I am excited to announce that the pilot of my new group coaching program "Finding Meaningful Work & Career Happiness" will launch on Friday, October 6th at 8:00 AM Eastern Time!

"Finding Meaningful Work & Career Happiness" is an online group coaching program with articles, activities, worksheets, live and pre-recorded training sessions, group discussions, and three 30-minute individual career coaching sessions to discuss your career goals.

The six modules of the career coaching program offer guidance on how to:

• Find career clarity, purpose, and direction
• Identify and convey your core strengths and values
• Discover job opportunities where none are advertised
• Conduct company research
• Understand employer's needs
• Develop a job search action plan

It's based on my work with individuals who have landed a new job in 9-27 days and have received multiple 6-figure jobs by following the career marketing and job search strategies I've shared with them.

I'm looking for 20 participants in the pilot program (offered at only $125) which is a substantial savings compared to the tiered pricing of $497 to $1,997 for the release of the program to the general public in December. The actual pricing for the new program's release will vary according to options such as an assessment and the number of 1:1 coaching sessions clients want.

The pilot program runs from October 6th to November 17th with new modules released every week.
I hope you will join me, and I welcome your feedback on the content.

Here's the link to register for the pilot.
Finding Meaningful Work & Career Happiness (writtenbyapro.com)

Hey there, curious careerists! Have you ever wondered what those fancy-sounding assessments actually measure? Today, we’re going to take a light-hearted journey through the world of career assessments. So, buckle up and get ready for a quick tour of frequently used assessments.

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): It’s a classic! The MBTI measures your personality type based on four dichotomies: extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving. It’s like a personality compass that helps you understand yourself better and find your true north career that aligns with your unique personality.
  
  
• DiSC Assessment: Nope, it’s not about your favorite vinyl records! DiSC stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. This assessment measures your behavioral style and how you interact with others. Are you a charismatic influencer or a detail-oriented perfectionist? DiSC has the answers!
  
  
• CliftonStrengths: Move over, superheroes! CliftonStrengths measures your natural talents and strengths. The basic assessment identifies your Top 5 strengths out of 34 possibilities to help individuals understand and leverage their unique abilities. The detailed assessment reports on all 34 themes. Discover your hidden superpowers and unleash them in your career!
  
  
• Strong Interest Survey (SSI): Are you passionate about underwater basket weaving or extreme ironing? The Strong Interest Survey helps you explore your interests in regard to different work activities, work environments, and areas of interests to identify potential career paths. It’s like a treasure map leading you to the right occupation.
  
  
• Holland Occupational Themes (RIASEC): Don’t tiptoe through the tulips or take a cruise on the canal just yet! This assessment categorizes you into six personalitity types based on your interests and preferences. Are you Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, or Conventional? Find out and sail towards your new career.
  
  
• Wonderlic Contemporary Cognitive Ability Test: Time to put on your thinking cap! The Wonderlic assessment measures cognitive abilities and problem-solving aptitude. It’s often used to evaluate prospective employees, assess their mental agility, and predict on-the-job success. Can you outsmart the clock and prove your brainpower?
  
  
• Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i): Move over IQ, it’s time for EQ! This assessment evaluates emotional and social functioning, including self-awareness, self-expression, interpersonal relationships, decision-making, and stress management. It’s like a guide to understanding and harnessing your emotions for success in the workplace and beyond.
  
  
• Emotional Intelligence Appraisal (EIA): Don’t worry, there’s an app for that! This assessment, is similar to the EQ-i in that it measures your emotional intelligence, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, but in a digital format. It’s like having a personal emotional coach in your pocket!
  
  
• Work Values Inventory (WVI): “Heigh ho, heigh ho, it’s off to work we go!” The WVI is a widely used assessment that measures an individual’s core values and how they align with different career choices. It measures values such as achievement, independence, recognition, support, and working conditions.
  
  
• Personal Values Assessment (PVA): Can you dig it? The PVA helps you unearth the personal values that guide your life choices. The Personal Values Assessment helps people understand their priorities, motivations, and the importance they place on values such as honesty, integrity, compassion, creativity, and personal growth.
  
