Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S?

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? Why IS a ‘JOB” your FOCUS? My Challenge to YOU today is to FIGURE out: What PROBLEM you SOLVE? WHO has that PROBLEM? WHERE they need that PROBLEM solved? WHEN they need it solved?

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? F ~ First Decide O ~ Organize C ~ Communicate U ~ Unique Value S ~ Sustainment

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? F ~ First Decide Square One Helps you Sort out Problems You can Solve Pick ONE or TWO – Where – Geography, Industry When – Timing of Need, Life Stage, etc Higher # = Less FOCUS We need a PLAN to get back to EARTH with time to spare (Apollo 13)

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? O ~ Organize Who Your Network Targets Target Companies 25-50 to start with What Job Boards as a Beacon Where opportunities might be Where Geography Industry

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? C ~ Communicate Clear Outbound Message 2 Min Drill (elevator pitch) Persistent versus Pest Press toward the Pest line === Pain Letters What problem do you solve? Practice by Doing Frequency Framework See Next Slide Email Use to Set up Face to Face later Social Media (LinkedIN, etc) Use to Be Found Can be great for network touch points

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? C ~ Communicate (continued) Frequency Framework Business Hours - Daily 9a – 11a & 1p – 4p Used for In-Person & Phone Focus Other times as needed Goals: 3+ Unique Touches / Day Equals 15 / Week Equals 60 / Month Can this number be HIGHER? Evenings / Weekend Time Research / Job Boards Email Phone/Meet – hard to reach folks Downtime To Rest Full-Time Job Search IS a J-O-B Exercise, Family, Hobbies

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? U ~ Unique Value Accomplishments What YOU did to improve situation? Used as bullets in Resume Quantified in %, #’s, $ Write as many as you can Can customize resume to job spec USE WHAT YOU HAVE Not what you WISH you had Apollo 13

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? S ~ Sustainment Practice Fail Often and Inexpensively You have more than ONE Bullet ====> Frequency Find a Daily Cadence Find Encouragement As Needed OJT Cheerleaders P-D-C-A cycle Always improve

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? Let’s Practice (Group Exercise) Quantify Commit to be Accountable Measure Yourself Be Transparent

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? Informational Interviews – Why Yours Are NOT Working Weak Questions Low Enthusiasm You are Late No Clear Agenda You Don’t Have Data to Back You Up You Don’t Show Gratitude You Ask For A Job No Call To Action You Don’t Give Back You Don’t Send Thank You Notes Source: Informational Interviews – Bob McIntosh http://thingscareerrelated.com/2014/09/01/10-reasons-why-your-informational-meetings-arent-working-in-your-job-search/

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? Pain Letters You'll send your Pain Letter and your Human-Voiced Resume to your hiring manager, whose name and title you'll snag on LinkedIn, and in your Pain Letter you'll talk not about yourself but about the person you're writing to. Here are the five things we hear over and over again from people who have gotten into the Pain Letter and Human-Voiced Resume groove and started writing to hiring managers directly: I feel like it's me on the page, and not a sterile version of myself. I'd rather have a hiring manager know right up front who I am before I waste time (mine and his or hers) going any further in the process. When I get a response to my Pain Letters, the conversation is at a dramatically higher level immediately than the standard 'Here's the next step in our hiring process' conversation. The manager already knows I know the territory. It's very good for me to do the research these Pain Letters require. It's growing business-intelligence muscles I need anyway. I am getting better at Pain-Spotting, and it's an empowering feeling. As soon as I sent my first Pain Letter, I realized that I was a consultant -- not just that, but that I've been a consultant for years!

Is Your Career Strategy in F-O-C-U-S? THANK YOU Glen Hall, ghall@coltecconsulting.com Other Sources: Russ Knight & OJTTulsa.org Leadership Team – Frequency Framework Pain Letter – Liz Ryan https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20131016170330-52594-frustrating-job-search-try-a-pain-letter