1. Understand what recruiters do. Recruiters work for employers, not for you, so don’t expect them to bow to your demands and requests. At the same time, it is to their benefit to place you if they can. Use this dynamic to your advantage! Listen to recruiters; because they work for employers, they often have access to inside information. Refuse their clues and fail to heed their coaching advice at your peril.
2. Seek the best recruiters. As is the case in any field, there are good and bad recruiters, as well as recruiters who focus on geography, industry, function, and any mix in between. Ask friends and colleagues for references to find the best ones. Then, when you get in front of a recruiter, vet them. Ask about their experience. Just as recruiters aren’t obliged to work with you, neither are you obliged to work with them. Be selective and you’ll land good matches.
3. Work with your recruiters. Recruiters may ask you sensitive questions about your education, job history, employment gaps, and even your credit history. Vetting you is their job, as they work for employers. On the other hand, to help you find the right job, recruiters also need to know who you are, what you want, and how best to present you effectively.
4. Give! Recruiters will be more inclined to help you if you help them. So check in with your recruiters every few months, if only to say hello and to see if, and how, you can help. If a recruiter asks you for leads for positions unsuitable to you, make appropriate introductions. You’ll do double duty by serving both your recruiter and your network.
5. Keep it concise and relevant. Recruiters, inundated with resumes and candidates, need value. To capture and hold their attention, focus on giving recruiters just what they need. Avoid verbosity. Also, avoid sending a list of 10 unemployed friends who may not match their latest requisition. Recruiters need value, so give value. Simple!

The bottom line: you’ll attract more attention simply because you’re employed, so talk to recruiters even if you’re not actively looking for work. Good recruiters will share job market intelligence when you don’t have time to gather it yourself; they’ll also keep you in the loop so you don’t miss a great opportunity.

You’ve heard the mantra, born from the popular book of the same name: “Do what you love and the money will follow.”

“Right,” you might counter. “Easier said than done.” We’d have to agree, especially when it comes to turning what you love into a productive, profitable, successful career. You might love gardening, running, bowling, or competitive ballroom dancing. Skiing might light your fire, or perhaps for you it’s exploring new cultures and countries. Your passion might be something as simple as enjoying a glass of wine while reading a good sci-fi novel, or as complex as raising an award winning, internationally acclaimed bonsai collection.

But passion alone may not be enough because the real key to intersecting passion with career is monetization—the act of turning your passion into cash. These steps will help you get started on the right path to both.

1. Get expert advice. First, before you do anything else, do your research: see who else has monetized your passion and how they’ve done.The essence of success is that it is never necessary to think of a new idea oneself. It is far better to wait until somebody else does it, and then to copy him in every detail, except his mistakes. ~Aubrey Menen

   Speak with your mentors and your closest advisors. Contact your local SBA office to run your idea by an impartial third party. The point is to get advice before you run.

2. See what the market has to say. There’s no sense launching a business otherwise. Talk to potential customers and business owners in your area. Solicit opinions on your idea to explore whether there is, indeed, a market. If the world is your market, via the web, connect to the online communities where your audiences hang. Visit discussion boards. Join listservs. Get social. Most people are more than willing to opine! Also, explore how the idea might affect your significant other and family. Without their support, the road to success might be rougher than you’d like it to be.
3. Dive deeper in self-discovery. After your preliminary work, ask yourself if your idea really represents your passion. What happens if you risk everything only to hate what you’re doing two years later? Are there other ways to achieve the same personal, professional, and financial objectives? If a deeper look inside still points the way to launch, then you’re ready for the next step.
4. Develop a business plan. Visit the SBA for online business plan guidance, including an online business plan workshop; in fact, explore the entire SBA Small Business Planner for many free and valuable resources for developing and launching your venture. You’ll also find a plethora of both good and bad business plan examples on the Internet—as with anything, chew on the meat and dispose of the rest. Every reputable source will tell you: don’t skimp on this crucial step. A business plan is required to execute on and refine your idea, as well as to attract funding.
5. Just do it! Don’t let your idea gather cobwebs. Make it happen! Entrepreneurial success stories abound on the web—go ahead, get more than your fill of motivation Inc., Entrepreneur, or Fast Company.