  
• Career Direct Assessment: It’s like a GPS to help you find career clarity and direction. The assessment measures all four aspects of what drives you: personality, interests, skills, and values to guide you towards a meaningful career. If you are looking for a comprehensive and statistically valid career assessment, this is my favorite. Book a 20-minute discovery call to find out more.

So, there you have it – a whirlwind tour of several popular career assessments. There are many others. Look for assessments that are backed by scientific research and decades of testing. It’s advantageous to have a career counselor help you interpret the data. Remember, assessments are helpful tools for self-reflection and self-awareness, but they’re not crystal balls. Embrace the insights gained from the assessments and trust your heart to find your true path.
 
Happy career exploration, assessment aficionados!

​A potential client asked me, “With the high cost of living, my paycheck isn’t stretching as far as it once did. I need a pay raise that outpaces the rate of inflation. The only way to make more money where I work is to get a promotion. Do you have any advice on how to ask my boss for a promotion?” I brainstormed 20 ways to prepare for a conversation with your supervisor.

20 Tips for Asking for a Promotion

1. Start with prayer. Ask for and listen to God’s guidance to direct your career path. Then work diligently, being faithful even with the small tasks you’ve been given.
   ​
2. Set clear and realistic goals. Reflect on what you want. What position are you aiming for? What is the in-demand skill that’s needed at the next level? What professional development do you need to complete? Do you have the necessary degree or certification? By what date do you want to be promoted? Create an individual development plan for yourself and work towards attaining your goals.
   
   
3. Understand the promotion process in your company. What are the existing norms for how career advancement decisions are made? Do you meet tenure requirements to be considered for the role? Be realistic. If the company requires that you must have 3 years of employment with the company or must have a certain certification to advance to the next level, and you’ve only been there 10 months and have not taken the certification course or passed the certification exam, then you may not be eligible for promotion at the end of your first year of employment.
   
   
4. Think about how your promotion aligns with the objectives of the organization. Set news alerts for c-suite officers and other senior leaders in your company. Read what they are saying. Study quarterly and annual financial reports. Research the industry, the market, and the competitors. The more in-tune you are with the direction the company is going, the better.
   
   
5. Seek mentorship and sponsorship. Align yourself with mentors who are interested in seeing you grow professionally. Good mentors are compassionate, honest, and successful in their work.
   
   Doris Braun, CEO of Leadership Solutions for Women says, “Having a sponsor within your organization, a person who is senior to you who says the right things about you to their peers when you are not in the room, can help you get assigned to visible projects, which will allow you to interact with people who are in a position to promote you.”
   
   
6. Set the stage. The goal is for your supervisor and senior leadership to notice that you are a smart, ambitious person who deserves a promotion because you have much to offer in helping the company meet its short-term and long-term goals and objectives. Be a good listener. Take notes. Add value to group meetings.
   
   
7. Guard your words and who you listen to. Actions speak louder than words. As Steve Martin says, “Be so good that they can’t ignore you.” Also, keep a polite distance from people who are caught up in office drama, gossiping, and negative outlooks. These people will drag you down and hurt your reputation. Hang out with positive, motivated coworkers. Show that you are happy at work. Don’t complain about tasks or talk badly about peers or supervisors. This can derail your chances for promotion. 
   
   
8. Keep your supervisor up-to-date on your work activities. Send memos, emails, and voicemails (whichever communication method they prefer). Be reliable. Make sure you meet deadlines and deliver high-quality work. 
   
   If you have certain benchmarks to hit, let your supervisor know you are on track to bring the project in on time and within budget. If the scope of the project has changed and you are not on track to complete the project, be proactive in communicating obstacles, and pitch solutions. This will show your boss you are a good communicator, you are trustworthy, and you are a proactive problem solver.
   
   
9. Keep a career journal. Don’t depend on your memory. Write down your weekly wins. Prepare a one- or two-page memo outlining your awards and achievements. Summarize your monthly, quarterly, and yearly contributions. Build a compelling case for why you deserve to move up. Share concrete metrics of your impact and financial outcomes. 
   
