Wednesday, May 6th 4pm CST
With Mary Elizabeth Bradford, The Career Artisan Internationally Certified Advanced Resume Writer & Internationally Certified Master Career Director

Register for free here now:

http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com/teleseminar050609.php

Learn step-by-step techniques for identifying and connecting with companies who want to hire you – yes, even in a recession! I am also going to be offering you an incredibly special gift.

No matter what level you are at in your career, or if you are in a passive or active job search, you are going to love this information!

On this 60-minute call, you’ll discover:

The two barriers most job seekers hit that cause instant disappointment and anxiety – and how to avoid them.

My top 3 job search strategy recommendations that are proven to work to get you quality interviews and offers.

My two best job search time saving strategies that immediately free up your time preserve your energy and enthusiasm for your job search!

My top recommendation to help you identify industries that are hiring!

Register for free here now:

http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com/teleseminar050609.php

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I would like to share a personal story with you. I remember a couple really lean months after I started my business. My husband and I would sit down at the table and I would start to tick off all the things I had done to market my business properly. “I have done everything right…so, what’s WRONG!?” I would exclaim.

The truth of the matter was, I hadn’t done anything wrong, per se, it just felt like that because I didn’t have the amount of clients that I had expected.

Interestingly enough, in all other ways I had succeeded in meeting all of my business goals and timelines. However, those achievements were overshadowed by the anxiety caused by not having a long line of clients waiting to work with me.

Turns out after about 6 weeks (which felt more like forever), I had plenty of wonderful clients.

You would think as a job search coach I would not fall into this trap! But the point is, when we are going through “the fire” it’s easy to panic and quickly loose perspective.

When you are in a job search it’s not much different. There are highs and lows. Sometimes the phone never stops ringing; sometimes it may feel like all potential employers are purposefully avoiding you. Inevitably one wonders, “What have I done wrong?” No doubt, it can be a confusing time. So here are some tips that provide the job seeker with a very helpful dose of reality.

Tip #1: Expect the peaks and valleys

It’s true. Every job search or career transition has its peaks and valleys. And yes, its uncomfortable.

If you are experiencing a dry spell in your job search you need to look at a few things before you can accurately determine the cause. These include:
Is your resume powerful enough to get you attention? Have you had it professionally written?
Do you have a plan to focus on a particular industry and position? Does that plan include strategies that you are implementing?
Have you investigated the health of the industry you are targeting? Is it in a growth mode or is it shrinking?
Do you know how to tap into the unadvertised job market and, if so, are you been using those strategies consistently and persistently?
Have you given your job search enough time? The average search in a good market can take 2 to 4 months for a mid level professional and 6 to 12 months for a senior executive.

Tip #2 Get realistic about marketing figures

Direct mail campaigns do the heavy lifting for you and I recommend them. They usually yield a 1% to 7% return.

Unadvertised job market strategies can take your positive responses to 20% to 60% in a good market and slightly less in a bad economy. Regardless, pursuing the unadvertised market beats out job boards by a long shot. Job boards are the toughest job market in which to compete. Period.

The bottom line: even still, most companies are not going to respond to you. I am not trying to be negative, but rather to demonstrate that it doesn’t mean your not good enough or not doing something right. Job searching is marketing. Job searching is a numbers game. The solution? Check your search against tip #1 and then increase your numbers.

Tip #3 Don’t Get Down On Yourself

There are loads of things you can do that actually do help emotionally, mentally and physically in a job search. A few of these include:

Use a coach to keep you motivated, make sure you are using the right techniques to leverage yourself in the market and to keep you on track with setting and reaching your goals on a weekly basis.

Work (i.e. job search) and life balance are incredibly vital! Set several hours aside each day to work on your job search and write out what your main activity is for each day. Take the rest of the day off (yes you heard me right!) to rest, relax, to be with your family, to enjoy sports or other activities, work on continuing education read or whatever else you like to do. This will keep you sane and balanced while you are waiting for your efforts to pay off.

Join a church group or a support group. The positive support helps, just trust me on this one.

