Quast - Secrets of a hiring manager turned career coach : a foolproof guide to getting the job you want, every time

Copyright 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from Lisa Quast, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Amazon Kindle Edition ISBN-13: 978-1-936048-14-4

Library Of Congress Control Number: 2014915099

Career Woman, Inc., Issaquah, Washington

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all women around the world. You are smart, beautiful, and you each have the potential to achieve your dreams and your lifes purpose. Like butterflies, you hold deep within yourself the energy to transform into the person you want to be. In reading this book, my hope is that you will discover your wings and soar to great heights living your life and your career in a way that benefits all humankind.

Introduction

Over the last few years Ive seen and heard a lot of the crazy things people have done to get a job. Desperate job seekers have done everything from auctioning themselves off on eBay to purchasing ads boasting their work skills to singing their resume in a YouTube video. Ive even heard of someone who sent the hiring manager their name and contact information in frosting on top of a gigantic cookie.

While these are creative ideas, sending hiring managers your resume in a pop-up box that explodes glittering stars when opened wont get you hired if you havent mastered the job seeking basics.

What this book IS: If youre looking for everything you need to know to obtain a job (or change careers) and want to learn the job seeking basics in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step manner that makes sense then this book is for you. Keep reading.

What this book IS NOT: If youre looking for crazy ways to catch the attention of a hiring manager, such as paying to have an airplane pilot fly a Hire Me banner over the company or using a singing telegram service to deliver your resume to an unsuspecting hiring manager then this book is not for you. Go ahead and put it down right now or give it to a friend.

Who this book is FOR: While both women and men can apply the techniques in this book, I have purposely written it to help women. Almost all of the examples and stories included are from real women (names changed) Ive coached over the last twenty years. My passion in life has been and continues to be to help women achieve their career dreams and fulfill their purpose in life.

Recommended process: To obtain the most benefit from this book, I recommend you find a quiet location to relax and enjoy reading it cover-to-cover in a few sittings. Then, go back to each chapter and work through the job seeking exercises over a period of several weeks or months. This approach will provide you with a thorough understanding of the work youll need to complete throughout the job search process.

Why Im the author of this book: When it comes to the job search process, Ive been involved in every aspect and from every angle. Ive been a job seeker myself, stumbling through the process and trying to figure out what to do. Ive sat on the other side of the table as a hiring manager, interviewing thousands of candidates for jobs at large, global corporations and trying to find those who best fit the open positions. Ive trained recruiters, HR personnel, and other hiring managers on the techniques to find and hire the right people. And, Ive coached countless clients through the job search process with a 100% success rate.

Early in my career I defined my aspirations to either make it to the executive level of a Fortune 500 company or own my own business. I knew that to achieve either of these goals Id have to learn as much as possible about every aspect of business, so I made it my mission to work in almost every area of a company. I have experience in: sales; service; marketing; communications; product management; operations; project management and process improvement; business development; strategic planning; mergers, acquisitions, and alliances; and talent/organizational development. Throughout my corporate career, I also worked closely with finance, human resources, quality and regulatory, legal, and IT personnel.

This extensive background (combined with three college degrees, two certifications, and ongoing educational pursuits), has given me the unique ability to hire people and coach clients in almost every department within a company. And what Ive learned throughout my career and from my time coaching others is that finding a job (or changing careers) takes a lot of thought and preparation. It isnt as simple as merely posting your resume on a few electronic job board sites. To find a position that is a good fit requires a thoughtful, strategic approach.

The best way to ensure a good job fit is by following the process I explain in this book, which includes everything from sitting down and determining the kind of job you want, defining your career goals, conducting research and personal analysis, developing your documents and your personal brand, preparing for interviews and following up afterwards. Take a look at the Table of Contents and youll see what I mean obtaining your dream job requires following a process that is built on a foundation of job seeking basics.

Bottom Line: Before you attempt any new or trendy job seeking tactics, first ensure you have the basics covered. The basics are the must-haves whereas creative maneuvers should come only after the fundamentals are well executed (if at all).

So grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and lets get started.

~ Your Career Coach, Lisa

Part 1: Find Your Passion

Chapter 1: Give Yourself a Personal Time Out

Finding a job you love isnt easy. For many, life goes by quickly and before you know it, you find yourself stuck in a not-so-great job, working for a boss you dont like, wondering how you got there. How do you find a career youre passionate about? First, take a personal time out from the chaos of life and the workplace for some reflection.

Shortly after graduating from college, I struggled to figure out what I wanted to do for my long-term career. At the time, I was working at a job I disliked for an insecure manager who seemed jealous of all her employees. I was also working long hours, which made my attitude, personal life, and health suffer.

One evening, my sister took me out to dinner and handed me a wrapped box with a bow on top. Whats this? I asked.

Just a little something I saw, and I thought of you, she said. When I unwrapped the gift I found a picture in a frame with the caption, Find your passion.

I thanked my sister and then sighed. But thats exactly my problem. I cant seem to figure out my passion at work.

Maybe youre trying too hard, she replied. Sometimes you just have to take a step back, relax, and try to see the big picture. Stop worrying about finding another job and start thinking about what makes you happy and uncovering the things youre great at doing.

My sister had a good point. It is easy to get so caught up in the everyday details of work that eventually misery becomes your focus. When that happens, its our first instinct to start looking for a new job. But jumping from one ill-fitting job to the next could cause even more heartache (and headache).

I listened to my sisters advice and took a personal time out. The next weekend I went for a relaxing walk on the beach (I was living in California at the time) and thought about my life. Then I sat in the sand, pulled out a notepad and pen, and began answering these questions: