Career Rocketeer lists the top career experts on Twitter. I’m honored to be included among such an awesome group!

Check out the entire list here.

Are you making the most of the networking opportunities available to you? Do you even know what networking opportunities are out there?

You can’t get anywhere without creating relationships – but what’s the best way to do it?

Join me and my guest, The Make-It-Great-Guy Phil Gerbyshak for a lively discussion about the ins and outs of offline and online networking.

Phil is a dynamic speaker, passionate about building successful business and personal relationships. Phil’s first book, 10 Ways to Make It Great!, has sparked a fire in the hearts of thousands of people, inspiring them to take charge of their lives and relationships. Countless others have been inspired by Phil’s energy-charged speeches, as he elaborates on the principles in his book. Those who have had the pleasure of listening to Phil speak now have the tools to become Relationship Geeks, and spread his successful ideas throughout their own businesses.

Join us live on Career Momentum Radio Wed, 3 June, from 6:30 – 7 PM (ET), 3:30 PM (PT), or listen to the replay any time. For more information, see http://www.careermomentumradio.com .

The Washington Post Magazine cover article on Sunday featured Craig Lewis, returning Iraq war veteran, and the difficulties he found in getting a job.

Reading the article, I saw several areas where Craig could have improved his chances of finding the right job, in much less time than the 16 months it took him.

1. Not knowing what he wanted to do. Craig had a list of things he didn’t want to do but he didn’t seem to know what he did want to do. For a job search to succeed, you need a specific focus. He applied to a lot of jobs, even “...for positions whose titles he didn’t fully understand.”

2. A bad resume. Craig updated his resume to include his military experience, but the bullet points he used didn’t translate his military duties to civilian language.  It’s a hard truth, but most people reading his resume don’t care about his combat experience unless it directly relates to the job they’re trying to fill.

3. Sending his resume out blind. Craig did what a lot of job seekers do—he shotgunned his (generic) resume out to huge job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder, and sent blindly to big corporations. That’s a slightly better strategy than nailing it to a tree, but not by much. Job seekers need to write a targeted resume for a specific job and send that resume to the decision-maker at the company.

4. No network. While in training, during deployment, and when he came back, Craig made no attempt to stay in contact with the principal of the school where he had been teaching. He dropped in to ask for a job without any preparation and out of the blue. That doesn’t sit well with most people, and the principal was no exception. Should the school have made an attempt to support one of their own, deployed to a war zone? Sure…but that doesn’t change the fact that Craig needed to do some networking of his own.

5. Reliance on traditional means of job searching. Nowadays, if you’re not using social networking (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc) you’re at a disadvantage. There are also specialized networking groups for military people on Ning and at MOAA. MOAA has an incredible array of job assistance for military officers. At a minimum, Craig should have taken advantage of all they have to offer, as well as reaching out and establishing a network on LinkedIn.

6. Not getting professional help. Hiring a resume writer who specializes in military-to-civilian resumes, or working with a career coach, would have shortened Craig’s job search considerably. Trying to do it all on your own is tough; spend the money and get the benefit of professional experience. If cost is an issue, MOAA has a lot of free services and many coaches (including me) offer reduced rates to military members.

7. A defeatist attitude. Perhaps it was the way the article was written but, to me, Craig came across as having a feeling of entitlement (“The school system ought to be begging [me] to come back, not the other way around.”) And, like many job seekers, he started doubting his own self-worth when companies didn’t fall all over themselves to hire him. I’m not suggesting that returning vets aren’t entitled to a good job—in fact, Federal law requires their former employer to hire them back. But the negative energy you manifest by feeling “entitled”, or feeling unworthy, comes across clearly in an interview. Counselling, or working with a coach, can help a job seeker get past those feelings and learn to portray confidence and a can-do attitude—and that can make all the difference.

These tips aren’t just for returning vets—they apply equally well to job seekers of any background.

I’m interested in your thoughts about job search mistakes you’ve made, or more tips on how to get that perfect job. Hit the comment button and please share!

I’m hearing a version of this story from a lot of people right now.

Karen has just been laid off. She’s pretty with-it, so she knows that scouring the want ads and shot-gunning her resume out to postings on job boards isn’t in her best interest. She knows that networking is the best way to get a job.

The trouble is, she doesn’t know anyone. Oh, sure, she “knows” people – what about all those business cards she collected at the convention last year? Some of those people are movers and shakers in her industry – she can contact them on LinkedIn, tweet them on Twitter, and friend them on Facebook. Then she’ll be all set. Right?

Um…not so fast.

If someone you met once at a conference over a year ago suddenly contacted you out of the blue, what would your first response be? (After, “who?”)

“What does she/he want from me?”

Probably not the best way to make a good impression.

Now, suppose after the convention Karen had followed up with a nice email to each of these people saying how much she enjoyed talking with them, and sending along an article about widgets or sailboats or marketing or Greek cruises, or whatever similar interests they shared – that would have been networking. She could have connected with them on LinkedIn, and kept in touch every other month or so by passing along interesting info, or introducing them to someone else in their field, or sending a new customer their way. That would have been very savvy networking, and Karen would now be in the perfect position to network her way to a new job.

