You know you’re ready to start the perfect job tomorrow. You’re scrolling the latest job postings and a certain keyword catches your eye. As you review the requirements, line by line, you grow more and more alert: “This sounds perfect….” you think.

But wait; there it is, halfway down the page: a requirement for expertise in three specific software programs. You’re familiar with only one. What’s a job seeker to do?

Even though you don’t meet a job profile to a tee, you might still consider applying. After all, it’s unlikely that any one individual will check every box (although it is slightly more likely in this economy). If you’re facing a situation where you can’t check every box, use the following guide to help you decide whether to apply—and how—or not.

1. Meet at least the basic requirements. Don’t waste their time and yours applying for a position when you fall short in a key area. For instance, that job where you’re familiar with only one out of three software programs? Don’t apply. Shortfalls in other areas, for instance, in years of experience, might be more negotiable.

2. Network! Peruse your network: does a colleague of a colleague work within the company? Identify an inside connection, and then network your way to the interview. You have been systematically nurturing and serving your network to prepare for such a time as this, no?

3. Acknowledge your shortcomings. Be truthful, no matter how much you want the job. The trick is to highlight the positive in your profile while also acknowledging the ways in which you’re not a perfect match. For instance, suppose you’re intimate with two of three required software programs; then, you might be able to say in your cover letter or resume (if it’s true) that you evaluated or demoed the third program while in your former position but determined that another alternative matched your firm’s requirements more closely.

4. Highlight results. In an earlier post, we encouraged you to put your best you forward. Now, when you can’t check all the boxes, is the perfect time to do just that. The fact that you don’t match all requirements precisely may not be such a big deal if you effectively paint a vision that shows how you’ll deliver results for the company.

5. Audition. Although this is less likely to work in an employer’s market, you might convince a hiring manager who’s on the line about you that they can reduce their risk and fill the position, pronto, by accepting your offer of a part-time or trial arrangement to start. Maybe set forth an agreement in which you transition to full-time if you meet certain performance objectives.

The bottom line: organizations understand risk. Your job is to illustrate how the return of hiring you outweighs the risk and why the leap of faith in hiring a not-quite-precise match is a sound business decision. Find your “ins”! Highlight results! Paint the vision!

Without the help of a dictionary, the term is hard to define, but most of us know an authentic person when we meet one. At the very least, we can usually spot an inauthentic or ingenuine someone a mile away.

And, frankly, without authenticity, your network won’t trust you. So let’s dive deeper.

Seth Godin, on the other hand, connects authenticity to doing, not just to being.  “Authenticity, for me, is doing what you promise, not ‘being’ who you are,” he writes in his blog. “That’s because ‘being’ is too amorphous and we are notoriously bad at judging that. … Doing, on the other hand, is an act that can be seen by all.”

So what might inauthentic acts look like? How about taking credit for work that’s not yours, or offering to help a colleague and then not following up? Maybe you failed to engage with a person or issue at hand, or said one thing but then did another? Perhaps you missed a deadline without notification or warning the other parties involved, or left a colleague alone in the rain when a storm blew through the office?

Inauthenticity also shows itself in more subtle ways, such as with offers of false flattery, consenting to something you really don’t want to do, or pressuring others into doing things that they’ve told you they don’t want to do.

Does that sound like you? More important, would your colleagues say that sounds like you? Inauthenticity is a career killer: if you’re inauthentic then you’ll be inconsistent. And, as Seth Godin writes, “if you’re inconsistent, you’re going to get caught.”

Stew Friedman over at the HBR blogs wrote a great piece on how you can foster a greater sense of authenticity; it’s especially useful if you feel that you’ve been less than authentic—and that your network might know it. Although his article focuses on authentic leadership, the steps he lays out are—with a few UpMo tweaks and refinements—well-suited to you and how you can illustrate authenticity to your network, as well.

1. Put yourself out there. Share with your mentor or trusted members of your network three critical events that shaped your life and values. As Friedman says, writing about and discussing these events “enhance[s] your capacity to be real, to act now in a way that’s consistent with your core values. Effective leaders,” he writes (although we would exchange ‘leaders’ with ‘networkers’ or ‘career professionals’) “use their imaginations to connect the actual stories of their pasts with the hoped-for stories of their futures.”

