Anyone in the job search process should consider if they are maximizing the use of social media in the process.  Sites that are tailored to your industry, networking sites, and informational sites can all be valuable in providing helpful tips and guidance on potential positions in companies.  Facebook®^® is a good source for some basic information on the current ‘hot topics' a company is focused on and viewing the company's page before an interview can assist in giving you insight into what is important for their organization currently.  If you aren't maximizing LinkedIn®^® as a resource, here are some things to put on your to do list:

• Update your profile information to be current with volunteer work or paid work experience you are doing.
• Request recommendations from previous supervisors and colleagues that can attest to the skills you need to make the transition - communication, organization, technical skills - whatever is most relevant to the industry or company you are pursuing.
• Check out the new ‘jobs' function on the system - look on the right hand side to find positions that the search engine has found to match your past experience.
• Follow and join groups that are aligned with your transition, either by company name or by industry.
• In preparation for an interview, search for the company, department, and interviewer to formulate meaningful questions to ask at the end of the phone or face-to-face interview.

Volunteering and giving back to the community are ways people who are transitioning between jobs or industries can maintain skills and develop new ones.  For people who are not currently working in full-time positions, being able to contribute time and valuable talents not only help the organization they are given to, but also keep the person actively involved in the community.

There are many locations that can use the skills that job search candidates may have mastered in the workplace.  Look for organizations with a focus in an area that is of interest to you.  If you are passionate about helping animals, then check out local animal shelters or rescue foundations - perhaps you have skills in construction that could be used to help improve the shelter's facility, or if you are skilled in accountancy or finance you could assist in managing or developing budgets for projects.

Some parents may be using transition time to help out at their children's summer camp or school.  Parent Teacher Organizations, lunchtime or playground monitoring, even library assistance are usually volunteer positions that can always use extra manpower.  Some school districts will be looking for volunteers in tutoring after school hours - this is a great opportunity to use academic skills and also gain valuable teaching and mentoring skills.

Transitioning workers should try to use volunteering opportunities to build their skills and continue adding relevant content to their resume about the qualifications they can bring to the employer.  Your future employer will appreciate your commitment to ongoing professional development and your creativity in helping the community too.

Congratulations!  You've graduated from a post-secondary educational experience and are ready to start your first full-time job on your career path.  Now you can forget about your resume and interviewing and focus on your day-to-day activities, right?  Before you get too comfortable, there are a few career development steps to do now that will make it easier to maintain as you move through your first few post-graduation years.

• Update your resume now. Take time to add your new job to your latest version using the job description. When you are ready to try and get a promotion or move to another company, you can avoid having to dig this up under pressure.
• Change your social media profile information. Evaluate your LinkedIn® profile and update your graduation date, organizations you were involved in, and add your new job. Join professional organization groups in your industry. Put aside some time at the end of the first few months to add co-workers to your network.
• Research internal groups you can get involved in. These could include special interest groups, training and development groups, and/or volunteer groups. When you are onboarding with a company, it's a great time to ask questions about ways you can get involved and network with peers beyond the day-to-day work projects.
• Practice your technological and/or language skills. If you were hired in part due to your ability to effectively use certain technical programs or use language skills in the workplace, now is the time to brush up your skills. Even though you may be using these on the job, taking some time outside of work to become even stronger at them will make you even more valuable to your new employer.

The internet has allowed the job search process to become simpler in some ways and more complex in others.  Job seekers have a myriad of options for search engines providing content on open positions and companies looking for talent.  Does it matter which website someone uses to find a position?  The answer is individualized by several factors.  Use the questions below to help tailor which websites will be most effective for you.

• Are you looking to relocate for a position? Larger, established companies such as Monster® and Career Builder® may be better places to look for companies who may compensate for a relocation. Smaller organizations may not be able to afford the cost to use these national sites.
• Is there a website that specializes in the area or industry you are pursuing? For example, The Ladders® has sites within their site that breakdown positions into sales, management, marketing etc. Using one of their sub-sites may help minimize the amount of time needed to search.
• Do you belong to a professional association that has a job board? National or regional associations could provide a resource by listing local positions on their websites.

