Is your Architect Salary competitive in today’s booming market? How to be in the Top 25%

Like much of our market today, construction and therefore Architect is a booming business. Demand for Architect’s especially talent with strong technical skills, ability to lead projects, design and manage client relationships – remain strong.

There are a number of online resources to check the market salary in your area based on your role. Here is a list of the top seven online salary guides:

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-8-salary-calculators-online-2071494

For a more specific industry look check out the AIA Salary Calculator:

Start building your Brand today

An architecture career won’t start our earning $100,000+ per year today. It requires expereince and proven and demonstrated skills. Too often professionals don’t capture and communicate those skills and qualifications – self-advocacy is hard for many of us. Not doing so could cost you hundreds of thousands across a career.

The architecture profession is a relatively slow accumulation of experience and qualifications. The sooner you can master your brand and the things that make a difference for employers will determine your future to command a higher salary than your less capable peers.

Develop your hard and soft skills

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The same is true for your architecture career. If you are doing the same thing everyday and expecting a higher salary it is unlikely to happen.

What can you do today that will make you more valuable tomorrow? Increasing your “hard skills” is a relatively easy first step to implement.

Hard skills examples:

  • Design skill
  • Software and computer technology knowledge – REVIT and beyond
  • Code knowledge
  • Industry awareness – specialized “niche” knowledge
  • Business and Data analysis
  • Qualifications
  • Degrees
  • Foreign languages – we are in a global marketplace

However it is just as important to develop your “soft skills.”

Soft skills examples:

  • Communication skills
  • Willingness to learn
  • Adaptability and flexibility
  • Problem-solving
  • Decision-making
  • Creativity
  • Team-working
  • Time management skills
  • Leadership skills

Building these takes practice and focus. Your employers may help some with training and resources but don’t give up your professional development to them – take ownership of it. Here is a good resource to take these skills development one at a time The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

Switch jobs

The average salary increase an employee receives when starting a new job is between 10% and 20%. For example, an Architectural Designer with a few years of experience may have a salary of $60,000, by levering the skills about and branding themselves can translate to an annual increase of $6,000 to $12,000!

Most employers provide annual increases of 3% to 5%. However, making calculated, strategic moves can greatly boost your base salary. If you are looking for a new position, start by checking out these articles:

Stuck in Job Board Hell?  Eight Steps to Breakout of this Madness
For more articles to help with a Career search, visit http://notionpath.com/career-coaching/blog/
Eight Steps to take to go after the “Hidden” Job Market

Standout by reducing the stress of others

Mark Cuban stated one of the keys to success is to “reduce the stress of your co-workers”. The pains your solve and the benefits you bring.

When you are at work, reduce the stress of your colleges, supervisors, and owners of the firm. If you can reduce other people’s stress, those people will gravitate towards you. You will be seen as the leader and your colleagues will eventually want to work for you.

Here is a link to Mark’s excellent interview, I highly recommend watching.

Be a Specialist – not Generalist

Without a doubt, specialization is key to a high salary in architecture. In other words, “what do you do better than anyone else?” This can be as broad as expertise in a certain building typology and industry or as specific as hospital BIM Management. There may be a couple of areas of interest to balance your career but generally speaking the higher salaries go to those that good deep not wide

The top 10% makes almost 3x the bottom 10%! It pays to be the best.

This doesn’t necessarily mean working long hours but you need to be as efficient and productive as possible.

If you are just beginning your career, start small. Take on the task of leading a small portion of a project. By proving to others that you are reliable and dependable you will be rewarded over time.

Take ownership of your career

Many companies are not good at regular performance reviews. If your company isn’t then asking for one. If your supervisor isn’t good at doing them, then ask other senior leaders for their feedback. Take your own notes, ask for goals and how to measure them, track your own results.

This is an opportunity for you to discuss with your supervisor(s) what you have contributed to the firm and will provide in the near future. Depending on the size of the office these may be organized by the HR department or you may need to take the initiative to set up a meeting.