2. Picture in your mind a vision of something you’d like to be doing in the near future. Maybe you’re sitting at the head of a large conference table, wearing your finest suit, in a bright windowed office, with staff hanging on to your every word. Or perhaps you’re standing on a platform, looking down at your smoothly running, profitable manufacturing concern, feeling proud that you’ve accomplished your goal. In either case, explains Friedman, “it must be a compelling image of an achievable future; pulling on the heartstrings, a picture you can see, realistic while stretching limits, and out there in time.”

3. Now begin to ACT as if you’re creating that future. And as you act in concert with that future, your network will view you as real because, as Friedman explains, you’ll be “playing out [your] own history in a way that makes sense…[your] public persona and aspirations [will] fit as a coherent self-presentation.”  And that will make it—and you—authentic, and easy to trust and believe.

Hopefully, this ends your Friday with a smile rather than giving you any great new ideas for your job hunt!

Challenging though the job market may be, especially with sustained unemployment rates near 10%, a plan can help you land a job more quickly. Rather than spending time with voodoo dolls or magic mops, spend time on some very clear steps that can get you closer to your goal of a job. Specifically, you should:

• Start each day with a plan: Just as you would have when working, identify your goals for the day.  With which 5 people will you establish contact today?  What three companies will you research? Identify the discrete projects that will enable your job search goals, and execute them each day.

• Remain targeted in your job search campaign: What industries or companies are of interest to you?  Be very clear about what you want, and pursue that.  A list of target companies—which drive all of your networking and resume activity—will help you achieve clear goals rather than feeling as if your search is left to chance.

• Engage in productive “extra-curriculars”: After achieving your daily job search targets, get involved in activities that are of interest to you, or volunteer your time to an organization about which you are passionate. It will get your mind focused on things other than job search—and you might also meet people who can help you find a job.

• Meet new hiring managers: Don’t sit at home building a voodoo doll … get out and talk with people in your industry and function. Expose yourself to people who can hire you by attending networking functions and events that are geared to the particular industry in which you are seeking employment.

Need more advice? Visit UpMo Recommends, to receive targeted advice for your job search. Who knows? Maybe you’ll save yourself from relying on a lucky interview shirt to land your next job.

You know the type … the one who interrupts you every time you begin talking. The one who never listens to you—and spends the whole conversation planning what they are going to say next.

In other words, not the good listener. So how do you trust a person who doesn’t seem to value you, or what you have to offer—who seems more interested in hearing themselves speak?

The truth is, you don’t. And you need to ask yourself: are you this person? If you surveyed your network today, would they say you had good listening skills?

Step #1: Diagnose your listening skills
Interestingly, research shows that when it comes to judging our listening skills, we tend to rate ourselves more highly than we should. One communication expert, Dr. John Kline, in his book Effective Listening, shares how communication seminar participants rate themselves at an average of 7.5 on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the best listener, while rating other members of their group at only a 4.1. “In other words,” he writes, “[participants] believe that listening is a problem, but that the problem belongs to someone else.”

Apart from asking managers and mentors for candid feedback, you can also test yourself. After meeting with a new contact, try to write down at least five new things that you learned—from memory—about the person or their background. If you can’t do it, perhaps you weren’t listening carefully enough. If you struggle consistently, you have an active listening problem.

Step #2: Watch your body language

People know when you’re not listening to them. You begin to fidget, you fail to make eye contact, or visibly focus on other things.  Without even knowing it, you visibly telegraph your lack of interest … and burn your bridge.

Start by looking conversation partners in the eye. Mirror their posture. And repeat what they say to show your comprehension of the message conveyed by your conversation partner.

“A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something.” – Wilson Mizner

When you fail to listen, you not only destroy trust in your network, but you also miss valuable information … information that might power your next job move or promotion!

