How to Land Your First Job in a Tight Economy

When unemployment rates rise, the competition in the job market becomes increasingly challenging. Whether you're looking for your first job or trying to land a new position, it's more important now than ever to stand out from the growing crowd of job applicants. Sometimes people in the midst of a job search become so focused on one job search method, such as sending out resumes, they forget to cover all of their bases.  A single strategy may eventually land you a job, but it's likely you'll spend more time being frustrated than interviewed. 

Successful job hunters adapt to meet individual employers' needs and use multiple strategies to find a job. Here's what you can do to set yourself apart and outshine the competition.

Be Flexible in Your Requirements

In a job market as tough as this one, a flexible approach to job hunting is key. Don't limit yourself when it comes to salary, title, and the length of your commute.  Consider part-time and interim jobs, which can also help build your skills and experience. These positions get your foot in the door and could turn into something more permanent. If an employer is impressed with your job performance, he or she will keep you in mind for future vacancies.

Network with Personal Contacts

Career experts estimate that the vast majority of job openings are never advertised or publicly announced, but filled through word of mouth or networking – also known as the hidden job market. Networking means developing a broad list of contacts and using them to your advantage when you are seeking employment. Make a list of all of your friends, relatives, teachers, co-workers and acquaintances. Call each one of them and ask if they know of any openings that they could recommend you for. Tell them what you're looking for, but let them know that you are flexible and open to any suggestions.

Social Networking for Career Success

Social networking is changing the U.S. job seeking landscape. If you don't have a social media presence, you may be at a disadvantage in this competitive job market. All three of the  top social networks - LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter - are free and easy to join, and can be used to get job search advice and tips, to network, and to connect with career and job search experts, companies that are hiring, and other job seekers. A strong social presence can boost your candidacy and help ensure you will be found by recruiters and hiring managers.  In addition, employers are increasingly accepting applications directly from these and other industry-related networking sites.  If you haven't used social networking sites for anything other than connecting with your friends and family, don't worry. Create a social media presence one site at a time.

Get More Education and Training to Increase Your Value

Improve your chances of being hired by gaining more education, work experience and certifications. This will make you a stronger job candidate in your field of interest and open the door to more career opportunities and greater earning potential. Make a list of work-related skills you'd like to learn. The sooner you start building the right credentials, the stronger your resume will be to prospective employers.

Remember that for any job hunter, persistence is the key to success. Don't be discouraged by rejection. Nobody receives a job offer for every job application they submit.  If you didn't get the job, remain positive and ask to be contacted if another opening occurs.  Be sure to leave a copy of your resume, and thank the employer for their time. Remain persistent and your hard work will ultimately pay off.

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How to Stay Motivated During Your Job Search

Staying motivated when you're searching for a new job can be a challenge. When I moved to Washington, DC from San Francisco some years ago without a job I thought I'd land a job right away with my degree and experience. What I hadn't counted on was it taking almost eight months. I remember what it was like looking for a job every day even though I wasn't getting any results.

It didn't take me long to discover that I needed something to keep me motivated. Whatever it was had to be easy, inexpensive, not take too much time or effort (because I was pooped at the end of my days!).  I had to see that I making progress even if I didn't feel like it at the end of a hard day. 

Here's a simple tool I came up with and you can use it too:

1.  Purchase a monthly wall calendar that's about 12" x 12."  You can find one at a bookstore, stationery store, I have one I love from http://www.marianheath.com. I prefer calendars with beautiful scenes of  places I'd like to visit. The Marian Heath calendar I have now is of Tuscany. A beautiful wall calendar can lift your spirits.

2. When you send out a job application make a note on that day on your wall calendar "sent application to so-and-so".  Pick an ink color specifically for sending applications or resumes. Maybe you want to use blue.

3.  When you request and land an informational interview note it on your calendar and use a different color ink (maybe purple). When you actually meet with the person you're interviewing note it again with a different color ink (maybe red).   

4.  When you are invited to interview for a position note it on your wall calendar in another color ink (maybe green for go!).

Soon you have a color coded, visual representation of all of your efforts your beautiful calendar. At a glance you can see how productive you've been. It reminds you just putting yourself out there every day is an accomplishment and that you're focused and working on your journey to find a job that you'll love.

My wall calendar kept me going every day.  It kept me motivated and challenged to try to outdo myself by accomplishing more one week than I did the week before. My wall calendar also chronicled that I did 66 informational interviews in my first two months in Washington, DC. Those interviews helped me learn my way around town and build a sturdy network. I also discovered I was an expert at landing informational interviews (something I do for my clients now who are making career transitions).

Almost 20 years later I still have that wall calendar. I look at it when I need a reminder that with focused attention, energy, motivation and the tenacity to never give up I can accomplish anything!