   
10. Choose the right time to ask for a promotion. Sabina Nawaz, a global CEO coach, advises the week after a round of layoffs or the day the company loses a major client would be poor timing, whereas the week after you’ve closed a lucrative new deal or your company announces a solid earning’s quarter would be optimal timing. When the company has high employee turnover, show initiative, roll up your sleeves, and do whatever work needs to be done to stabilize the organization.
    
    
11. Schedule a meeting. Once you’ve established yourself as a high-achiever, it’s time to plan for the conversation with your boss about a promotion. Don't just drop in on your boss. Schedule a meeting in advance, and make it clear that you want to discuss your future with the company. Be mindful of your supervisor’s availability and be intentional about giving your supervisor time to prepare for the conversation.
    
    
12. Have the promotion conversation: Come to the meeting with a clear idea of what you want to say and what you want to achieve. The actual meeting will be less stressful and more productive if you are prepared and have evidence to support your request. Be specific about what you want, whether it's a higher salary, a new title, or more responsibilities.
    
    
13. Know your worth. Research the average salary for your position and be prepared to make a business case for why you deserve a promotion. Emphasize what’s in it for them, not what’s in it for you. Make a quick pitch about your performance. Present data from your career journal. Share highlights of your recent accomplishments and how you have contributed to the company's success. 
    
    Outline ways you can add more value by being promoted to a higher level. Be positive and enthusiastic. Your supervisor will appreciate your motivation and energy. For example, if you want to be promoted from a client-facing role to a business analyst/process improvement role, your first-hand experience working with clients will help you succeed in your new role, improve the customer experience, and retain more customers.
    
    
14. Politely and confidently, ask for a promotion or raise. Be direct. Ask your supervisor, “Can I count on your support to help me advance within the company and make my promotion a reality?”
    
    
15. Be open to feedback and suggestions. Accept constructive criticism graciously, knowing your supervisor’s feedback will help you grow professionally and advance your career.
    
    
16. Be patient. Don't expect an immediate answer. Your boss may need time to consider your request for a promotion and work through the proper HR channels to make it happen. Ask your supervisor when you should follow up with them.
    
    
17. Be flexible. Be open to compromise and willing to negotiate. Maybe the position doesn’t exist now, but you want to create a new role doing specific tasks. Pitch your ideas and connect the new role to the company’s broader strategic goals.
    
    Maybe you want a 10% raise and the company is only offering a 5% raise. Perhaps you could negotiate a bonus if certain strategic goals are met within 6 months. Be aware that pay structures and raises may have been established companywide, so your direct supervisor may not have the power to change that.
    
    
18. Consider who your successor might be and how to champion that coworker. This shows you are a forward-thinking person who is willing to mentor and coach someone to do your current job so they can fill your shoes after you are promoted.
    
    
19. If you don't get the promotion, keep working hard. Continue to demonstrate your value to the company. Even if you decide to launch a job search, continue to give your personal best each day. Your hard work will not go unnoticed.
    
    
20. Remember that self-promotion is necessary for career advancement. Advocating for yourself is an important communication skill to develop.

I hope you found these tips helpful. If you'd like more information about 1:1 career coaching, click here.

Download the free Clubhouse App from Google Play or the Apple App Store. Follow @sharlataylor on Clubhouse and join in the conversation on Tuesdays. Each week we'll share proven strategies to help you in your job search and career management. We're happy to answer your career-related questions. Best of all, there's no cost to attend.

Building relationships online can be awkward. Knowing what to say to a person you’ve not met is challenging. That’s why I am excited to share some quick tips for networking with confidence to get noticed by employers.
 
First, do your research. Gather clues about shared interests from reading a person’s LinkedIn profile and any articles or posts they’ve written. Look to see which industry groups the person belongs to and consider joining the group. Like and comment on posts or articles the person has written so that your name becomes familiar prior to sending a connection request.
 
Next, find out more about the person's role in the company. Set a Google alert to receive notices when the person or the company is in the news. Browse their employer’s website and read the company’s annual reports. 
 
Now that you have done your research, why not reach out with a unique video message instead of a standard LinkedIn connection request? Send a LinkedIn message or email with a link to a video introduction expressing your interest in a specific position and why you would be a good fit for the role.
 