How to be a better listener? Online resources to help you develop this skill abound. Check out the International Listening Association’s Listening Facts. From the same organization, download the free e-book Listening is a 10-Part Skill. Print it out. Tuck it in your briefcase or backpack to read on your next trip through the friendly skies or during your next wait at the doctor’s office.

This small investment in self will help not only help you listen better; it will also help you become more authentic and build career-crucial trust within your network.

The takeaway:  “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill

Did you know? Our research into the success habits of high-earning professionals shows that your network is your most important career asset. Despite that, our research also shows that only 20 percent of job seekers regularly connect with their networks.

Neglect your network at your peril. Or, better yet, follow these steps to nurture and manage your network well, just as you would any other major asset—and experience a very large, very satisfying career return.

• Segment your network. How many people exist in your network? 100? 200? 400? More? Just as companies segment customers into value tiers to deliver appropriate amounts of service and benefit, so, too, should you segment and deliver various levels of value to your network members. UpMo’s My Network function facilitates both the segmentation and value delivery processes so you can maintain closer contact with your very-important, top-tier network members while staying well within memory’s reach of those on the outskirts.
  

• Schedule time for the most important people in your network. Notice the “work” in network? Yes, it takes work. But the most important people in your network are those most able to influence your career—those most able to help you get jobs. Are you looking for work right now? Then schedule—as in, put on your calendar—at least an hour a day to nurture your network.
  

• Track your network communications. When’s the last time you connected with Joe VIP? Or Jane CEO? How about Manager John, who knows at least three dozen quality people who might someday help you find work? UpMo’s My Action Plan function, combined with the Career Center Toolbox, makes short work of tracking communications for you by adding a level of automation and communication templates to what might otherwise be a difficult, yet oh-so-important, task.
  

• Add value first. Think about it: whom would you rather help? The guy you haven’t connected with in three years who suddenly calls you out of the blue just because he needs something? Or the gal you worked with four years ago but who’s been staying in touch, sending e-mails, remembering your birthday, meeting you for coffee now and again? The key to effective networking is to give value to your network first, before asking for value in return.
  

• Be authentic. Be yourself. Most networks today are a blend of personal and professional, which exposes you to more risk, as your actions with one set of connections might limit your options in another. You might have to restrain from certain behaviors because colleagues and holders-of-the-jobs are watching. But if they’re watching the bad, then they’re also watching the good. So always be authentic. Always be generous. Always be yourself. The people in your network who know your character and trust you will be your best potential references and sources of opportunity.

We’ll talk about one of the best ways you can display authenticity in our next post—the last in our Career Killer series. See you then!

So, on to avoiding that devastating career killer….

Killer #2: Transitioning, unprepared, to a new job

Ah … a new job. New responsibilities, new co-workers, new boss, new possibilities. While the newness of a career shift might make you flush with excitement, it might also set you up for a fall by distracting you from a very important task: that of laying a foundation for a new role.

What? You mean showing up and being enthusiastic isn’t enough?

That’s exactly what we mean. Failing to prepare for a new role presents several hazards:

• You could ramp too slowly—or at least more slowly than your new boss expects.
• Productivity might suffer while you learn the ropes, creating a barrier you must later break.
• You might not fit well with the existing culture.
• You could under-perform and be out on the market in 90 days.

But that won’t happen to you. You’ve read this article and know how to avoid the fate of so many other career professionals. Whether your new job is with a new company or a new group at your current company, follow this advice to launch your new role with a bang.

1. If you’re staying in-house, talk it out. Bring your old and new bosses together for a powwow. Agree as to how to handle your transition. Will you need to guide your replacement or answer questions, taking time away from your new job? For how long—a week, a month?
2. Understand the new rules. Take time to learn how things operate in your new work situation. Ask questions. Get details. Talk to your colleagues about what works, what doesn’t, and the ins and outs of your new departmental or organizational culture.
3. Open up—and stay open. Speak to your colleagues about your role in relation to their roles and the overall role of your group. Let co-workers know that you’re ready and willing to contribute.
4. Plan for the unexpected. Your old boss might need you, even if only temporarily. You might also be asked to do something you wouldn’t normally connect with your role. Stay flexible, as your flexibility can and will carry you far.
5. Manage your relationships. It’s easy to build new relationships, to add new contacts, to grow your professional network when you take on a new role. But anyone can do that. Much harder is to preserve relationships with your old co-workers and managers. But since we’re in a referral economy, where more than 80% of job opportunities are found through the network, this task is crucial to your long-term success. Stop by one in a while. Invite a former boss to coffee. If you see an article or book your know your former co-worker would love, pass it along.