One of our favorites is the story of PlentyofFish.com, as told by Max Chafkin at Inc. Magazine:

“It’s a 21st-century fairy tale: A young man starts a website in his spare time. This person is unknown and undistinguished. He hasn’t gone to MIT, Stanford, or any other four-year college for that matter, yet he is deceptively brilliant. He has been bouncing, aimlessly, from job to job, but he is secretly ambitious. He builds his company by himself and from his apartment. In most stories, this is where the hard work begins — the long hours, sleepless nights, and near-death business experiences. But this one is way more mellow. [The entrepreneur] takes it easy, working no more than 20 hours a week during the busiest times and usually no more than 10. Five years later, he is running one of the largest websites on the planet and paying himself more than $5 million a year.”

Can the fairy tale be yours, as well? You’ll never know until you put some skin into your passion—and that won’t happen unless you try

For those who don’t know the storyline (based on a true story), in 2002, Julie Powell, about to turn 30, an aspiring writer, and underemployed as a low-level editor, decides to marry her passion for writing and food by spending a year cooking every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” and blogging about it. Before she knows it, Julie’s blog is taking off, and her writing career is off and running as well. A parallel narrative also ensues around Julia Child, who is in Paris in 1949. The wife of a diplomat, Child wonders how to spend her days - deciding ultimately to follow her passion and pursue cooking lessons at Cordon Bleu.

Without giving away more of the plotline, there are some clear lessons for getting “unstuck” in your career that flow from this movie:

1. Pursue your passions: Decide what really gets you charged up, and go after it. In Julia’s case, it was food - which led ultimately to the publication of the world’s best-selling recipe book. Julie loved to cook, and was able to write about it - fostering the marriage of two passions into a sustainable business. For both Julie and Julia, the hours were long - as were the emotional highs and lows - but their journeys ultimately proved exhilarating and successful because they loved their work.
2. Learn by example: In the course of her experiment, Julie developed an intimate understanding of Julia’s cooking technique-and her life and motivations. Over the course of the year, Julie begins to integrate the successes of Julia’s approach into her own work, and meets with additional good fortune. Everyone needs a success to emulate - whether in person, or virtually. (You might even find one by checking out the UpModel product on UpMo’s website.)
3. Practice, practice, practice: It took Julia Child 13 years to publish her recipe book, and it took Julie Powell at least 300 blog posts before she began attracting media attention. After identifying what it is that you want to do, you will need to continue to practice your craft - only after repeated attempts, and much learning, will you begin to see true traction on your efforts. (And Malcolm Gladwell would argue that it takes ten years of practice before you arrive at true “mastery” of any activity.

There are more lessons to learn from the “Julie and Julia” story, and we’ll be sharing them next week. In the meantime, we encourage you to check out the film - it will cause you to think long and hard about your career, and entertain you, if nothing else!

Face it: in a bad economy (for that matter in any economy), the fact that you “need” a job does not translate into a winning value proposition. Not only that, but it’s also dour and depressing; that you need a job is your problem and in no way relates to why a firm is hiring.

So damper your sense of internal urgency—or at least shield it from your potential employer—and focus instead on uncovering the value an organization is seeking. Show that you understand the challenges and opportunities your potential employer faces to demonstrate your bona-fide interest, your critical thinking and creativity, and your approach to problem solving.

So what’s bugging your future employer? What do they need to move forward? Don your reseacher’s hat and find out. Explore:

• The role. Know what the job will entail, both from the job description and possibly from other professionals in similar roles.
• The department, its products, services, and responsibilities. Can you demo a product or read reviews of the service? What’s the market demographic, and does the winner’s list include marquee customers? What’s the competitive landscape? How does your prospective company’s value proposition compare?
• The company. Where’s the industry? Is it growing? Stable? Stale? Where is the company in its lifecycle? How does the company represent itself to investors in the annual report? Review the company’s press and news sections to view its public face.
• The perceptions, of the market, the media, analysts, naysayers. What’s the latest scoop? Who’s saying what in BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, or the WSJ? What’s the outlook? What rumors are flying?
• The interviewer and key members of your prospective team, if known. It can’t hurt to run a few names through LinkedIn and Google to see what, if any, commonalities you might share. You might, for instance, discover that the interviewer attended your alma mater, or that you both hail from Connecticut—facts you could use to break the ice or exhibit warmth during the interview process.

The bottom line: the interview is about them, not you. So try to keep the focus on your prospective employer and how your skills and talents match the particular goings-on at that company.

Pardon our saying so, but in this economy, your stellar background, great track record, prestigious degree and glowing references guarantee nothing. You are not entitled to that next promotion or that next job. Yet if employers perceive that you are coming from a place of entitlement rather than that of value, they will shut you out. You will, in effect, paralyze yourself. You will damage your ability to act in forward-moving ways.

Do you ooze entitlement? How do you know? Are you frequently angry and resentful when things don’t go your way, or when people fail to meet your expectations? Do you believe you deserve a good job or to be treated a certain way by the interviewer? Do you think your network “owes” you for favors you’ve done in the past? If so, then others around you may perceive that you’re under illusion of entitlement.

One way to combat and overcome a sense of entitlement is to adopt the attitude of gratitude. Recognize that life owes you nothing. Employers owe you nothing. Interviewers owe you nothing. Your network owes you nothing. You may be smart, perceptive, and highly educated, but you have to admit: there’s always someone out there who’s smarter, more perceptive, and more educated than you.

An article in last year’s WSJ talks about how fewer people are complaining these days as a direct result of the downturn (and why you should complain less, too); the story also provides solid advice for how you can begin to adopt a more grateful, less entitled attitude. A clip from the piece, by Jeffrey Zaslow:

“’Some people today may be smartly cutting back on complaining because they recognize it can be detrimental to their careers,’ says Sherene McHenry, a professor of counseling at Central Michigan University. ‘It isn’t safe or wise to complain at work these days. When determining who to let go, nonunionized companies first get rid of complainers and those who are difficult to be around.’ . . . Dr. McHenry encourages us to write…three things we’re grateful for every day — no matter how simple they might seem. ‘Some days,’ she says, ‘the list might be as basic as oxygen, food, and shelter.’”

Other days, especially if you’re able to tone down the entitlement and dial up the gratitude, your list may also include your brand new, career-enhancing job.

1. Assertiveness. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: there’s a right way and a wrong way to follow-up on interviews. How you follow-up not only affects whether you get the job; it also helps the interviewer get a sense of your decision-making skills. Employers are like Goldilocks: they seek employees who are not too passive, not too aggressive, but assertive—just right!
2. Self-awareness. Your emotional state affects your success as a job candidate, as emotion tends to bubble up during interviews or meetings with professional contacts. If an interviewer senses fear, anger, or desperation, they’ll understand that you lack self-awareness and, with it, the ability to predict and manage your feelings on the job. Conversely, if an interviewer, who knows from your resume that you’ve been out of work for months, sees, instead, a fount of enthusiasm and confidence, they’ll suppose that you are self-aware and that you have developed coping mechanisms—the kind that will support you in the workplace as well as they are supporting you in a difficult time now.
3. Empathy. Can you adapt to the moods and emotions of those around you? If your interviewer seems stressed, or appears to be having a rough day, how do you react? Do you take it personally? Or, instead, do you empathize with the interviewer to show you’re adaptable, personable and someone who can be counted on for support? Expressing empathy can be as simple as responding to an interviewer’s remark about a “rough day” by saying, “Sorry you’re having a rough one; I know how days like that feel.” Often, a short, simple, sincere expression of empathy remains with the recipient long after the giver has gone.
4. Problem-solving. Organizations love problem solvers. So show that you understand what the interviewer’s problems are, and that you can solve them. Don’t try to present yourself as “the” solution to a problem you don’t fully understand though; keep in mind that, if the interviewer is far-removed from business operations, his or her “problems” might not entirely match the true problems of the organization. To work around possible disconnects, build a case that shows the interviewer how hiring you could move the organization closer to the interviewer’s vision of “Problem, solved!”
5. Happiness. You might also consider happiness a component of self-awareness, in that a deep inner happiness can keep you on an even keel when things go awry. Employers prefer to hire professionals whose happiness is not necessarily dependent on the fluctuations and uncertainties in their environments. So the next time you walk into an interview room, stand tall, smile wide, and make up your mind to be happy!

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. –Abraham Lincoln

When hiring managers look at you, what do they see? Do they see what makes you distinct, unique, better, different? Do they see the ways in which you stand out, the ways in which you will deliver more value than will any other candidate? If you really stand out in one or two areas valued by the organization or the hiring manager, and if they see those areas in the spotlight, you’ll outshine your coworkers or competitors on the still-crowded candidate field.