WinTheView™ videos make it easy to build instant rapport with recruiters, industry peers, and hiring managers. In your 30-60 second video, start by introducing yourself, let the person know you are interested in their work, and ask to connect with them. It’s that easy, and few people will go to the trouble to connect in this way. It only takes a few minutes of your time to stand out from ordinary connection requests. There’s no limit to the number of video messages you can personalize and send through the WinTheView™ platform.
 
If you don’t like to be in front of the camera, no worries. You could send a personalized message with a link to your WinTheView™ career portfolio.

Take advantage of WinTheView's technology to stand out in a crowded job market. I've extended cyber week savings on a 3-month subscription to WinTheView™ through December 31, 2002.
Quantities are limited. Act now to get a $95 discount on a 3-month subscription to WinTheView™ (normally $195, now only $100 for a 3-month subscription for a limited time). 

Improve your interview performance with 1:1 networking and interview preparation coaching sessions to optimize and activate your network and polish your video introductions, career success stories, interview answers, and follow-up messages to position you as the best candidate to hire.

​Soon, you'll be networking with confidence to get noticed by employers, acing your interviews, and generating job offers!

​Introduction​
Ask three eyewitnesses of a car accident what they saw, and you’ll get three different viewpoints of how the collision happened. Since eyewitness accounts tend to vary, it’s up to the police officer to examine the scene of the accident and vehicles involved, find the root cause of the collision, and issue a citation to the driver who violated established traffic laws.
 
Do a quick Google search, and you’ll find a ginormous amount of web content about writing résumés and other job search documents that provide conflicting advice. What’s right, what’s wrong, and who cares?
 
Wouldn’t you like to rescue your résumé wording, cover letter content, and career bios from common errors and win more interviews?
 
Identifying & Resolving Common Grammatical Errors
The quality of your career marketing documents directly affects your ability to get noticed, generate interviews, and articulate your value so that you can land a better-paying job.
 
At the risk of sounding like the grammar police, some of the most frequent grammatical errors I see people make are writing from the wrong point of view and using incorrect verb conjugations and verb tenses.
 
Q: What is point of view and why is it important?
A: According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary, point of view is “a position or perspective from which something is considered or evaluated.” (1) 
 
In literature, point of view is the perspective that the narrator holds in relation to the events and other characters in the story. (2) There are three basic points of view — first person, second person, and third person — that can use singular or plural pronouns. Let’s focus on the pronouns, highlighted in blue, that are used as the subject of the following sentences that demonstrate point of view (POV).
 
First-person POV: I direct a department of 35 sales representatives.
Second-person POV: You direct a department of 35 sales representatives.
Third-person POV: He or she directs a department of 35 sales representatives.
Where most people get confused by POV is how it affects verb choices.
 
For ongoing action, use present-tense verbs (highlighted in blue).
First-person POV: I direct a department of 35 sales representatives.
Second-person POV: You direct a department of 35 sales representatives.
Third-person POV: He or she directs a department of 35 sales representatives.
(Notice the addition of the letter “s” to the verb in the third-person POV.)
 
Q: What point of view should I use when writing my cover letter?
A: The first-person POV is the right choice for writing your cover letter because it enables you to tell your career story from your perspective. Here’s an easy way to remember first-person POV: When you are telling a story through your eyes, use the pronoun “I.” You are in the driver’s seat, sharing your career story with people who have the capacity to hire you.

Q: “What point of view should I use when writing my résumé?
A: The current U.S. best practice is to write your résumé in the first-person-implied POV, omitting all personal pronouns including I, me, my, mine, myself, we, us, our, and ourselves. (3) 
 
For a current job or ongoing career-related activities, use present-tense verbs in the first-person-implied POV. Exclude all personal pronouns from your résumé content.
 
Example: Design business development strategy and strengthen sales effectiveness to generate substantial increase in annual recurring revenue.
 
In this example, we used the present-tense verbs (design and strengthen) to describe the goal of increasing annual recurring revenue. Notice that the pronoun “I” is understood, and it is not included in the résumé wording.
 
For accomplishments and all previous jobs, use past-tense verbs in the first-person-implied POV:
 
Example: Designed business development strategy and strengthened sales effectiveness by 20%, which generated a $10 million increase in annual recurring revenue.
 