For more ideas check out 10 Job Search Tips that Take Less than One Minute. Leave a comment about how you stay motivated or how these tips helped.

Linda Hardenstein, MPA, PCC, is a career strategist who has helped hundreds of  professionals and college students find their authentic path, achieve their career goals and gain more life satisfaction by doing the work they love. Reach her at www.lindahardenstein.com.  

Following Your Path to Greatness

This is an update of my August 31, 2011 post entitled "Career Success: Following Your Path to Greatness."

Steve Jobs had a lot to teach us about truly "listening" to and being guided by our inner voice. What an amazing example of boundless creativity and fearless action that man was.

"Trust that it will all work out ok," are inspiring words of wisdom Steve Jobs' shares during his commencement address at Stanford University in 2005. "Follow your curiosity and intuition" he says as he shows how his path led to greatness.

When my clients who are seeking to find the kind of job or career they'll love take the Life Theme Assessment they usually say "you know, I always thought about doing that." 

Steve's speech reminds us that life usually gives us clues, inklings about our true path. It's not always easy to listen or to respond to that calling like Steve Jobs did. Sometimes we push that little voice aside that gets us in touch with what we really want and we decided to go for the money instead or we think somehow following our path is harder than staying miserable in a job we don't like.  

And yet, time and again I've witnessed, and have experienced in my own career, as Steve Jobs' so aptly put it -- if you find what you love, have faith and don't settle, what you desire eventually comes to you.

At this time in our history when new ideas and out-of-the-box solutions are so needed in our economy and our world it's worth considering -- what amazing avenues of creativity would open for you in life if you truly listened and followed the dots?

If you were inspired by Steve Job's speech, leave a comment about how his words of wisdom touched you.


Linda Hardenstein, MPA, PCC, helps college graduates and professionals how to find their authentic career and gain more satisfaction from work.  To get a free recording of the Secrets Most Job Seekers Don't Know about Finding a Job You'll Love, click here, put "free mp3" in the comments section and I'll send it to you.      

Are You a Professional Dealing With a Horrible Boss? Secrets for Winning - Part 2

This is Part 2 of my previous post providing tips for dealing with a horrible boss. It's not uncommon at some point in your career to have what you would describe as a "horrible boss." Handling them and surviving is an art. In addition to the previous tips you can:


4.  Explore Your Options.  Without taking the time to identify what options you have for dealing with your situation you feel trapped. Feeling trapped can make you think you have only two choices to go or to stay.  With a little exploration, or brainstorming with a coach, friend or mentor, you may be able to discover that there are more choices than you think. Are there options are for getting some relief inside the organization? What internal mechanisms exist for resolving conflicts with your boss or co-workers? Is there someone you can talk to within the organization?  What are the ramifications of speaking up, of keeping quiet?  When speaking up it is essential to use excellent communications skills and to know what you want so you don't make your situation worse. 
5.  Get out.  After exploring all of your options if making a job change or leaving are your only choices, create your path to freedom before you quit. When you've got a lot of work to do it can be hard to find the time to begin or manage a job search campaign but it can be done. You need an organized, strategic, carefully crafted, step-by-step exit strategy. You'll want to stay productive AND achieve your job transition goals. Part of your strategy should be how to leave on the best possible terms.

6.  Get Help. Sometimes it's hard to deal with a horrible boss on your own, especially if you're in a management position and can't discuss things with your colleagues. This is when a coach, mentor or trusted adviser can help you brainstorm and come up with creative strategies to overcome obstacles, find a ray of hope, stay motivated, do something you may not have thought of, or create a winning exit strategy. Coaches like me offer laser coaching sessions that help you zero in on your unique situation to develop a winning strategy to deal with a difficult boss so you can improve your work situation and your life. If I can be of assistance to you feel free to contact me or use my automated calendaring system to schedule a complimentary session.

If you've survived a "horrible boss" and have some tips to share please add your comment below. 

Linda Hardenstein, MPA, PCC, helps professionals and managers who want to improve their careers and build a better life achieve more of what they want through personal achievement coaching and authentic career development. Find out more at her website.

Are You a Professional Dealing With a Horrible Boss? Top 3 Secrets for Winning - Part 1

"My boss is always yelling," said an attorney when listing the primary reasons for wanting to change not only jobs but careers. A friend who overheard this and who works on his own remarked that he couldn't believe things like that happened in "professional" environments. As a veteran of law firm life and someone who has experienced and figured out how to survive and successfully deal with more than one "horrible boss," I let him know it's not that uncommon. This recent article about Horrible Bosses and Poor Leadership in Fast Company confirms it.

