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without the perfect qualifications for the job," says Alexandra Levit, business and workplace consultant and Career Advisory Board member. "The good news is that there are steps candidates can take to give employers what they need and want." Career Advisory Board members recommend the following strategies to help job seekers shift their mindsets and improve their marketability: • Recognize the value of mentorship: Three out of four hiring managers say job seekers should have a mentor or career coach; yet only 40 percent of job seekers report having a similar professional resource. Cultivating relationships with-experienced and trusted advisers can help job seekers uncover job opportunities. Working with mentors can help you move your career forward and build your network. Mentors can also help you nav- Q& A igate potentially precarious business situations according to Krista Canfield, senior manager, corporate communications, LinkedIn. • Learn how to tell your story: Fifty-six percent of job seekers use keywords from the job description when applying to a position, but hiring managers care more about a candidate's skill set and experience. Job seekers have the opportunity to stand out from the pack by telling stories that reinforce their personal brands during interviews. They should focus less on listing out past positions and more on saying, "this is what I've learned in my career and here's what it enables me to do today," says Jason Seiden, CEO of Ajax Workforce Marketing. • Constantly refresh your skills: Approximately twothirds of hiring managers believe employees should be see MEMO. . . page 7 2 tips to avoid computerized hiring systems By Diane Stafford The Kansas City Star (MCT) This isn't easy for long-term job hunters to hear, but the advice comes from people who make a living helping people find jobs. I asked a group of career counselors what they tell job hunters who say they can't get past the computerized hiring systems that reject them before they have a chance to talk to a human being, much less a hiring manager. The group's advice: Forget the computerized hiring system. . . . That may sound harsh, but it comes from experience. People who are landing good, professional jobs aren't squeaking through digital screeners that put resumes in "in" or "out" piles. They're finding job opportunities that aren't even posted. How? The counselors said two things are producing job offers: networking and volunteering. Networking means finding the people who do what you want to do (or have hiring power over those jobs) in the organizations or industries where you want to work. It means going to chamber meetings and professional and fraternal organization meetings. It means creating face-to-face contact. It means telling basically everybody you know what you have to offer. Read that last sentence again. That doesn't mean asking everybody you know for a job. It means telling them what skills and experience you can bring to the table. Someone will know someone who needs you. That's how networking works. The second tip is to volunteer your time and talent. Volunteering expands your contacts, exposes you to more organizations, and gives you a bullet point to fill what otherwise would be a resume blank spot. Yes, you can include volunteer work on your resume, especially if it's professionally relevant. Just do it, the counselors said. And don't say you're too busy. Volume 16 • Number 9 November 7, 2013 Learning a coach approach to managing By Liz Reyer Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Q. A. I've gotten feedback that, as a manager, I'm not very good at helping people develop their own solutions. It's hard - it's really easy for me to see what they should do, and it seems more efficient to just tell them. How can I start to shift my style? Ask questions, then be quiet and listen. It's a common situation: People who are good at what they do are promoted. But they often do not receive much help in the transition between doing and helping others succeed.That's the situation you're in, and you should be proud of yourself for being willing to develop out of this rut. Give yourself a break. Relax, take some deep breaths and let go of any anxiety over the situation.You'll be able to learn the new skills you need, and being stressed about it will just hold you back. There are a number of skills that go with having a more coach-style approach, including asking good questions and probing to help team members come up with their own solutions.You also need to be able to assess the risk of letting people make some mistakes.Assess your skills in these areas so you can plan your skill development. Consider your current team culture. If you currently solve everyone's problems, or even overrule their solutions with your own suggestions, you'll all have some habits to break.Team members will need to relearn a certain amount of autonomy, and you'll need to learn to back off – and to push them to identify solutions before they even come to you. This is a great opportunity to practice transparency as a leader. Let your team know what you're up to and why.They won't be confused, and it can build a lot of engagement. Put some time into skills development. If you need to learn to create dialogue instead of giving orders, develop a list of go-to questions you could use.There are plenty of ways to find good coaching questions, including some listed in the resources section above. One hint: Avoid the word "why;" it shuts people down. Use "how" or "what" instead. If you're a talker, use the WAIT system: Why Am I Talking. It's a chatty coach's best friend and can help you remember to let your team members work things out for themselves. Model your behavior on someone you admire, or get a mentor or coach for yourself.Watching someone else in action is a great way to learn these skills. Being able to let others learn the hard way through trial and error can be very challenging. If this is tough for you, ask for support from your boss, especially in learning to assess risks realistically.There's a big difference between a $500 risk and a $50,000 risk, and misjudging won't serve you or your team member well. Track your progress, and celebrate your successes. Give yourself feedback, and request it from your team. Find some small team or personal rewards to help build momentum. Building your coaching skills will benefit you, your team, and your company as a whole. Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at lizdeliverchange.com. 2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • November 7, 2013 A publication of Conley Media tor. While hiring managers may be optimistic about the job market, they also have a very clear message for job seekers: "Help us help you." Only 15 percent of hiring managers said that nearly all or most job seekers have the skills and traits their organization is looking for in a candidate – a 2 percent decrease from the prior year. Despite their negative perceptions of the job market, job seekers remain strangely – almost irrationally – sure of themselves. Seven in 10 job seekers (72 percent) are confident they know how to present their skills and experience to an interviewer and more than half (56 percent) are confident they know what employers are looking for in candidates today. "Our research shows that two out of three hiring managers won't settle for a candidate GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS Memo ... from page 1 Account Executive: Donna Armstrong 262/513-2698 darmstrong@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dwayne Butler 262/513-2626 dbutler@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262/513-2690 Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2004 by Conley Media Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. It is the advertiser's responsibility to be aware of the laws pertaining to employment advertising. Subscriptions are available for $34 (non-refundable) for a 6-month subscription. Call 262/513-2698 for information. 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