Make sure you are well prepared with specific examples. How and where you have been successful? What do you want to provide moving forward?

You can think of this as re-interviewing for your own job. While that may sound scary it is meant to emphasize the importance of your review and why you are asking for a raise. Generally you should have this sit down once a year but if there has been a major change in your role or responsibilities it could be sooner.

Remember, just taking up office space and breathing air for a year does not qualify for an increase. Neither does the cost of living or your personal financial situation.

Get your license

One of the best places to begin on your journey to a high architecture salary is to become licensed. Yes, it is expensive and takes a lot of time but it is very important to advance in the profession. Many firms today don’t place as much importance on getting a license – do it for your own career.

If you don’t believe that just look at the senior members of your or other architecture offices. Are they licensed? Odds are most of them are registered architects. There are exceptions, but it is best to follow a proven path.

In the U.S. NCARB is making it easier to complete your license by reducing the number of tests and required hours of internship experience. Tear off the band-aid. Just get it over with. The longer you wait the more difficult it will become to finish the exams.

Depending on your state you can complete the exams BEFORE you complete the Intern Experience Program, and you can record MORE than 40 hours per week.

Both of these techniques can greatly reduce the time it takes to become licensed. The longer you hold a license generally the more you are worth in the marketplace.

Move to a high growth area

This may not be the best solution for everyone but since we are putting all the options on the table, this can be the quickest route to a six-figure income. Often by following the cyclical construction booms you can take advantage of a hot market looking for talent.

The market in WI remains strong. I have candidates from San Francisco, Loss Angeles, New York, and Chicago receive a salary increase of 8-12% AND cut their cost of living and housing costs dramatically. The average home price in most of WI is under $300,000. Not to mention some of the best schools in the nation.

About David McKnight, NotionPath: Serving the AEC Industry for eight years connecting professionals with employers based on culture, career growth, professional development, competitive wages, and benefits. Contact me at David@notionpath.com 608-695-8438

Eight Steps to take to go after the “Hidden” Job Market

Eight Steps to take to go after the “Hidden” Job Market

Photo Credit: ID 74567487 © Skypixel | Dreamstime.com

 

Many experts believe that over 70% of jobs never get advertised.   I would also suggest that for executive and senior-level roles that percentage may be even lower. If you are only looking for a new position on job boards, you are effectively limiting your search to less than 30% of the possible jobs available.

Going after the hidden job market is a “targeted search process.”  It requires intent and a clear strategy.   Before you send out 100 resumes, here is a far better use of your time.  Strategically reach out to your connection, build your network, and plant seeds to grow a rich and powerful network that can serve you throughout your career, with these eight steps:

  1. Build Your Foundation 

Exercise, Wellness, and Mindfulness – to Build a winning routine.

Some may wonder how exercising will help you get a job, let alone eating right and meditating. Of the eight steps here, I will suggest that those who can create a “winning routine” will have the highest percentage of success, building confidence and clarity, for a powerful job search and successful career.   Let’s face it a career search, especially if unemployed, it is one of the most stressful things we go through in life.   Investing in yourself is critical to help you get through it.    A winning routine doesn’t mean you need to start training for an Ironman competition or take up half your day.   Just a few minutes to as much as an hour a few times a week can be huge.   For more about ideas on building your Career Search Winning Routine check out this post.

In Job Search?  Develop a Beginners Mind

Five Things to Building your Career Foundation – in One Hour A Day

Five Things to Building your Career Foundation – in One Hour A Day

  1. Discovery

Get Clear and focused on the roles you are qualified for, want and need – and don’t apply to positions you are not highly skilled for.

Too many professionals in their frustration and in desperation take a broad approach.   Generally, that approach is a waste of time and can hurt your chances of getting the role you want.   Employers are not job coaches…they set up to “find” you the best fit in their company.   Most recruiters aren’t either.   You need to be specific and clear where you bring value.  Position yourself as an expert – a Specialist.  That’s what employers hire.