The key is to pick a couple of websites and be consistent in using them.  By setting the timeframe for search to ‘3 days' and then checking on Sundays and Thursdays will ensure that you won't miss any new opportunities.  Allocate a certain amount of time each of those days to search and stick to it - don't get stuck searching all day because you didn't research what websites can provide you the most value with companies specific to the industry.

Preparing to make a career transition can be an overwhelming task that is easier with focus and taking steps to be ready for an opportunity at any time.  As the summer approaches, stores are getting ready for seasonal clothing changes.  Getting an appropriate interview suit is just one key step to being ready for interviews in advance.

-  Research companies in the field you want to transition to for common skills that they list in postings for positions.  If you need to build more proficiency in those areas, consider taking a class or workshop, or find ways to use the skills in volunteer or organization experiences.

-  Update your resume to reflect key results you have achieved that fit objectives for some positions you will post for in the industry. 

-  Identify common questions you expect to receive in a phone screen interview and prepare some examples to show your skills in different areas.  Plan to attend upcoming career fairs with employers in the industry you are transitioning to.

-  Plan time each week to search for job opportunities through search engines, networking sites such as LinkedIn, and news media.

By preparing for interviews in advance, you can spend time researching the company and position and practicing for interviews once you submit for positions online

Each city has a number of professional associations that can help job seekers leverage their skills and develop new ones.  Whether a candidate is looking to transition into a new department in a current company or to move from one industry to another, professional associations provide support in different ways.

Building a network

When choosing a professional association, it's important to consider how closely aligned the group is to your specialty in the industry you are in or transitioning to.  Some organizations may have formed to provide social support or political agendas instead of networking and professional development.  Each candidate should select based on the goals you want to achieve at that point.

Developing new skills

Transitioning into a new department or industry may require learning new skills and a professional association could be a great place to find a source for training outside the workplace and in the industry.  The association itself may also be able to provide opportunities to develop skills such as leadership, teamwork, or organization.  Look for ways to participate on committees or boards for some of these positions.

Check out different options for professional associations through search engines and career based websites to determine which organizations can provide the most value for your situation in the career search process.

Developing a strategy for attending a career fair can help job seekers feel confident before, during, and after the event.  Whether the fair is being held in a large venue like a convention center or arena or in a more intimate setting like a single ballroom in a hotel, there are some similar strategies to maximize your time and impact to prospective employers.

• Dress for the interview. Career fairs are one to five minute interviews, so it is appropriate to wear a suit as you would for a formal interview. It is always better to be more than less formally dressed, regardless of the industry you are interested in working for.
• Prepare a list of skills you have to provide employers. The list should be a reference for you to evaluate if a job would be a possible fit - use it when checking what positions will be recruited for at the career fair. Have notes about the employers' jobs and how your skills are aligned to their needs.
• Be ready to answer questions about everything on your resume. With a limited amount of time to meet with candidates, it's important to be prepared for any of the topics that could come up from content on your resume to maximize your conversations with recruiters. Tailor each resume to content focused on the specific role you are interested in.
• Create an introduction that tells the employer what is in it for them to keep talking to you. This is sometimes referred to as the ‘one minute sell'. Give the recruiter a brief reason why you are interested in the company and what skills you have that are relevant along with a couple of results you have achieved in positions previously using those skills. This tells the person that you have done the research to understand how you can provide value to their team.

Millennials will make up 75% of all US workers by 2025 and they will be managing a Gen-Z workforce.  So what can your organization do today to make sure you are utilizing the most effective recruitment methods to attract and retain talent in these demographics?   No matter what role you have in the recruitment process, it's important to understand how your recruiting is interpreted by the youngest generation of workers.