The secret to being an effective networker is to do things for other people, not to expect them to do things for you. The time to build your network is before you need it. Remember—every time you reach out to others and provide a service or share useful information, you’re sending the message that you’re thinking about them and that they are important to you. Do this on a regular basis and when the time comes that you need your network, it will already be there for you.

What’s keeping you from achieving the success you really want? Is it fear of failure, fear of success, or are you just confused by all the choices?  Join me and my guest Marlene Chism, author of Success is a Given: Reading the Signs While Re-inventing Your Life 

Marlene says DRAMA always keeps us from success, peace and fulfillment. She also says there’s always one main reason people don’t get what they really want. Marlene is going to share some of her journey of reinvention from factory worker to professional speaker and founder of Stop Your Drama. She’ll tell us how to “Read the Signs” that indicate we’re ready for a reinvention, and how to spot the drama that could be keeping us stuck. Marlene’s principles are universal and will help you succeed whether you want to reinvent your life, your business or your relationships. 

Join us live on Career Momentum Radio Wed, 20 May, from 6:30 – 7 PM (ET), 3:30 PM (PT), or listen to the replay any time. For more information, see http://www.careermomentumradio.com.

It’s tough out there. Everyone says so. It’s in all the papers, and on CNN. And now you’re part of it.

You lost your job. Or, you’re sick of the one you have but afraid to jump ship, given the current economic worries.

Can a career coach really help you?

Well, I’m a career coach— so I’m probably a little prejudiced— but the truth is…maybe.

It depends on what you want a career coach to do.

A career coach won’t:

1. Find you a new job.
2. Write your resume for you.
3. Set up interviews for you.
4. Decide what your ideal career should be.
5. Make a decision about what job you should take.

A career coach will:

1. Help you with issues in your current job, so you can get that promotion.
2. Help you figure out your strengths and challenges.
3. Do mock-interviews with you, so you’re prepared for the real thing.
4. Help you identify your real passion and figure out how to get it.
5. Make sure you’re using all the tools available for your job search, including traditional means and social networking.
6. Help you weigh the pros and cons of different jobs.
7. Keep you motivated and positive about your job search.

Now, it’s certainly possible for you to do all this alone, but wouldn’t it be easier and less stressful to have someone helping and guiding you along the way?

I know money’s tight, and trying to eke out a payment to a coach might not seem like the best use for your funds. You’re the only person who can decide that.

But here’s a thought. If hiring a coach means you find a new job in 3 months instead of 6 months, or if hiring a coach means you finally break through to the promotion at work, or if hiring a coach means you’re able to figure out how to walk away from the 9-to-5 grind and start your own business…isn’t it worth it?

There are lots of coaches out there – excellent ones. You don’t have to hire me. But if you’re ready for a serious change in your life, you owe it to yourself to find “your” coach and get started on living the life you know you want.

Just do it.

Are you on the verge of retirement and don’t know if you have enough money saved?

Does the current state of your 401(k) have you weeping into your pillow at night?

Are you a 20-something and want to start planning for your future but don’t know where to start?

For the answes to these, and other financial questions, please join me and my guest Katana Abbott, Certified Financial Planner and Midlife Millionaire Coach, on Career Momentum Radio this Wed, 6 May, at 6:30 PM Eastern.

Listen in as Katana walks us through the three pillars of creating a successful financial plan.  With stock markets and real estate tumbling, pensions disappearing, major icons going bankrupt, everyone is realizing that it’s a totally new ballgame out there and the old rule books are being thrown away.  If you are ready to create your new plan with cutting edge technology and information that can help you take a quantum leap in your wealth, then you can’t afford to miss this call.

Here are a few of the things you’ll learn:

• The connection between Inspiration and Lifelong Purposeful Work


• How your thoughts, beliefs and surroundings can sabotage even the best written plans


• Why Clarity, Focus and Commitment are the foundation of your success and new tools to keep you on track!

Katana Abbott left her $100 million investment management and financial planning practice to become the founder and vision coach of Smart Women’s Cafe™, a global online coaching, consulting and membership resource for women entrepreneurs.

Rising from a life of adversity to abundance, Katana spent 20 years as a senior financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial. In 2007, Katana retired financially independent, at the age of 48, to pursue her passion to share her secrets for a perfect life with other women.

Today, she and her renowned network of experts teach midlife women how to reinvent their lives through an annual series of events, courses and online social networking support at the Smart Women’s Cafe. Stop by the virtual Café to set up your free account, plus $875 worth of bonuses just to try it out. 

Katana is also the author of the upcoming book, “Secrets of a Midlife Millionaire: How to Create a Millionaire Lifestyle While Following Your Passion”. She is a Contributing Author in the just released, “Thank God I…™” where she shares her tragic story of losing her father at six, being abused by her step father and husband…and how she was able to use these experiences to create an extraordinary life for herself by finding her life purpose.

Listeners can read her chapter for free by visiting www.katanaabbott.com and clicking on the link for her multimedia ebook.  http://www.thankgodimultimediabook.com