  1. Branding

Resume, LinkedIn Profile, Letters and Elevator Pitch

With a clear focus on the role, your next goal before starting the search process is to ensure your branding clearly communicates that message – your value proposition.   That message needs to be clear in your resume and LinkedIn profile.   Once you get a hiring managers attention, you need to deliver on that attention with branding that supports your efforts to get their attention.    The 6-second rule still applies – hiring manager will first “scan” your resume or often your LinkedIn profile first, and you need to catch their attention to ensure they continue to be interested.

A key thing to understand is to think of your LinkedIn Profile as your “Landing Page.”  A Marketing tactic where you draw people to learn more about a specific product or service…in this case – you.

  1. Networking with Purpose

Most of us are well aware of the value of Networking.   Networking may have been the way you have secured past opportunities.  Who you know.   The strength of your network will be critical in making the right connections.   The challenge for many is that for multiple reasons you haven’t had to build deep networking, and now you need to do so fast.

Start by identifying the companies you want to work with.    A Prospect List.   For each company you will recognize:

  • Your Hook: Identify your connection with each of those companies – it’s products, services, mission, values, leaders or hiring manager.   Two types of “hooks” are
  • An emotional connection – part of your why is aligned.
  • Your key accomplishments and the pains you have solved are precisely aligned with that company.
  • Identify the Hiring Manager: LinkedIn has become a vital tool in networking.   Use LinkedIn to help you identify the specific hiring managers you want to connect with.      Yes, the bigger your network is, the more people you have access too (there are strategies to build this). Premium LinkedIn versions can help, but there are other tools like net.   This web tool leverages google to do a structure search and access all profiles on LinkedIn…not just the ones in your network.
  • Connecting: While LinkedIn can be useful to communicate with people many hiring managers especially the higher you go on the org chart don’t pay attention to LinkedIn messages.   We recommend where possible you move the connection to events, face-to-face, email or phone.   While a business website can help get you phone numbers and email addresses.   There are also online tools to find just about anyone’s business email address.  Two I use are:

https://hunter.io/

https://connect.clearbit.com/    (google app for Gmail)

  1. Asking for the opportunity

With your list started then you will begin to reach out.   With this “hidden job” search method it’s important you don’t start off your connection asking for a job.   Instead, the goal is first to create a connection based on the hook you identify and ask for an opportunity to learn more about them and their company.  Do so using a Compelling Cover letter that as mentioned above focuses on your emotional connection with the company or a specific accomplishment and the pains you have solved that relate to that organization.   I don’t recommend you send a resume but either point to your LinkedIn Profile (your “landing page”) or for some roles a one-page sell sheet – a high-level summary of your skills.   Something easy to scan.

  1. Follow through on the Interview

So while ALL of these efforts are to get you to the point of an Interview, it’s critical that you prepare.  No matter how good of a communicator you are, a salesperson, interviews and talking about yourself is much different than selling a company’s products or services.   Learn about behavior questions and how to prepare, panel interviews, video and phone interviews.  A key area to focus on preparing is to understand that an interview is an exchange of information.  Be curious about your interviewer as a person and the company you are interviewing with.   Prepare questions for the employer.

  1. Have a Plan

This article defines a process for you to build your plan.   A key differentiator is that this process requires great intent.  Thought.  Planning.  Failing to do so and shortcutting, or as mentioned a couple times now “spray and pray” will backfire and significantly hurt your efforts.   Employers will see your unfocused efforts and blacklist you.  Employers are already inundated with candidates and do not have time provide career counseling (a few graciously do).  You need to be clear, focused, to the point and build a direct connection between you, your skills and the company and the roles they need.  You will need to invest time with each opportunity but overall save time and significantly increase efficiency.