If you hit a dry spell, remind yourself that its not you and its not personal. Getting depressed and feeling desperate is not the vibe you want to be taking into your upcoming interviews.

Do what you have to do. One executive client I know took a part-time job in a grocery store while he was looking for a full-time executive position. He said it helped him feel like he was still contributing monetarily to his family and just getting out and working part-time kept his head clear.

The wise job seeker and career changer know that dry spells in a job search don’t signal the end of a career as it is known . They use the time to market even harder.

Remember that every marketing effort is an accomplishment in and of itself and does contribute to action, forward movement and future activity. By looking at the situation realistically, using techniques to boost your activity and keeping your focus on what you want (not what you are afraid of) you will maximize your leverage and move consistently forward to the results you want.

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Imported wines are popular with wine fans. In fact, imported wine accounts for 26 percent of dollar sales in the wine industry, according to WineBusiness.com. The thirst for imported wine is creating opportunities for wine importers.

Robert Maxwell is the president of the National Association of Beverage Importers (NABI). In Maxwell’s opinion, the first step in becoming a successful wine importer is determining which products to import. That’s largely based on potential consumer interest. Then the wine importer, also known as a wine agent, must locate the wine supply.

Before wine can be imported into the U.S., agents must file for a free federal license, followed by the appropriate state license. License expenses can vary by state. After the product is imported, labels of approval from both the federal and state governments must be obtained.

Scott Fraser started Forbes Fraser Wines Ltd. over 12 years ago. It all began when a former professor, Jim Forbes, asked Fraser if he wanted to start a hobby company importing wine. “In my ignorance,” says Fraser, “I said yes.”

The company grew steadily, “in part because I think we were smart,” says Fraser, and “in part because of good timing.”

After four years, it was enough of a “real company” for Fraser to work on it part time, which quickly led to full-time employment. Soon even his wife, Sonia, quit her job to join the growing business, working as sales manager.

Essentially, Fraser says, their business is wholesaling. “We purchase wine by the tens, hundreds or thousands of cases from wineries around the world, ship them to our warehouse, then reship them to our customers.”

The Ways of a Wine Agent
Fraser’s job boils down to finding wines, getting them into the country and preparing marketing materials for the sales team. Sonia Fraser is in charge of selling the wine, with assistance from one full-time and one part-time employee.

The romantic notion of jet-setting around the world looking for wines is just that — a romantic notion. In reality, Fraser says he finds most of his global suppliers through fax and e-mail. He then deals with all the legalities required for import, takes orders and arranges shipping.

As a small business owner, he also manages the accounting, financial analysis and inventory for the company. “We work in a [government-regulated] environment, so there is no shortage of paperwork to deal with,” he says.

“The sales side involves dealing with a very wide range of customers, from…liquor store managers to food-and-wine-loving restaurant owners to individual consumers,” says Fraser.

Champagne Wages?
Most of the jobs in this industry are sales positions. Wages depend on factors like the person’s level of experience, the company they work for and its compensation plan. Fraser says a typical salesperson can expect to earn from the low-$30,000s to upwards of $50,000 in salary and commission.

“Owner-managers can obviously do better,” says Fraser. “But it takes many years to build up a wide enough selection of products and a broad enough customer base from a standing start.”

He notes that most companies are very lean, employing only a sales force, a sales manager, a senior manager-owner and support staff. Few companies have a middle-management level.

According to the most recent figures from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES), purchasing managers earn an average annual salary of $81,570 in the U.S.

Degree-holders do tend to have an advantage when pursuing a sales position in the wine importing business: a degree in marketing may be particularly helpful. However, Fraser feels that for someone with a flair for sales and excellent people skills, the actual type of degree is unimportant.

Winning at Wine Importing
For Fraser, one of the high points of working in the wine importing trade is the camaraderie. “Everyone in the business knows everyone and [they] are largely on friendly terms,” he says. “Despite the fact our products compete, we all get along.”

The downsides of the business can include low profit margins and less than outstanding salaries. Since most of the people agents deal with are thousands of miles away, there can also be a sense of isolation.

