Getting Clear on Your Job Targets

Are you in a job search? What type of work are you seeking? The more focused your job target(s), the more effective your job search and the easier it will be for others to help you.

I've worked with many clients who aren't clear on what position(s) they would like to pursue or fear they will limit themselves if they narrow their focus. Actually, the opposite happens. Clearly identifying what position or function you want, the industry, the company size, and the geographic area will help you be more successful in your job search.

If you say, "I want to work in IT," that doesn't say enough. What position within IT? Let's say you want to work as a network administrator. What industry? IT is typically a field, not an industry. In what industry do you want to work as a network administrator? Let's say you want to work at a college. Is it a community college or a four-year college? Is it public or private? In what geographic area do you want to work? How far are you willing to commute? What companies are in the industries and within the geographic area in which you would like to work? Getting clear in each of these areas will help you market yourself better to your network, recruiters, and prospective hiring managers.

Your Two-Minute Pitch: The Keystone of Your Job Search

Earlier this week I delivered a presentation at a Twin-Cities based job transition group. My presentation was titled, "Your Two-Minute Pitch: The Keystone of Your Job Search." It's critically important to have a well-crafted, targeted two-minute pitch, aka your elevator pitch to use during your job search.

You'll use your Two-Minute Pitch, coined by the Five O'Clock Club, during networking situations and in job interviews when asked, "Tell me about yourself." However, before you develop your pitch, it's important to have clearly defined job targets. A job target consists of:

1) A position or function
2) Industry and/or company size
3) Geographic area

You may have several job targets which means you may need several pitches. Below are some questions to help you get started on developing or fine-tuning your pitch:

1. What is the most important thing I want this target to know about me? (This is where you position yourself. If they know nothing else about you, this is what you want them to know.)
2. What is the second most important thing I want this target to know about me? (This could support and/or broaden your introductory statement).
3. Key selling points: statements/accomplishments that support/prove the first two statements.
4. Statement of why they should be interested in me/what separates me from my competition:
5. Other key selling points applicable even indirectly to this industry or position:

Get started on developing your Two-Minute Pitch for your job target(s). Try it out with friends or family and get feedback before you start using it in the real world.

Lifetime Difference in Earnings: Traditional vs. Nontraditional Career

One of the big reasons females should consider a nontraditional career is the fact that they often pay 20 to 30% higher wages (and oftentimes more) than the traditional careers they typically pursue. The chart below illustrates this difference. The difference in earnings over the lifetime of a female as a childcare worker as opposed to an aircraft maintenance technician is over $1.3 million dollars. What a difference that can make in whether a female is economically self-sufficient or not!

Traditional vs. Nontraditional Career

Lifetime Difference in Earnings

Traditional Career	Nontraditional Career
Child Care Worker	Aircraft Maintenance Technician
$9.28/hour* $19,300/year	$25.59/hour* $53,220/year
$772,400 over 40 years	$2,128,800 over 40 years
*Median salary nationally - Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010

Below are the annual median salaries for some other nontraditional careers for women:

Computer software developer - $93,350*

HVAC Installer/Mechanic - $43,640*

Carpenter - $39,990*

Automotive Service Technician - $36,610*

Action Step: How can you share information on nontraditional careers with your female students, clients, daughters, nieces, etc.? Check out this link for Myths & Facts About Women in Nontraditional Occupations. How can you use this information with the females you know?

Source: Salary information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Putting myself in my clients' shoes

I feel like I am able to put myself in my clients' shoes on a regular basis. Being self-employed is like being in a job search every day. As a career coach I need to continually be on the look out for new opportunities, whether it's for an individual coaching client, a contract with an organization looking for independent coaches to provide services to their clients or candidates, or an opportunity to present a workshop.

One of the most important activities for job seekers and self-employed career coaches is networking. I know very well how important your network is to your success. I landed contracts with two outplacement agencies (who work with laid-off or down-sized employees) and two of the heavy hitters in the job board industry- both CareerBuilder and Monster- through my network. I also landed a lucrative speaking gig through my network.

Just like my clients, I need to be prepared to give my elevator pitch when in a networking situation or basically any situation. I also need to have business cards with me wherever I go, even my local YMCA. You just never know who you will run into and what opportunities you may uncover.

I feel comfortable when challenging a client to get out of his or her comfort zone and try something new, after all, I have probably done the same thing myself- and lived to talk about it.

High Wage, High Skill, High Demand Careers

Can you answer "Yes" to any of the following:

• You're getting ready to graduate from high school this year or next and not sure what career option to choose?
• You're mid-career and want to explore other options?
• You're career is getting off shored and you need to re-tool?

If you answered "Yes" to any of the above, you may want to consider a high wage, high skill, high demand career. Where can these careers be found? Many are in STEM fields, i.e., science, technology, engineering, and math.

A few examples of STEM careers include:

1. Drafter
2. Nutritionist
3. Mathematician
4. Electrical engineer
5. Computer programmer

Because the United States needs to remain globally competitive their are numerous initiatives nationwide aimed at increasing the number of females and males in STEM careers. Because women in STEM earn 33% more than women in non-STEM careers, many organizations are dedicated to increasing the number of women in STEM: Below are a few of those organizations:

girlstart

WEPAN

Stem Coalition

High-Tech High\Heels

National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity

According to an industry market trends article, "Through 2018, both research organizations forecast STEM occupations will grow by 17 percent, compared with slighly less than 10 percent growth for non-STEM occupations." The article also pointed out that "there will be 2.4 million job openings for STEM workers between 2008 and 2018."