  1. Get a Mentor

Finding a mentor is critical to help you build a plan, see your blind spots, provide access to tools to both make your search effective and more efficient.   While writers, coaches, and recruiters, all bring value to the process, there is a unique value in working with other business executives or hiring managers that understand from an inside perspective the employment and career development processes.   Your customer is a hiring manager, a Manager, Director, VP, or C-Level Leader  – find a mentor who understands that role and knows how to serve them.

Summary Thoughts

This process is often welcomed by hiring managers when done respectfully and when you can bring clear value to their team.   Many have thanked me for making an introduction or I hear from my coaching clients as most hiring manager dread the chore of posting ads and having to work through dozens or hundreds of applications – 80% of which are not qualified.

For any relationship to work it needs to be a mutual connection.  This process allows for you to start a conversation and get to know the manager and company in maybe a less structured approach than a typical interviewing process can be.

Will it work every time, no, will it be disruptive and allow you to stand out, yes!  This approach is how most c-Level or senior level opportunities are discovered and relationships started.  My experience is it’s even more effective for mid-level roles because fewer people take this approach.

One word of caution.  DO NOT start this process until you are clear on the role you want to focus on and your Branding, resume and LinkedIn profile, tell your story.  Otherwise, you may burn a bridge and make it difficult to get a second look.

Share your ideas on how YOU reach employers about positions they don’t currently have posted?

About David McKnight and NotionPath.  

Thank you for reading and I hope you found value in this article. Please comment and share with your network if it’s of value to you. I have spent 20 years as a CEO, COO, and CFO and the last several years focusing on building teams, recruiting and Career Mentoring.  A few years ago, I experienced an 18-month gap for a job and since then I have been on a mission to help professionals and executives better understand the challenge of a job search and bring tools and solutions to serve executives and professionals and the employers who NEED top talent.  

If you would value a consultation to get your search process jump-started please follow this link and schedule your free appointment. In that phone call we will define the exact steps, your plan, to get hired —> www.notionpath.com/GETHIRED

 

Business of One – Four Steps to Long-Term Career Security And Avoid Long Gaps in you Employment

Business of One – Four Steps to Long-Term Career Security And Avoid Long Gaps in you Employment

Photo Credit: ID 92977570 © Ilkercelik | Dreamstime.com

In today’s business world it’s difficult for any employer to guarantee employment.   There are just too many factors out of the control of companies – economy, legal, government, consumer preferences, competition, and mistakes by key leadership.

34% of all Americans are contract workers.  Experts predict that over 40% of employees will be contract workers by 2020….at that pace…over 50% of Americans in the next five years will be contract workers.

Therefore, it will be necessary for professionals and executives to establish themselves as a “Business of One”.   For many, they want freedom and independence and create an unconventional lifestyle.   A sense of control of both your personal life and your career.    To achieve this freedom and protect yourself from the changing employment landscape we must take specific steps to position ourselves.  Those that start now will have a distinct advantage.

For others, it may mean becoming an entrepreneur or solopreneur.

Whichever you wish – to work for a company or yourself it starts with these four things.

  1. Get Focus and establish your Clarity

Often a challenge for us, has been for me, is being very clear where I bring expertise and excellence.   Especially as we gain experience our hard and soft (transferable skills) increase.   It’s only natural we want to speak to them.   Today’s employer wants Specialist, experts, to sort through all the talent that apply.  While the best leaders will value a diverse skill set a hiring manager has a particular set of challenges that need to be solved.  If you want to be a consultant or coach – focus on your ideal customer’s Pains.  Speak to the Pains your solve and how.  Once an emotional connection occurs then dive into your or your products features and benefits.

