search, work/life balance

Play Offense In Your Job Search

As most of us have football playoffs on the brain, it’s helpful to look at the lessons that translate from the sports field to the job search field.  The idea that offense wins the game is particularly relevant in this job market where anxiety and uncertainty about the market abound.  It’s easy not to fault jobseekers for playing it safe.  I have even advised jobseekers to remember that Bold Job Search Moves Are Not Required.  But while I don’t suggest every job search tactic be the equivalent of a Hail Mary pass, the reality is that defense just keeps you in the search, but offense gets you the job

Reviewing your resume over and over again for typos is defense.  Positioning your resume with the language and detail that gets you the job you want is offense.  Positioning is proactive.  You are targeting specific opportunities and putting yourself out there to attract these.

Rekindling old contacts and reconnecting with friends is defense.  You are maintaining your network, and while that’s good, it’s incomplete.  Seeking out those people who are specific decision-makers in your areas of interest and developing a relationship with them is offense.  You are proactively (there’s that word again!) making opportunities for yourself, rather than relying on whomever you happen to know or come across.

Scouring the job boards and filling out applications is defense.  You are covering your bases, but you are reacting to someone else’s (the employers’) moves.  Identifying specific companies that you want to serve, researching their pain points, and positioning yourself as the solution is offense.  You are not waiting for something to open up.  You make something open up.  You make the employer realize that they have a need, and you fill that need, and you proactively (more proactive behavior!) make the match.

Playing offense does not mean being risky or reckless.  It just means being thoughtful and brave enough to do those activities that will make things happen for you, rather than let things happen to you.  If the dream job is the goal, where are you on your field?  What are you going to do to score?  You can’t just block your competitors.  You yourself must enter the end zone, cross that finish line, or make that play.  It’s always your move.  Get on the offensive in your job search.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is a career expert, writer, speaker and co-founder of SixFigureStart (www.sixfigurestart.com), a career coaching firm comprised of former Fortune 500 recruiters.  Caroline is a co-author (along with Donald Trump, Jack Canfield and others) of the upcoming “How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times” due out March 2010; Bascom Hill Books.  Formerly in corporate HR and retained search, Caroline most recently headed University Relations for Time Inc and has also recruited for Accenture, Citibank, Disney ABC, and others.  Caroline is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Professional Development at Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs, a life coach (www.thinkasinc.com) and a columnist for CNBC.com, Conde Nast’s Portfolio.com, Vault.com, Wetfeet.com and TheGlassHammer.com.

Filed under: career coaching, defense, job search, networking, offense, resumes, sports

Career Coaching Lessons From Sports, Part 2

Last week on CNBC.com I wrote about career lessons from offense in sports.  This week I write about the importance of good defense:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/28995293/site/14081545

Filed under: career coaching, resource recommendation, career coaching, CNBC.com, defense, Executive Careers, sports