Happy Monday Morning, Job Seekers!

Hello there!

Yep, it’s Monday Morning! Time to rise and shine and start the week off right!
(No, I’m not a naturally chipper morning person. But the littlest Mendez has been up since 6am, so it’s practically mid-morning for me by now!)

So, let’s talk about your job search week. Do you have your to-do list for this week planned?

• Your list of phone calls ready to make?
• Your “get out of the house” networking activities on your calendar?
• Your list of “other” – working on that web portfolio, reworking your resume, writing that “value proposition letter”?

Remember, you should be thinking of your time as “billable hours.” You MAIN priority are tasks that are “moneymakers,” i.e. get you in front of decision makers. Everything you do revolves around that. It’s easy to get bogged down with busywork and thinking that you are accomplishing something. But if all you do is push paper around it’s not going to get anywhere.

So, prioritize that mile-long to-do list with your most valuable activities first. Then, in whatever time you have leftover in your administrative paperwork, extra mumbo jumbo. Remember, your job search IS your full time job!

PS. If I haven’t heard from you lately and you don’t have anything already on the calendar, email me now and let’s schedule our weekly call so we can catch up and we can figure out how I can help you with next steps. Not sure what should be on that to-do list for this week? Well, chatting with me today should be first thing, so we can set that list up together!

Good luck and break a leg everyone!

Julie Mendez

"You Aren't George Clooney, Get Your Social Networking Act in Gear!"

I receive quite a bit of spam and junk mail due to owning my own business, most of which I just delete without even looking at it. But last week I received an article with this title, and had to open it right away.

Though this article is specifically geared to business owners, many of the same points still apply to job seekers:

1. First of all, YOU are not "too cool" for online networking. As the title says, only George Clooney can get away with saying that. And if you are looking for a job (or think you will in the next few months), then this is the time to utilize every single networking opportunity you can find.

Remember, George Clooney didn't get to be "George Clooney" overnight. I think that if he was still that up-and-coming actor on Roseanne looking for his next big break, he might be singing a very different tune.

2. You need to be involved. I can't tell you how many people I work with that think that putting up a profile up somewhere (not even usually complete) is all they need to do. They sit back waiting to be discovered, and wonder why it's not happening.

I promise you, as a former actor myself, George Clooney did not get that life-changing job on ER by waiting to be found. He pounded the pavement, hobnobbed, shook hands, schmoozed, busted his bum, and NETWORKED. Whatever you might want to call it, networking takes work. So, utilize your online social network resources and take advantage of all their various potential.

3. IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU. I don't think people can hear this enough. If you are on LinkedIn and Twitter and all you do is beg people to give you a job, no one will listen. Why? Because no one wants to hire someone who's desperate and a beggar. Instead, focus on what your network needs. Pass along a referral to a recruiter, or recommend a friend for a position that you know you're not right for. Research current and relevant industry information and share the information willy-nilly.

All of these acts of generosity will do two things: First, it makes you look like YOU are in-the-know, and an expert in your field. Plus it will keep you from looking like every other desperate job seeker, and that is a great way to stand out from the crowd. Second: After a while, good karma will come back to you. People will feel "guilty" "obligated" even subconsciously, and remember your name. They will begin to refer people to you in return, or reciprocate with advice to you.

However, you can not go into it expecting and waiting for that reciprocation. If you do, they will pick up on it, and automatically the good karma effect will stop. You have to accept up front that you are doing this to help them as a free gift with no strings attached.

Good luck!

(And if you are George Clooney . . . please call me. I've been sitting by waiting to be discovered for way too long.)

Julie Mendez

Record Competition Means YOU need an EDGE in your Job Search!

According to this article on DailyFinance.com, the job search environment is worse than it has been in 70 years. That's right, 70 years.

"You would have to go back about 70 years to find a time in US history when it was tougher to find a job than it is now."

With record unemployment in the United States, hiring managers are getting hundreds of resumes for each opening listed. And what about the jobs that aren't ever advertised? How in the world, as a job seeker, do you find out about those?

To get ahead of the rest of the pack, you need an edge. You need to have the best resume, the best strategy, the best networking skills, the best interview. What you need, is a Certified Job Search Coach.

Julie Mendez, CJSS, of JSM Career Coaching is that Certified Job Search Strategist you've been looking for.

She can help you turn that generic resume into a sharp, high-octane document that will market and "sell" your skills and abilities to those hiring professionals.

She can turn your present job search strategy (trolling the job boards waiting for any job to fall into your lap) into a focused, personalized, journey to uncovering the right opportunity for you.

She can coach you through interview practice and role-play sessions, so that you nail that next interview and assist you through the salary negotiations.

Julie Mendez, CJSS, is the person you want in your corner, helping you stand out from the rest.

What do her past clients say?

"Without a doubt, I have a fantastic and exciting new job today because of the help I received from Julie Mendez. Time and time again I walked in and out of interviews hearing that my resume was outstanding. Knowing that my resume was fantastic, it allowed me to feel more confident and relaxed during my interviews! The time and energy Julie showed in working with me made me feel like her number one client. Thank you, Julie, for all of your hard work - it helped show off my hard work!" -- Angela

"Oh wow. Julie is the consummate professional: smart, forthright, and knows her business down to the last micro-nuance. But she's more than that: she's nice. Julie is so great to work with because she doesn't just "make" you feel like she cares about you, she really DOES care. And when she sets her mind to getting a job done, the seas part and things HAPPEN." -- Kelly

To find out more, contact Julie Mendez via email at JulieMendez@jsmcareercoaching.com, or www.jsmcareercoaching.com.