A great exercise to define your value proposition is to make a list of the Pains you solve, the benefits you bring and clear results you have delivered.    Often these can be expressed as Accomplishments.   Use the PAR method to define those in 2 to 3 sentences:

  • P = Pain, explain the pain you solved
  • A = Action you took
  • R = Results you accomplished

Also, to help you define your focus go through the process that many of us have used to help our employer determine it’s mission, vision, and values.  What are yours?   What is your Why (see Simon Senik Book – Start with Why – it works for people also – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYeCltXpxw)

  1. Building a Brand – Establishing yourself as an expert.

With that clarity in place now you can ensure that vision is carried into the documents and tools you use to communicate and share about yourself.   Your Resume, your LinkedIn Profile, elevator pitch about yourself, any cover letters, pain letters or emails you use to introduce yourself.   Ensure these tools are consistent and communicate a clear message about yourself.

  1. Building Your Reputation

With a clear focus on your value proposition then you need to build and protect your reputation.  The Internet and Social media are here to stay and in the professional career world that primarily means LinkedIn but not ignoring Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.    Through these sites, you can control what the media says about yourself and curate your perspective.   Your professional attitude.   For many, a personal website can be key to give you your voice and control of your reputation. 

  1. Building Your Foundation

What is often not addressed by many career coaches and may be the most important is to take care of your wellness and mindset.   Wellness may seem obvious in that if our health is not good, it will be more challenging to remain professionally active.  Mindset, which is gaining more attention, is a vast area of opportunity for professionals and executives to achieve a competitive advantage.   The world is not getting simpler or less stressful.  Our ability to build a strong growth mindset, some are coming it Grit.   The ability to not let failure and unexpected events cause us to react in ways that prevent us from progressing.

For more about how you can prepare yourself for being a Business of One…contact:

David McKnight

NotionPath

david@motionpath.com

608-695-8438

Career Seekers or Consultants/Coaches – Schedule an Appointment with David ► https://meetme.so/DavidJMcKnight

 

Copyright 2018, NotionPath, LLC

Five Things to Building your Career Foundation – in One Hour A Day

Five Things to Building your Career Foundation – in One Hour A Day

In Job Search?  Develop a Beginners Mind

A job search ranks right up there with another challenging aspect of like.  It can stress out and beat down the best of us.   Building your foundation is critical to give you’re the strength, focus, and energy to persevere through this process.

Below are some ideas, but what’s important is that few of us can do everything.  Pick what resonates with you.  Do it well and build it into a routine.  Then add other things as you can or have a need to.

  1. Exercise – first 20 minutes of the day

This won’t require you to start training for an Ironman competition.  It does mean you need to move and ideally sweat a little.  There are many ways to get this accomplished.  Walking, running, swimming, yoga…be safe and pick something that ideally you enjoy.   Studies show that the most beneficial time of day is to exercise in the first 20 minutes of waking up.   If that doesn’t work for you…pick another time.  What’s important is that you “just do it.”

  1. Meditation – 10 minutes day

A common excuse I hear about why someone doesn’t meditation is because they can not quite their mind.  Well, the truth is that only the most enlightened can.   Don’t let that stop you from taking advantage of this simple method to help you center your mind…and in turn, your body.   Two practices I have had amazing results with is meditating on Gratitude and Forgiveness.   Being thankful for the things in our lives, even if all you can come up with is an excellent cup of coffee.   Start with where you are and build on it.   Similar is correct about Forgiveness.   Let’s face it many of us that are in a job search because of a layoff or other reason within or out of our control can become angry.  Letting go of that charge is essential.  It can be a key to helping you get to that next place in your journey.

  1. Journaling – 15 minutes a day.

An essential tool in helping you gather your thoughts and set your intention.   Use that time to create your to-do list.  Make sure you identify your top priorities and keep them.  Journaling about your frustrations can also help to process them.

  1. Reading – 15 minutes a day

A very high percentage of CEO’s read.   A book a week is not uncommon.   The average business book is 400 pages or less, the average reader about 6 hours or 30 minutes three times a week or 15 minutes a day.   Blinkist is an APP that you can read or listen to audio summaries – about 15 minutes each of a full book.