Notice the use of the past-tense verbs (designed and strengthened) to describe and quantify the accomplishment. Again, the pronoun “I” is understood; therefore, it is omitted from the résumé content.
 
People get confused about POV when describing previous jobs or accomplishments. The determining factor for using the verbs designed and strengthened is not POV but the choice of whether to use a present-tense verb or a past-tense verb. That’s good news for people with grammar phobia, because the verbs are exactly the same in the past tense, despite the point of view!
 
Q: When is second-person POV used?
A: Second-person POV is used when giving instructions or directives. Think of a driver’s ed coach telling a student, “You must take the next right turn to avoid the accident ahead.” More than likely, the driving coach would speak in the second-person-implied POV, leaving out the pronoun “you” and the word “must,” and simply say, “Take the next right turn.”
 
Do not use second-person POV in your résumé wording because you are writing about yourself, not giving directions or commands to anyone else. Although, in a lengthy job search when your frustration rises, you may fantasize about reaching through your computer screen, grabbing the hiring manager by the shirt collar, and yelling, “Can’t you see I’m the perfect person for the job? Hire me!”
 
Q: Is third-person POV an acceptable alternative when writing my résumé?
A: No. Always write your résumé in the first-person-implied POV, dropping the pronouns (e.g., delete I, me, my, mine, myself, we, us, and our). (3) The American industry standard is to write your résumé in the first-person-implied POV without personal pronouns. (4)
 
It is inappropriate to refer to yourself by name or in the third-person POV in your résumé. Writing in the third-person POV creates an uncomfortable distance between you and the reader and can give readers the impression that you are egocentric or pompous, which is not the first impression you want to make on recruiters and hiring teams! (5)
 
Remember, you are in the driver’s seat describing your own career journey, not in the passenger’s seat describing someone else’s actions. Search for and delete any third-person pronouns such as he, she, they, him, her, or them in your résumé wording because you are the author of your résumé.
 
Using first-person-implied POV in your résumé connects readers with your unique career story. Even if you hire a professional résumé writer who serves as your ghostwriter, the writer creates your résumé content using the first-person-implied POV on your behalf.
 
There is one notable exception. Think of the word “who” as a yield sign. In the professional summary at the top of page one on your résumé, you might describe yourself as a “Business development executive who optimizes market expansion and client acquisition and directs strategic initiatives to minimize risk and drive growth across multiple product lines.”(6) The word “who” becomes the key determiner of verb choice. Notice the letter “s” on the verbs optimizes and directs, which are the third-person conjugation of these verbs.
 
When the word “who” is used after the noun phrase “business development executive,” the verbs that follow the word “who” take on the third-person POV. Think of it as saying, “I am one who optimizes and directs ...” Delete “I am one” and replace it with the noun phrase “Business development executive who optimizes … and directs strategic initiatives ….” If you choose to use the word “who,” be consistent in using the same construction in subsequent paragraphs in your professional summary.
 
Caution: Don’t use too many present participles (verbs that end in “ing”), because it can also distance readers from your actions. But that’s a grammar lesson detour we’ll save for another day.
 
Q: In the professional experience section of my résumé, does the POV change, depending on whether it is a current job or a previous role?
A: No. The first-person-implied POV is correct throughout your résumé, but verb tenses change, depending on whether you are describing a current job, a previous role, or an accomplishment.
 
Q: How do I know which verb tenses are correct to use in my résumé?
A: Choice of verb tenses in your résumé depend on whether the action takes place in the past or present.
 
Q: What about when I’m describing the scope of my job and accomplishments, does the POV change or does the verb tense change?
A: The overview statement for your current job is written in the first-person-implied POV using present-tense verbs and shows a snapshot of the scope of your current role.
 
Example: Guide business development and customer success initiatives throughout the customer lifecycle from lead generation to customer acquisition, expansion, and renewal.
Be aware that accomplishment statements in your current role are written in the past tense because you’ve already achieved the results you are sharing in your résumé.
 
For any previous role, a brief overview statement is written in the past tense.
 