Fraser points out that wine importing isn’t a high-pressure sales kind of business. The key, he says, lies in developing good relationships. “Success comes from building personal ties to your customers over a long period of time,” he says. To enjoy this business, you must like people, food, and of course, wine.

Net Sites

Occupational Outlook Handbook
For more information related to this field, see Purchasing Managers, Buyers and Purchasing Agents in the OOH

http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos023.htm

National Association of Beverage Importers
Check out the association’s home page

http://www.nabi-inc.org/

The Wine News Magazine
Timely feature stories and comment columns about happenings in the wine industry

http://www.thewinenews.com/

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Source: CareerProNews

Would you like to work in a sports career? The odds of becoming a professional athlete are pretty slim. But if you love sports, there are still plenty of career possibilities in the sports world, even if you aren’t on the all-star team. Sports fans can find a wide range of jobs working behind the scenes of the sports arena.

Sports are fun, but professional sports are also a business. And somebody has to keep that business running. That means lots of opportunities for people who can combine an interest in sports with other — less physical — skills.

Making the news
Jason Kay oversees sports reporters as editor of The Hockey News in Toronto. Sports reporters interview athletes, coaches and others involved in the sports world.

Kay says that his job offers writers and editors some perks: “I do get to attend any game I want to attend, sitting in the press box,” he says.

But he adds that his job isn’t just watching hockey. One of his least-favorite tasks is watching The Hockey News’ budget to make sure it stays balanced.

His writers don’t have to track the budget, but they do need to know how to write. Kay says he looks for a background in journalism, although it’s not necessarily a requirement.

A knowledge of the game is a definite requirement, however. Writers need to know the fundamentals of hockey as well the inner workings of the NHL.

There are reporters who specialize in other sports, too, from archery to wrestling. Some are able to write about a range of different sports. Sometimes, they are responsible for taking their own photographs, too.

There are also journalists who tell stories primarily through photographs. In sports, these photojournalists are known for their ability to capture the action at a game in striking images. While most pay hundreds of dollars for their own equipment, it’s worth it when they see their pictures in the pages of Sports Illustrated.

Other communications professionals in sports are media relations and communications officers. Working for an athlete or team, they write press releases, are interviewed by news sources, and write content for their client’s website. They may also arrange press conferences and organize meetings.

If you have a way with words, any of these careers could be your ticket to a career in sports.

The numbers game
Who said math and sports weren’t related? Sports teams need people to work with their financial statements — after all, there is a lot of money involved in professional sports!

Michael Aronesty is a senior audit manager for Deloitte and Touche. He works with the NFL and audits their financial statements. For him, working on teams and meeting young people are the best parts of his job.

Auditors are certified public accountants who check financial statements created by a company’s management. These statements must be examined by an auditor to ensure they are accurate.

Aronesty says his job can demand a lot of hours (about 60 hours a week on average), but it gives him some freedom as well: “I manage [an accounting] team of five to 20 people,” he says, adding the only person he must report to is a partner at the firm.

His advice for up-and-coming number crunchers: “Just be professional and prepare yourself to give it 100 percent.”

“Show me the money”
Anyone who saw the movie Jerry Maguire has an idea of what it’s like being a sports agent trying to survive with just one client. While it isn’t realistic for an agent to make a living with one client, having only a select number of clients does make for better relationships.

“Sports agents are not only into negotiations … they’re also mentors for the client,” says Lynn Lashbrook. He is president and founder of Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW), a sports management company that also offers sports job training programs.

Lashbrook started SMWW in hopes of giving everyone a chance to be educated in their dream job. He still works as a sports agent, but his primary goals are educating and training future sports executives.

Agents give advice to athletes, help them find sponsorship, and look for off-season career opportunities and financial investments for their clients. And you don’t have to be Tom Cruise to get the job.

“We’re giving all types of people the opportunity to get into sports,” said Lashbrook. “I believe deep down in my soul that sports should be a contribution to society, not a reflection of society.”

With schools like SMWW, students have a chance to study for a short time to see if there’s enough action for them in the career.