  1. Develop a Beginners Mind

More and more employers are looking for someone who “fits in” with their culture, placing a very high percentage of your ability to get hired on your attitude and your mindset.    Yes, your impressive skills are essential but your mindset is even more so.   Develop a Beginners Mind.  Here are three ideas:

  • Don’t Prejudge
  • Don’t Preach
  • Ask and LISTEN to their needs. Don’t assume you know what they want.

What do you do to give you an edge?  

Stuck in Job Board Hell?  Eight Steps to Breakout of this Madness

Are you applying for roles but never hear back?   Less than 1% of candidates that apply to job boards get a reply other than the standard “Thanks for applying…” or “Sorry but…” email.   As someone who has hired 100’s of professionals, I can tell you from experience that employers are bombarded with applications these days.  It’s administratively costly to personalize a response to anyone except for the candidates they feel are qualified for an interview.

Are you concerned about your “experience” is a problem (i.e., age)?   First, I don’t think most employers are committing age discrimination.  There are a number of factors in play with the big one being that with technology and changing roles even “experienced” or lead roles only require 10 years of experience.  That puts professionals in their early 30’s in play for many roles.    Adding to the number of potential candidates available.

Not sure how to stand out? You understand that despite our government and media telling us how great the job market is (and in some ways it is), there are a ton of people applying for good jobs.   How do you get the employers attention?

Before I share some insights, I do want you to know first that your challenges are NOT YOUR FAULT.   You just haven’t found the tools and support you need to compete differently.  The process is broken and everyone is doing it wrong which leaves a clear opportunity for those of us that apply different approaches.

1. STOP applying for every job you think is a close fit.

One of the reasons our job search process is broken is that the process of applying is so easy.    Being un or underemployed can lead to desperation for many resulting in clicking “Apply” as much as possible.  You tell yourself…”Something has to work?”   Aggressive applying not only waste your time but also could burn your bridges because if you are applying to multiple roles at the same employer, you could be tagged and blacklisted by HR and Recruiters.   Instead, invest your time into creating a Plan and focus your efforts.

2. Define a Job Search Plan

For those Executive and Senior Professionals who have experience crafting business plans, leading business strategy, and executing it – apply those skills to this challenge.  If you have been out of the job market for years, then do the research to learn how it’s changed…and boy has it.   This Blog gives some ideas and for a simple outline of the process use this:

  • Discovery – get the clarity and focus you need for the roles you either need or want.
  • Branding – Your resume, LinkedIn Profile, cover letters, networking are all tools that convey your Brand.
  • Job Search Techniques – This blog address one technique – using job boards.  30% of jobs are posted.   70% are not – the hidden job market – especially for leadership and executive roles.   Stay tuned or reach out for more on that approach.
  • Interviewing – you worked so hard to get to this point…are you prepared?   Are you able to “Close” the deal?  Today’s employers are leveraging multiple tools – phone, video, panel interviews, behavior interviewing, etc. beware of how to excel at these methods.  Find some help doing a mock interview where you can get honest feedback.
  • Mentoring – get help.   One word of caution – don’t just rely on friends or family – you need someone that not only understand the job market and search process but someone that will tell you like it is.

3. Put your HR hat on and do your own skills and qualifications checklist

One of my basic tips is to put yourself in the shoes of the employer.  Get clear on what they want.   What’s cool is that most employers provide a reasonably good job description – bullet points with critical skills, qualifications, duties.  Treat that as a checklist and objectively walk through each and rate yourself.  If you can comfortability say you are 80% qualified…stop.  Ideally, you’ll be closer to 90%+.   Forget those jobs boards that try to tell you how skilled you are..they are just selling engagement…not matches.