Example: Guided business development and customer success initiatives throughout the customer lifecycle from lead generation to customer acquisition, expansion, and renewal.
 
In this situation, it’s a no-brainer because your previous job and key achievements happened in the past. Again, be mindful to omit all personal pronouns. Keep your scope statement short; limit it to two or three lines max.
 
Recruiters and hiring teams don’t want to read résumé wording that sounds like a job description. They want to learn how you made a difference at work. Avoid phrases like “duties included” or “responsible for.” Instead, lead with an active verb and describe accomplishments that demonstrate relevant and quantifiable business outcomes. Also, limit the use of adjectives (words that qualify nouns) and adverbs (words that modify verbs and usually end in “ly”).
 
Q: What POV should I use in writing a career bio for a company website or a speaker’s introduction?
A: Third-person POV is the right choice for writing a career bio or speaker’s introduction because the company website would be conveying information about you to readers, and someone else would be introducing you to the audience if you are speaking at an event.
 
If you are writing your own career bio or speaker’s introduction, write in the third-person POV, refer to yourself by name, and use third-person pronouns such as he, she, they, him, her, or them.
 
Conclusion
Make sure your résumé, cover letter, and career bio convey your unique value to positively influence interviewing and hiring decisions. Don’t let grammatical errors in your career marketing documents stop you from being considered for a job opportunity.
 
Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve learned about point of view, verb choices, and verb conjugations in your job search documents:

• Write your cover letters in the first-person POV. Using first-person personal pronouns such as I, me, my, we, and us is appropriate.
• Write your résumé in the first-person-implied POV, leaving out all personal pronouns.
• Use present-tense verbs for your current job scope, ongoing projects, or career-related activities and use past-tense verbs for accomplishments and previous roles.
• Write your career bio and speaker’s introductions in the third-person POV using pronouns such as he, she, they, him, her, or them.

 
Thanks for traveling with me down the grammar highway to learn the writing strategy and grammar rules for different types of career marketing documents. While the English language is full of nuances, I hope this grammar tour has given you the confidence to analyze and correct the wording of your documents.
 
If you’d like to save the stress of writing your career marketing documents yourself or need help with networking strategy and interview preparation, I would be delighted to work with you. Click on writing services or coaching services to learn more, or click here to book a discovery call.
 

Sources  

1. Merriam-Webster. Point of View. n.d. 16 July 2022. <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/points%20of%20view>.
2. LitCharts. Point of View Definitions. n.d. 16 July 2022. <https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/point-of-view>.
3. Enelow, Wendy S. and Kursmark, Louise M. Expert Resumes & LinkedIn Profiles for Managers and Executives. Fourth Edition. Emerald Career Publishing, 2020. 30 July 2022.
4. Taylor, Suzanne. First-Person Resumes: Definition, Exceptions and Examples. 6 May 2022. 31 July 2022. <https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/resume-first-person>.
5. DeCarlo, Laura. Resumes for Dummies. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2015.
6. Adapted from Zimenoff, Marie and Jazvac, Lori A., "Making Career Change Dreams a Reality." Career Industry Authority Online Training, Resume Writing Academy, 2022, page 9, 20 July 2022.

Adopting an agile mindset and engineering approach to your job search enables you to be flexible and effective in achieving results. Use an iterative process to design, build, test, evaluate, and improve your job search effectiveness.

• Create and execute your job search strategy using a well-defined roadmap and detailed playbook.
• Test and measure the effectiveness of your job search activities.
• Revise and refine your job search activities, depending on what works best.

 
Apply the 5 Steps of the Iterative Process Model to Your Job Search

1. Planning & Requirements: Start with career clarity. What type of job are you seeking? By when? How will you measure success?
   
   
2. Analysis and Design: Envision your end goal. Set parameters. I want to land the position of __ with a __ company by __ date. On a scale of 1 to 5 how strongly are you dedicated to landing a new job? Brainstorm with your support team. Enlist the help of a friend or career coach to serve as an accountability partner. How are you going to achieve your goal? What steps are you going to take to get there?
   