Other options
If none of the above appeal to you, don’t worry: there are plenty of other jobs in the professional sports industry. Think of any big business — a sports team needs many of the same professionals.

Other behind-the-scenes careers in sports include: event coordinators, ticket operations managers, scouts, athletic trainers, sports announcers, equipment managers, directors of player operations, facility managers, equipment managers and statisticians.

Net Sites

North American Society for Sport Management
Program and career information for students

http://www.nassm.com/InfoFor/Students

ESPN Online
Find out what’s happening in the world of sports

http://espn.go.com/

Women Sports Careers
Job boards, networking and tips for women

http://www.womensportscareers.com

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Pet and pet supply stores in the Retail sector continue to be recession-proof. Read JobBaits report on recession-proof markets here: http://jobbait.com/a/rpi.htm

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Do you know someone who is looking for a new job? I bet you wish you could help them, but maybe you think you can’t because you don’t know of any open positions that would fit them? Well, there are lots of ways to help job seekers even if you can’t offer them their dream job. Here are seven tips you can use right now to help your friends and associates that may be in a job search:

Tip #1: Offer to give their resume to a key decision maker in your company
As long as your comfortable with it, why not pass along their resume? You never know when a position might come up or even be created to meet a need!

Tip #2: Invite them to join your network on LinkedIn
The bigger a job seeker’s LinkedIn network, the more chances they’ll have to find and connect with others! The tipping point on LinkedIn is about 65 connections, so you see, it doesn’t take much to quickly create a powerful network!

Tip#3: Endorse them (on LinkedIn), give them a recommendation or offer to be a reference
You don’t have to have been their boss to recommend or endorse them. So, if you can, why not brag a little on the strengths and skills you know they have?

Tip #4: Tell them about my free ezine and article library!
They can sign up here: www.maryelizabethbradford.com.

Tip#5: Hear them out
Let them share what they are looking for with you in terms of ideal industries and positions. Do you know ANYONE in their industry of choice that they could network with? You don’t have to know if they are hiring or not – every connection counts and could potentially lead to something else!

Tip #6: Invite them out
Do you attend chamber events, church functions, fundraisers or association meetings? Why not invite them along? Job seekers benefit from the opportunity to make new contacts and connections, PLUS it’s good for them to get out of the house and stay involved!

Tip #7: Be positive
Job seekers need positive support and to keep focused on opportunities rather than bad economic conditions and negative news. This is one of the most powerful ways you can support them…with your positive attitude!

My clients are finding and landing jobs every day – the jobs ARE out there and so is help and support. Be sure to remind them of this.

So, do you have additional ways that you have been supporting and assisting your job seeking friends and associates? Please share your helpful ideas here!

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Source: CareerProNews
There are many reasons people want to become lawyers. One of the most common reasons is a desire to help people. Elder law is a legal specialty that helps a rapidly growing segment of the population — the elderly.

Elder law is a pretty new field. It began only two decades ago. The American Bar Association recognized it as a distinct field in the early 1990s.

Although it’s a new field, it’s expanding quickly. There are now about 5,000 members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) in the United States.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) predicts that demand for lawyers will grow at an average rate through 2014. However, the OOH predicts that elder law is one of the legal areas that will see the most growth.

Allan Bogutz practices elder law in Arizona. He says the recent development of elder law shouldn’t be surprising.

“In 1900, the average life expectancy was 46 years,” he says. “The causes of death were different. They were infection, industrial accidents and childbirth. People are living longer now. So when we talk about elder law being a new field, elders are kind of a new field as well. Law and aging is a new issue completely, because aging is a new issue.”

Shifting roles within families and social changes are also contributing to this need.

“Prior to World War II, we could expect that elder people would, for the most part, go to live with their families,” Bogutz says. “Care responsibilities for older people fell on daughters and daughters-in-law. Now, nobody’s home in two-income families, and also people retire to distant places and their family is not there. So contextually, elder law is a new field meeting a new need.”

