You’ve made a decision.

You are not going to let the climate of fear in the economy discourage your job hunt.

When our ideal dream job is not available, what are our alternatives? Disappointment or devastation are not very helpful ways forward, even if they describe how we feel at the moment.

This week Claudia and I discuss how to decide what to do “in the mean time.” Not just waiting out the recession in a lousy job, but using our transferable skills as building blocks on the way to a better position.

What about an imperfect position where you can learn new skills? What about a less than ideal role where you can establish helpful connections?

Listen in.

Asking for help is awkward.

It can feel like an imposition to ask our busy working friends, family and associates for help with our job hunt.

Believe it or not, though, help is exactly what these people are glad to do. The people who know you are naturally disposed to want to help you.

The key is making it as open and flexible as possible how people can help you. We need more ways to let people know what we’re looking for without limiting the form that help takes.

In this week’s show, Claudia and I discuss networking and interviews. Join the discussion as we figure out how to show up authentically and communicate to a variety of people what we’re looking for.

Listen in.

If one more person asks me what kind of position I’m looking for, I’ll scream. There’s no position on the organizational chart that’s a good fit for me.

Do you find yourself in a similar predicament? The vocabulary of job descriptions, roles, functions, and career paths isn’t flexible enough for multi-faceted changing, developing people like you and me.

So what do we bring to the professional table? In this week’s show, Claudia and I discuss how we can describe the unique set of skills, values, working styles, approaches to problem solving, etc. that distinguish us on the job.

We have a lot to offer, but we need vocabulary and means for communicating that value to prospective employers.

Listen in.

Just when it seems the economy couldn’t get worse, another set of precautionary lay-offs is announced on the evening news.

Though fear fills the air and all panic around you, you show up calm, collected, and quietly confident.

We begin a new series this week… Job Hunting in a Diffcult Market.

How do you become that one who feels confident when discouragement lurks just behind the next job rejection?

How do you keep your energy levels up when the job market feels overwhelming before you’ve even started?

It’s not an easy environment to be in a job search. To pretend otherwise would be naive. But neither can we afford to be intimidated into inaction by what feels like long odds. What can we do? Where can we turn?

Job Hunting in a Difficult Market

Week 1: Tackling Discouragement
Week 2: Resume Makeover
Week 3: Networking Confidence
Week 4: Your Job Hunting Strategy

Listen in. You’ll both feel better about yourself and find yourself taking concrete steps toward your next job.