   
3. Implementation: Conduct industry, company, and position research. Create your career marketing collateral (résumé, LinkedIn profile, executive bio, and cover letters). Create a job search action plan. How much time each week are you going to devote to your job search? Block out time on your calendar. What activities are you going to commit to doing? How much time are you going to allocate to various job search activities? 
   
   
4. Testing: An iterative process will bring you closer to your end goal of landing a better job—ideally, a job aligns with your core strengths and values. 
   
   It always amazes me that people rely on one method, applying online, when they could change their job search activities to focus on building professional relationships through networking, which yields far better results.
   
   According to a research study conducted by JobVite, approximately 73% of people found their last job through networking and a little more than 20% of those people had jobs created for them based on their knowledge, skills, and abilities.
   ​
5. Evaluation and Review: A basic principle of management is that you can’t manage what you don’t measure. Track your job search activities daily with a simple scorecard. Review your job search activities weekly. Which activities are generating the best responses?
   
   It’s helpful to have a career coach to provide feedback and encourage you to make incremental changes to accelerate your job search process, help you determine what’s not working, and help you find solutions to overcome obstacles.
   
   ​Are you conducting thorough research? Job seekers need to understand their target audience (recruiters and hiring teams). What is it that employers want to know about you? Are you getting interviews but not offers? Maybe you need more interview preparation and practice. Determine what needs to change and take actions that support your goal of landing the right job with a great company within a specified timeframe.

 
Realize that some aspects of your job search are out of your control such as how long it takes the company to go from recruiting to interviewing to extending an offer, but there are best practices for follow-up communications in each of these situations.
 
Please remember how important collaboration is to your job search success. Surround yourself with a small support team. Do you have a trusted friend who is a great networker, a person who has interviewed and hired people in your industry, or a person who is an expert negotiator?
 
Hiring a career coach to guide you through analyzing your strengths, gaining career clarity, providing you with appropriate resources, and helping you implement new ideas, test the results, and reduce risks can save you time and effort in your job search. If you are unemployed or underemployed, assessing and adapting your job search activities is especially important, because each week that you are out of work, or working for less than you are worth, costs you money.
 
As your career coach, I’d be delighted to help you achieve your goal of landing a great job fast. Schedule a free 20-minute discovery call today.

Have you ever been so nervous that you bombed an interview? I have, and it felt awful! My rambling responses were obvious indicators that I blew my chance to land a job at an amazing company.
 
That’s why I want to save you from making the same interview blunders and thinking, I should have been better prepared. I should have said this rather than that.
 
You won’t be rehashing those shoulda, coulda, woulda moments when you have a proven method for interview preparation that helps you perfect your interview answers.
 
Feel more relaxed and confident in your in-person or virtual interviews. The WinTheView™ platform enables you to record multiple career success stories to demonstrate your unique strengths and skills.
 
As your certified WinTheView Career Consultant, I’ll guide you through creating compelling content to entice recruiters and hiring managers to offer you an interview. I’ll show you how to follow up after interviews to convince your prospective employer that you are the right person to hire by using the WTV platform.
 
My client, a customer success executive, received two strong job offers in 45 days. We worked together in career coaching sessions to dive into company research, ​capture his STAR stories, develop custom interview presentations for his target companies, and conduct mock interviews. ​His dilemma was deciding which six-figure job offer to accept. It was a nice problem to have, don't you think?
 
Click here to schedule a virtual coffee chat to learn how WinTheView™ can help you ace your interviews and win lucrative job offers.
 
Cheers to your interview success!
Sharla

LEADx is a learning and coaching app for executives that includes the Top 5 CliftonStrengths assessment, Coach Amanda (an AI-powered leadership coach), and 200+ micro-learning courses on developing your executive presence and senior leadership skills.

You can download the free app from Google Play or Apple apps. It also has the DISC profile and other assessments. Make the most of your screen time by developing your soft skills instead of scrolling through endless posts on social media!

Written by a Pro offers great resources for executives and mid-career professionals. Did you know that when you purchase a gold-level resume package, you'll gain access to the Gold Club, a members-only page with a listing of 150+ resources and tools to help you in your job search journey?

If you'd like more information on the Gold Club members-only resources schedule your free, 20-minute consultation with me.

All the best,
​Sharla