What exactly do elder law attorneys do? Depending on their cases, elder law attorneys could work on issues such as age discrimination, elder abuse, long-term care planning and guardianship.

Bogutz says that within the field, some sub-specialties will likely be in high demand. These include family business succession (the logistics of passing on a family business), arrangements for disabled adult children, taxes and financial planning.

Ann Krauss is a spokesperson for the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). She says that as the baby-boomer generation ages, more people will be looking for information and legal advice on these issues.

Hugh McLellan practices elder law. He says that when he and his partner started their firm in 1992, they practiced both elder and labor law.

“After a while, we just thought, ‘This is crazy. We don’t need to do labor law, there’s so much work in elder law,’” he says.

McLellan believe elder law will provide opportunities for at least the next 20 years. During this time period, the number of people aged 65 and up is expected to continually increase.

Like other lawyers, elder law attorneys must first attend university. Then they attend law school. Law school is three years of study. Students must then pass the bar exams for their state. After completing this education, they can practice law.

Elder law training is similar to other legal specialties, but those in the field say elder law can provide some unique opportunities.

“Elder law is different from other areas,” Krauss says. She says elder law is not adversarial, in contrast to the perception many people have of law. “Individuals attracted to elder law seem to have that caring and compassionate willingness to go above and beyond for their clients.”

Krauss gives examples of NAELA members holding their clients’ hands in hospital emergency rooms and finding new homes for dogs after the death of clients.

Bogutz says those unique aspects of elder law require a special set of skills.

“Elder law has two components,” he explains. “One involves the specific areas of law that affect older persons, which include things like retirement, pensions, planning for giving your business to your children, planning for possible disability needs, age discrimination, planning for housing as people’s needs change and planning for what’s going to happen at the time of your death.

“The second component of elder law is the lawyer’s knowledge of the specific needs of aging clients. That involves things like dealing with special furniture for people who have difficulty getting up or down — and special furniture might mean nothing more than chairs with arms — making sure that buildings are accessible for people with disabilities, using larger print for documents, being available to provide home visits if necessary. Also being sensitive to the issues that are around changes of life, such as retirement or facing the end of life.”

Bogutz adds that the practice of elder law can also have many benefits. “It’s an extremely rewarding practice, professionally and emotionally,” he says. “I think you learn more from working with older clients, and many of us don’t get to be close to older people too much.”

At the same time, he recognizes the potential emotional downfalls of working with aging — and eventually dying — clients.

“At some point you acknowledge that the end of life is a natural, normal component of life,” he says. “Helping people to address that in a professional way, and making certain that all of their wishes are carried out and end-of-life care is going to be given in the way they prefer, gives you a certain satisfaction as well.

“So it can be frustrating to lose clients, but at the same time you have a sense of accomplishment that you helped them do it their way.”

Bogutz adds that elder law can also show a more positive view of growing old.

“We sometimes make assumptions about older persons that simply aren’t true.A very small percentage have substantial hearing loss. A very small percentage have physical disabilities. A very small percentage go to nursing homes. Many people are healthy, active and vital until the last couple months of their lives.”

Bogutz says that if students are interested in elder law, they can begin by getting involved with older people right away. He adds there are always opportunities to volunteer. “There are retirement homes, nursing home, retirement communities that are looking for people to assist with sometimes just looking in on people, sometimes with delivering meals, sometimes simply providing socialization,” he says.

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Links to services and resources available to older people

http://www.n4a.org/

National Elder Law Foundation
Certifies experienced elder law attorneys in the U.S.

http://www.nelf.org/index.htm

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
National organization of elder law attorneys

http://www.naela.com

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Just a courtesy reminder to let everybody know that I am almost completely sold out of my e-guidebook: Secrets of the Unadvertised Job Market, Revealed.

I still have a few copies left at 60% OFF, making your investment only $31.50 (regularly $79 on my website).

Is one of them yours? Grab your copy now here:

http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com/secrets.php

Coupon code: hired

(this is part two of a three-part special offer that I am gifting my ezine and blog readers with, and part three is coming in just a couple weeks..I can hardly wait to share what it is with you)

You know, a lot of job seekers think the unadvertised or hidden job market just means “networking.” I mean, haven’t we all heard that “80% of jobs are found through networking?