There's nothing worse than going to work everyday and facing a horrible boss. It can stifle your productivity, be depressing, debilitating, sabotage your confidence, wipe out your self-esteem and burn you out faster than you can say "I'm outta here!" So how can you outsmart a horrible boss and lessen internal conflict to maintain productivity, stay focused and accomplish your personal and professional achievement goals on the job? Here are 3 tips for dealing with a horrible boss: 

1.  A winning strategy.  Martha's boss was always "holding her back" from developing her skills and wasn't giving her recognition for all that she did. She was tired of being a victim. After analyzing her situation we developed a strategy for Martha to break-out of this pattern by figuring out how her boss could win and she could win too. Martha convinced her joining some organizational committees would be good for both of them. It helped the boss with intel and gave Martha greater exposure and recognition. She was soon noticed and scooped up by a more appreciative boss who saw her value. Working up a winning strategy takes some personal reflection and its helpful if someone who is independent from your situation can help you see opportunities that can better your situation. 

2.  Be willing to shift. We've all heard it a million times and unfortunately it's true -- you can't change someone else you can only change yourself. Be willing to change how you operate or respond to situations to get a different, more positive outcome. To paraphrase Dr. Phil, how is what you're doing now work'en for ya? If what you are doing now was effective you wouldn't be looking for a way out. A willingness to change how you look at things or react is an essential element of a winning strategy.
 
3.  Set limits. Determine how much you're willing to tolerate and set a timeline for making a change. Just the simple act of setting a timeline can give you a feeling of relief. You'll begin to see a spark at the end of a tunnel of what probably feels like a very long, hard traveled road. 


Dealing with a horrible boss on your own isn't easy, especially if you're in a management position, don't have anyone to talk to and can't trust your colleagues. This is when a coach, mentor or trusted adviser can help you by brainstorming creative solutions that overcome obstacles, give you a ray of hope, keep you motivated, or help you make the progress you haven't been able to make on your own. Coaches like me offer long-term and short-term laser sessions focused on your current dilemma so you can zero in and develop a winning strategy to deal with your difficult boss and improve your work situation for a better life. Contact me or use my automated calendaring system to schedule a complimentary session.

Do you have a question you'd like addressed in Part 2 or a tip you'd like to share? Leave your comment below. 

Linda Hardenstein, MPA, PCC, helps professionals and managers who want to improve their work situation and build a better life achieve their goals in work and in life through personal achievement coaching and authentic career development. Find out more at her website. 

What Do You Love?

"You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you." — Maya Angelou

Have you ever noticed sometimes when people ask you what you love to do, what you want to do, or what you do for fun that you don't have an answer? It's hard to be in that place and respond with a "I'm not sure" or "I don't know."  

Not knowing what you love can come from doing everything you don't want to do for so long that you can't remember what it is you love, or how it feels to do something you love. If this is the case, think back to a time when you were loving life. Write down the situation you were in, who you were with and what you were doing. This exercise will give you some hints to what brings you joy. 

It could be that you're just starting out in your career and you haven't discovered what you love yet. Some people go through years of struggle trying to figure out what they were meant to do. If you're ready to do what you love now, take some time for personal reflection to find out what it is. 

If you're in a transition that forces you to re-evaluate what's meaningful, or that tests your metal from going through a divorce, retiring, recovering from a life threatening illness, or re-establishing yourself after a move to a new town you know what it's like to be in that "no man's land." But even with changes going on in your life, you still have an authentic you that wants to express and when it does you're living what you love.  

No matter what stage you're in, finding what you love comes from knowing who you really are. Discovering your authentic style puts you in touch with what motivates you, why you like certain things, why things bug you and what stops you. Knowing what makes up the real you makes it easier to find your path to a meaningful career, friends and activities that energize you, and a life so full of passion and joy that people will look on in awe because they can't take their eyes off you!

If you're ready to discover who you really are so you can do more of what you love, Linda Hardenstein helps new job seekers, retirees, and professionals who hate their job, find the career and get the life you'll love.  Click here to find out more.

Have you found your authentic career or what you love to do? What got you there? Leave a comment.

Productivity and Work Life Balance - It Can be Done!

Is it possible to be productive without working so hard? Evidently so according to The Business Insider's article on the ability of the French to work shorter hours and produce more. 

Clients who take my Overwhelm Busters® classes learn about a productivity study conducted at a major corporation some years ago. A group of employees were asked to spend an hour of their work day doing absolutely nothing (this down time was in addition to their lunch hour). At the conclusion of the study those who did nothing for an hour a day saw an increase in productivity.

When we give ourselves some down time our brains get an opportunity to process things and come up with creative ideas or solutions to our most pressing problems. Why not take a lesson from the French and give ourselves a break? 

This summer is the perfect time to do your own experiment. Give yourself some well-deserved rest and down time and see how much more you get done. Let me know how it goes by leaving me your comments!

Linda Hardenstein, MPA, PCC, is a personal achievement coach who helps women professionals leverage their high potential, develop authentic careers and make powerful decisions that increase their profitability and effectiveness. Contact her through her website.