Weaving a colorful, yet pragmatic and decipherable career story is a creative process at the center of most successful career transitions. However, the introspective, intellectually laborious course that guides your word-story knitting is one that requires deep thought and focus.

My recent post on this subject was inspired by a career colleague who shared her story about a geological expedition during which the guide left her feeling a bit frustrated. The scientist who guided the tour did not have the words to provide sufficient accessibility to the geology’s story. In other words, his scientific overview fell short of her needs. To read my spin-off post of Kathy’s post and how it relates to resume writing (i.e., telling YOUR career story in an accessible way), please visit: Is Your Career Story Accessible?

By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter 

Recently,  the well-meaning friend of a client gave her some really bad resume advice. She relayed it to me. One of the two items shared was a hot-button issue for me and a lot of other career professionals too. This well- meaning friend told her to make sure her resume did not exceed one-page. I responded to her email with an explanation why such advice, no matter how well-intended was poppycock. That one statement led to an educational email exchange, that let to a tweet, that led to a Twitter and Facebook conversation, that led to a blog post, that led to more conversation in the comments. Want to know more? Read Dawn Bugni’s post here.

Bottom line: A resume should be as long as it needs to be to convey (relevant) candidate value to a potential employer … and not one word more.

To quote from a  LinkedIn message I received… “job searching is very much like marketing. You need to do a complete SWOT to know where you are.” Absolutely! You got it, partner!
What has cemented the doom of many job seekers, including executive-level leaders, is their inability (or self-destructive refusal) to wrap their minds around the idea of marketing themselves with a unique identity as if they were a product.

As a “product,” you must clearly articulate your executive brand, unique value proposition, and market an ROI.

Yet, instead, most executives mount a precarious job search campaign with the intention of simply providing their qualifications and hoping their corporate job titles plus Fortune 100 and 500 employers’ reputation would suffice to net that coveted job interview

Read More – Mining For Your Executive Brand

Ever have one of those moments when everything falls into place, completely unexpected and with little effort? Aren’t they great? Dawn shares the story of how a chance encounter helped clear from clutter from her home while making a stranger very happy. Opportunity frequently presents itself in unusual circumstances and unique situations. And sometimes it takes no more than a casual conversation and shared interests to about bring exciting changes. To find out what role a KISS snow globe plays in the story, click here.

Even the most carefully laid out job search plan can be derailed by a bad attitude or a dour disposition — unintentional or not. In this post, Dawn Bugni explores a few ways to identify potentially negatives habits and influences. She suggests finding a spot for some quite introspection as part of the plan for finding a positive professional voice.

Added bonus, this is a  Career Collective post. Once a month, a group of career professionals blog on a subject topical and timely for a job seeker. They post thoughts on their own blog and link to the post of colleagues on the same topic – a treasure trove of career information.

Start with Dawn’s post here and then explore the collective wisdom (linked on 7-19-11.)

Frequently, job seekers lament the lack of one specific “thing” in their career history, rather than focus on the overall value they bring to an organization. Dawn Bugni shares a fun post with lots of lessons in handling those self-imposed career locks and roadblocks on her blog. You’ll find it here. Take a peek.

image: darinpepple, flickr

Whether navigating the passageways of career change, life change … or both, you will need to map deliberate processes to effectively (and sanely) achieve your destination goal. My own (and my husband’s) recent adventure transforming our careers as well as physical location (we moved from Missouri to Texas) spurred ideas for this recent post on career and life change. For the whole story, please click here: The Rigors and Joy of Career and Life Change.

By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, MRW

Bridget Haymond, a life coach I met on Twitter, asked if I’d help put together some tips to help job seekers at her local church. I happily obliged. A four-part series on job search basics resulted from the collaboration.

Parts one and two explore career marketing strategies; parts three and four address practical methods to stay positive. You can read the entire series on Dawn’s blog:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Employees still working but desperately wanting to find new employment, often feel guilty because they know so many others that have been let go from their positions. Those that are still employed are usually  doing the work of 3 or 4 people and still believe they should feel grateful. Maybe they should, but it doesn’t mean they can’t or shouldn’t  look for a better position, one that is more rewarding and enjoyable.

Read on to hear how employees ready to make a change, manage their transition and guilt.

Photo by PuuikiBeach via Flickr

I recently worked with a client wanting to make a career change and relocate to a new town. She networked and found an opening matching her goals before it even posted. She had an inside contact at the target organization. She’d researched the employer and had living arrangements in the new location. Overall, she was well-positioned for a successful search — with one small exception. She still saw herself and spoke about her skill set in past career terms. When making a change, it’s important to change your mindset too. It’s up to you to convey how your current skills transition into a new position. The potential employer usually won’t take the time to do that extrapolation for you.

Dawn Bugni shares the full career transition story click here.

(Added bonus, this is a Career Collective post containing links to career professionals from around the world. They offer additional guidance about clearing clutter and focusing a job search.)