But, networking is NOT the main way to tap into the unadvertised job market. In fact, its not even in the top two strategies.

Take a look at what my friend Mark Hovind, President of JobBait (JobBait.com) has to say about networking:

“Networking is a competitive job-search strategy that gives employers the most-qualified candidate at the lowest salary. That’s because employers intentionally “leak” their job openings to the networking community where the news spreads like fire. This is after all in the employer’s best interest”.

Or, maybe you think the unadvertised job market is best accessed through recruiters?

In some cases, this is one successful way to access the hidden market, but in MOST cases it’s not. FYI, Here is what Mark Hovind has to say about recruiters:

“Thousands of recruiters get thousands of resumes a year (some get thousands a month and a few get thousands a week). With so many resumes received, they can’t possibly call everyone back. We called several large and small recruiting firms to check our 1% (1% success/response rate) – and without exception, they all told us that 1% in 90 days is way too high.”

So, if you have been trying to figure everything out on your own for weeks or months with no results, then you owe it to yourself to get this e-guidebook and apply the simple techniques that I know work!

Get your copy at 60% OFF here now:

http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com/secrets.php

Coupon code: HIRED

(regularly $79.00 – special price – $31.60!)

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I just read a great article on Yahoo Finance about the hidden job market. Although Headhunter Dave Perry and I differ slightly in reccomendations on technique – I agree completely with his logic and LOVE his ideas!

David Perry, a longtime headhunter, says you’re wasting your time if you’re looking for job postings online. And he should know: he’s often the guy on the other side helping companies lure new talent. Perry, who’s based in Ottawa, says that in the last 22 years he has accomplished 996 searches totaling $172 million in salary. And the bottom line in today’s economy, he says, is you have to tap the “hidden job market.”

I reccomend reading the full article here:http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/106829/How-to-Get-a-Job-When-No-One%27s-Hiring;_ylt=Agmsp1E6FiQWXdsO3zFKHKG7YWsA

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• It may not have been fair, just or your fault, but don’t “go off” on your employer.

• Your experiencing a wide range of emotions – it’s a grieving process so give yourself time to do that. It may take a day, a week, a month.

• Give yourself a certain amount of time to decompress. Even if its just a day or two (though preferably longer) make it YOUR time to do nothing, do something fun, be with your family, etc…

• Make a list of ALL the things you are thankful for in your life. Sometimes during a traumatic event we have a tendency to forget these.

• Reach out for your friends and family – let them support you. Isolation is NOT what you need right now.

• Resist any temptation to jump right in to looking for your next job. Again, give yourself (even just a little) time.

• When you are ready, have a symbolic “moving on” ceremony. It could be a dinner, a day at the spa, a vacation, a day of golf, a conference you have been excited to attend or enrollment in a certification or MBA program. Whatever it is, big or small – it will help I promise! (2-years ago my “moving on ceremony” was a dinner with my husband, complete with a big cake, candlelight and  a notepad and pen. We had so much fun brainstorming on all of our goals for the next 12 months and it really helped us to get focused!)

• Be brave. It will be okay.

• If the TV is overflowing with negative news, turn it off. Every month millions of professionals are hired. It just doesn’t make the news. Surround yourself with positive reinforcements.

• Many people have been fired or laid off in their careers – many highly paid and otherwise successful people! Don’t get down on yourself or start interviewing if you feel unusually sad or bitter (this tends to come out in interviews). Look for a support group, a coaching group, a mastermind group, a church group or any group where you can get positive support which helps to keep the negative thoughts at bay.

By the way I am not talking about a group of people to commiserate with – steer clear of those people right now! This will help you more than you know. I speak from personal experience and as someone who is “not a joiner” Just take a deep breath and do it for yourself. I promise you will be glad you did!     

Got any tips to share? If you have ever been fired or laid off, what helped you get through it? Please feel free to add your comments! 

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