4. Employers hire Experts – brand yourself as one

Hiring managers need team members to help them solve problems.   It’s that simple.   Your resume, LinkedIn Profile, Cover letters, and networking are all tools to showcase your brand.  While your Resume can be more to the point of skills, qualifications, and accomplishments, use these other tools also to communicate your WHY, your MISSION, your VALUES.   Many of you may have had a part of helping your employer define and express theirs…do it for yourself.   Be a “Business of One” to help get your message and value proposition out there.

5. Accomplishments – Accomplishments – Accomplishments

Focus on the pains you solve, how you solve them and the results you have delivered.   By the way, this is a basic formula for writing your Accomplishments.  PAR = Pain, Action and Result.   Wherever possible use numbers to quantify, give scope and scale to your accomplishments.  That can be challenging but SO POWERFUL.  Highlight your best accomplishments at the top of your Resume, LinkedIn Profile and while networking.   And yes, be comfortable “professionally” bragging about yourself.

6. Use a Resume that is easy to scan and read

First off, I believe that most professionals and ALL executives should own the creation and editing of their own resume.  It’s a skill you need to have.  That’s not a criticism of writers.  Excellent grammar, storytelling, formatting, etc. are essential.   But realize resume writers serve candidates…not employers.   Another tip, if anyone says they can write a resume and guarantee it will get through an ATS (Application tracking system)… then run.  No one can guarantee that.  Some basic tips for improving the scanning of your resume are to keep it simple, one font, no italics, font size above 11 points, single column, no graphics.   If you have more than 10 years of expereince, two pages are OK.  The biggest tip is writing it to be quickly scanned and read.   Recruiters take 6 seconds to scan a resume and determine if it’s worth reading.  Make sure they can tell what job you want, your critical skills and qualifications, and can quickly scan your work experience…in 6 seconds.  Draw them in with accomplishments.       

7. Connect with Hiring Managers in one of two ways and ask for an interview

  • Research the company and hiring managers and discover compelling – emotional connections

Part of your research into where to apply should include identifying why you are a good fit for the company.  What connection you have with them.  If you are just showing up to do a job…well, good luck.  Do you believe in their mission, their products, their leaders, what?   Do you have a connection with the Hiring Manager – research their public social media channels, to see what they talk about or follow…look for a connection.   Use this information to draft a letter…a compelling reason you would like to work with him/her/the company.  Use some emotion.   When you write that letter, write it conversationally – like you are in front of them talking.  Be yourself.  Get away from that standard dry cover letter and focus on why you want to work at that company.

  • Focus on a couple of key accomplishments – pains that you have solved, how you solved it and the result

Another approach is to focus on one or two key accomplishments of yours that you feel will compel the hiring manager to take action…such as ask HR to pull your resume.  Hiring Managers, good ones, want to build a team of problem solvers, bring value.  Some refer to this as a Pain letter (google this for ideas).

8. Invest in Yourself – Warning – It Takes Grit and a Growth Mindset so heed this Step

Don’t underestimate the benefits of wellness and mindset to your career and your search.  A job search can be stressful.  Take a portion of your time, an hour a day can be huge.  But even if you only have 5 minutes to invest it will make a big difference.   Meditation, exercise, yoga, journaling are among some of the best mindfulness practices.  Building your Grit, your determination and strength to be your best YOU comes across in all areas of your search.

About David McKnight and NotionPath.  

David has spent 30 years as a CEO, COO, and CFO and the last several years focusing on building teams, recurring and Career Mentoring.   David experienced an 18-month gap search for a positing himself 7 years ago and since then has been on a mission to help professionals and executive better understand the challenge of a job search and bring tools and solutions ultimately to serve both his clients and the employers who NEED top talent.   NotionPath was formed to serve Employers with Recruiting needs, Professionals and Executive that are seeking a new career position and/or establishing them as a Business of One – a solopreneur.

If you would value a free consultation to get your search process jump-started please visit this site and schedule your appointment —> www.notionpath.com/GETHIRED

Photo Credit:  Dreamstime – www.dreamstime.com

© 2019 NotionPath