Here’s a suggestion for identifying your uniqueness—or at least what employers consider unique. Divide a sheet of paper into two columns. Label the left column, “What employers want,” the right, “What I offer.” In the employers’ column, jot unusual, less-frequently requested, or company-specific qualities in the listings for at least three desirable jobs. Then, in the right, alongside each of those qualities, jot matching experiences, skills, and attributes.

What employers want	What I offer
“Provide personal coaching to field managers” in a brand manager job listing	In this space, list skills, experiences or attributes that match what you consider the most unique or unusual requirements for the roles you’re seeking. For instance, all brand managers should carry a minimum, basic skill-set. Your goal, in this exercise, is to discover and articulate how you exceed the basic skill-set—how you stand out—in terms that the hiring organization understands and values.
“In-depth knowledge of our ‘fast moving’ industry, including agency and sales insights” in another brand manager listing
“Flexibility and open-mindedness, embracing ambiguity and change” in an HR manager listing
“Translate the ‘art of the possible’ into viable products” in a systems manager post

Once you identify the intersection of what you offer and what employers value, focus on strengthening those qualities even more by taking classes, reading books, finding a mentor. Do what it takes to become an unparalleled leader in what makes you special.

If, however, while perusing opportunities, you note certain skills or attributes you would like to claim as your own but cannot, then look for ways to add those talents to your repertoire.

1. Stay social. Although you may not feel like it, you’ll benefit by interacting socially and by developing and strengthening interpersonal bonds. If most members of your current circle are working, then search for a group of professionals seeking work in your area. Entering the terms “seeking employment” into the search box at www.meetup.com resulted in more than 2,800 groups across the country. It’s good to connect with others and to know that you’re not alone.
   
   
2. Volunteer. You can’t realistically search for a job 40 hours a week. So take advantage of your time—it is only temporary, you know—to help good causes in your community. Not only will the act of helping others boost your spirits; it might also position you to connect with new opportunity holders you might not otherwise have met.
   
   
3. Maintain a routine. Yes, sleep in if you want, but you’ll feel better in the long run if you get out of bed at your normal time and maintain some sort of routine. Set a schedule: two hours in the morning on network management, two hours in the afternoon searching and applying for new positions, an hour working out or pursuing your favorite physical activity. You might be out of work, but you’re not out for the count.
   
   
4. Set weekly goals. Goals give you something to shoot for:

• “I will reconnect with at least twenty network members by the end of the week.”
• “I will attend at least two networking meetings by Friday.”
• “I will read three more chapters of “The CEO of You” by weeks’ end.”

Better, when you hit those goals, reward yourself with a luxury cup of coffee or that new book you’ve been eyeing. Achieving personal goals gives you an incredibly empowering sense of accomplishment that boosts—and holds—your confidence even through tough times.

We’re not discounting desperation. The feeling is real and powerful. We would like to, however, share this advice: give in to desperation, but for five seconds only. That’s right … the next time you feel desperate … slowly count to five. But refuse to give desperation more of a foothold than that. (Any LOST fans out there?)

The best cure for desperation is action. If you’re desperate to find work, then start figuring out what is wrong or why employers aren’t hiring you.

1. Double-check your references. Are the contact details correct? Are your references giving you less-than-stellar reviews? Ask your references whether employers have contacted them and who said what. Simply tell references that you’re trying to narrow down why your job-search efforts aren’t working as you had hoped and are exploring every possible option. If you suspect a reference may be giving you a negative or neutral review, either replace that reference or ask a trusted colleague to pose as a potential employer and contact the reference on your behalf.
   
2. Verify that you’re targeting the right industries. If your experience is in healthcare but you’re applying to the tech sector, then you might struggle more so than if you were applying within your industry. If, however, you want to switch industries, be sure that your resume and cover letter clearly explain why and how your knowledge of your former industry will transfer or apply to the new. It’s harder to switch industries when the job market is tight, so you might consider applying within your existing sphere of influence and expertise just to push desperation out of sight. You’ll have more energy to focus on doing what it takes to make an industry switch if you’re not worried about your next mortgage payment.
   
3. Increase your face-to-face contact. Maybe you’re sending e-mail after e-mail after e-mail, uploading your resume to job portal after job portal, but still not receiving a response—it’s like sending your messages into an online black hole! Although the virtual world has made it possible to connect with more people in more geographies than ever before, virtual contact cannot substitute for time spent in person. Identify the five most influential people within your network—those most likely to hold keys to opportunities or connections to people who might hold such keys. Invite each of those members to lunch or coffee, individually. If you’ve been nurturing your network all along, then such requests won’t appear out of place or unseemly. If, however, you need to nurture your network first, then check out our post on network management to learn how to do just that.
   
4. Clarify your value proposition. Is your value proposition clear and compelling? Does it include a persuasive three-month performance pledge? You might think your spiel is persuasive … but how would you really know? Ask three to five trusted colleagues and your mentor for advice and input, and then tweak as appropriate. Ask: “Does my value proposition really define what’s best about me?” “Does it excite you and entice you or bore you—and why?” “Would you hire me based on this value proposition?” “What would you recommend that I change?”

1. You didn’t transfer your past skills to the opportunity at hand. Whereas trap number four above refers to speaking about yourself in terms of numbers, results and quantifiable achievements, this common interview and resume error refers more to soft skills, such as your customer-centric focus, writing skills, leadership skills, project management know-how. It also refers to the personal qualities that define you: independent, can-do attitude, flexible, big-picture thinker. Your resume and cover letter may already illustrate how your skills and attributes will transfer to the new opportunity, but be sure to bring the matches to the attention of the interviewer as well. If you haven’t yet done the work of culling your skills and matching them to job opportunities, then do so before your next interview. Create a chart with two columns: 1) qualities required by the job and 2) how you exhibited those qualities in earlier positions. While it makes the most sense to do this work in advance of applying for a job—and to illustrate the match clearly in your cover letter and resume—at the very least you should be able to speak to the match during your interview.
   
2. You tried to show that you’re good at everything, but instead left the impression that you excel at nothing. It’s surprisingly easy to fall into this trap in an interview, particularly if you allow an interviewer to do all the talking or to ask all the questions. What happens is that the interviewer says, “This position requires that you do x. What do you feel about that?” You reply, “Oh yes, I’m very good at x!” Eventually, the conversation becomes nothing more than a “yes” session, with you enthusiastically agreeing to everything the interviewer says. Be sure to turn the focus to what you do really well, your uniqueness, what makes you different, and, more important, how those differences will help to deliver the results the company wants.
   
   
3. You tried to wing it. Forgive the cliché, but practice really does make perfect for any performance; and a job interview is just that—a performance. If you found yourself nervous, stuttering, and unsure of how to answer questions, give yourself the benefit of a few practice runs before your next interview arrives. First, locate and print out one or two lists of potential interview questions. Then, ask a trusted colleague or mentor to help you by posing as the interviewer. If you own ore or can borrow a video recorder, record the session so you can review your posture and correct fidgeting problems you might not know about. Rinse and repeat, practicing the interview until you feel comfortable and fast-enough on your feet to give comprehensible, smart answers that display your skills, talents, and attributes.
   
   
4. You dressed inappropriately or neglected your personal hygiene. If you’re unsure about how to dress for the interview, don’t be afraid to ask while you’re making the appointment. Many companies follow more casual dress codes these days, so nice slacks, dress shoes and a jacket might suffice over the full-blown suit, which may, despite its traditional nature, turn some interviewers off. If you forget to ask, then it’s best to follow the traditional route and overdress rather than to under-dress and risk offending. Other advice: men, come with a neat, professional haircut. Be freshly shaven, using no more than a light spritz of aftershave, if any at all. Limit jewelry to a few tasteful pieces. Women: the same—go light on the perfume, if you wear it at all; limit your jewelry to a few conservative pieces; neatly prep your hair and trim your nails. One study shows that you’ve only got 1/10 of a second to make a first impression—so make yours count.
   
   
5. You didn’t follow-up appropriately and persuasively. Another recent post on the UpMo blog speaks exclusively to the strategy and tactics of executing an interview follow-up plan. The decision process is LONG today, which makes ongoing follow-up a necessity. Your goal is not to bug the hiring manager, but to follow-up consistently and frequently. You might, after your first follow-up, reply with a message or letter that says, “Thank you for your reply. I’ll check back with you in another week [or whatever is an appropriate timeline based on the situation] to see if there’s been any change or if you need further information.” Use these repeat follow-ups to again express interest and desire. If you’re not already, follow the company or your potential new department in the news so you can interject comments into your follow-up messages that show your sincere interest.