In the next article in our Career Killer series, we’ll share more detailed advice about how you can best nurture your network—and why you neglect your network at your own peril!

Well, of course we at UpMo believe that there is always a way out of the endless spin cycle of career dissatisfaction! But you have to understand the problems—and the solutions—first. To that end, we’re pleased to share the first in a series of blog posts on the most devastating career killers…

Killer #1: Stalling in a Job You Hate
Do you have to *d…r…a…g* yourself out of bed in the morning? Do you stare out the window or at the walls of your cube, wishing you could be doing something, anything, else? Do you cringe when you hit the sack Sunday night, knowing that another 60 or so hours of drudgery await you? 

You might have the career blues.

To break the blues, step back—out of the rut, so to speak. Reflect on yourself, your company, and your situation.

1. Bored? Why do you feel so stale, so blah? Is it boredom? Are you landing new assignments or learning new skills? Do youwant to land new assignments or learn new skills? If so, speak with your manager about assuming more responsibility. Scan the event listings of your favorite industry or professional association and enroll in conferences and other learning venues coming soon to your area. You could very well make a fresh start without switching jobs.

2. People problems? Does your boss drive you bonkers? Our best advice: engage. Schedule a meeting. Present your concerns tactfully, emphasizing the positive and suggesting objective methods for more effective collaboration. Warning: preload with constructive solutions to each issue you raise. If you’ve tried but just can’t resolve your particular boss issues, see about shifting roles within your organization before jumping ship, especially if you like your company.

3. Lost your niche? What do you like most about your job? Least? What makes you happiest? What leaves you fulfilled at the end of the day? Ask several close colleagues and even your boss what they consider your strengths, as well as what “out of the box” or unexpected roles they might see you in. Prepare to be surprised: you might find that the only one restricting your career vision … is you.

Still blue? The trouble might lie with your company. The 2009/2010 Staying@Work report found that (too) many firms ignore key factors that may be making you feel and say “blah.” For example:

• 78% of employers conceded that asking you to work excessively long hours is a leading stress monger, but just 21% are addressing the issue.

• 68% cited your lack of work/life balance as a stress producer, but only 38% care enough to implement changes that help you combat that stress.

• 67% said your fear of job loss leads to an uptick in stress, but only 41% bother doing anything to alleviate your concerns.

If your company is among those doling out never-ending heaps of stress, it might be time to transition to a new job, which, by the way, just happen to be the subject of the next post in our Career Killers series. Stay tuned….

In the previous blog post, we provided guidance on using UpMo to manage reconnecting with network members you’ve lost contact with. To help you execute your plan, try sending an initial message that reads something like this:

Send a friendly message that reads something like this:

Hello John.

I hope this note finds you well. It’s been, what, three years since we last connected? I take it you’re still enjoying those mild mountain summers; I know how you hated sweltering on the island for all those years.

John, I know you’re busy so I’ll get right to it. I’m shoring up my professional network with an eye toward being better able to serve the people in it—like you—as well as to keep the doors open for potential future opportunities—for both of us.

Could you send me your latest contact information? Mine is as follows:

And tell me: what’s top of mind for you these days? Is there anything I can help you with—connections you might need, ideas you might want to bounce? I’m here to help.

Looking forward to your reply….

Warmly,
Scott

Try not to send identical messages to everyone in your network. Personalize, using facts and stats and the history you know about the recipient. Keep it short. Keep it friendly. More important, once you’ve established that initial reconnection, keep it going.

• Look at the Wall Street Journal?
• Hit the online black holes job boards?
• Call a recruiter or your alma mater career services?