• They want to know about job opportunities - always. Unlike their predecessors, these generations are open to hearing about new career moves consistently. Thirty percent of millennials in a 2016 LinkedIn® survey said they see themselves working for their current employer for less than one year. So the companies that are communicating with high quality talent on a consistent basis will be most likely to get them on the team.

• Communicate with them in their comfort zone. Don't throw out every old school method, but be adaptable. Request creative content in the candidates' cover letters such as the answer to a question that shows something about their personality. Prepare to use texting and web chats too - these are the newest ways to catch and keep the attention of these groups.

• Be open about your culture and mission. Include discussion of the company's culture and values in your recruiting presentations and materials. Explaining the industry's potential growth and the corporate approach for social responsibility will help candidates determine alignment with their personal goals and values.

• Show them a clear path for their short-term future. Having a clear career path to share with candidates and continue to share with new employees is an important component of successfully recruiting and retaining Millennials. Be ready to share how they fit into the company now and how management and HR will help them move forward in the future.

Job seekers should definitely be encouraged by the latest statistics about employment.  There are, however, some industries that have not seen positive hiring trends in the past few months.  Traditional retail stores have been downsizing in staff rather than increasing personnel.  This is due in large part to the increase in online purchasing both on direct websites and third party ones such as Amazon®.  So, if you are in the retail sector and want to start planning a move, what are the key steps to make a transition?

• Identify industries that need your skills. Think outside the box on this. Retail staff have a myriad of soft skills including communication, organization, problem-solving etc. Jobs in healthcare, public service, education, and general business all need people with those skills in various departments. Figure out which companies are hiring in your market and search for jobs with your skills in the keywords.
• Update your documentation electronically and online. Obviously a current resume and cover letter are must haves, but you should make sure that they are tailored to the companies you want to potentially work for. Don't forget to make your online presence (LinkedIn®) current also with any training, certifications, or job responsibilities you have taken on in the past 6 months.
• Let your network know you are looking for a change. It's surprising how often job seekers forget that their friends and relatives and past co-workers and supervisors are a great resource. If you left your last job on good terms, and it's not in the retail sector, reach out to those people also - they may have something that is perfect for you to transition to.

A recent issue of SHRM magazine noted a Glassdoor survey which asked managers what they want to see from their employees in order to promote them.  Regardless of your industry or level in your organization, the list of seven tactics not only make sense, but if you commit to doing some of these things on a daily basis, your manager will definitely take notice when it's time to move someone up the ladder.

• Develop a can-do attitude. Perception of your teammates and supervisor on your willingness to try new things or work on varied projects is important. Think about the people you most want to be around - they are pleasant to be around because even when there is an obstacle, they try to find solutions and options. Your positive attitude about your responsibilities and results you provide to the job can impact the overall enthusiasm and culture of the team.
• Lend a helping hand to other employees. You don't need to be the Director of Training or a formal mentor to help teammates be successful. Identify what skills you have that someone else needs to gain, or experiences that you have had in your role that you can share with somebody in your department. Ask your manager if there is someone who needs assistance too - you may take some training activities off their plate.
• Keep a kudos file. This is a great best practice for every business professional. Emails, presentations, communication with customers/clients, recognition from your supervisor and others, internal projects - all of these are important documents to save. The way this helps your supervisor is when he/she is looking for details about why you should receive the promotion - you will have the data to help them document your abilities and successes for your future manager.

Depending on the stage you are at in your career, you may have already had an opportunity to mentor or be mentored.  A prominent MBA program on the West Coast defines mentoring as "Mentoring is a developmental partnership through which one person shares knowledge, skills, information and perspective to foster the personal and professional growth of someone else" but mentoring is also an internal company method to maximize your network.  Whether you are interested in managing people in your next role (or more people than you currently manage), desire an opportunity to move between departments or divisions, or enjoy helping others learn skills that you have mastered, mentoring can be the vehicle that helps achieve your goal and moves you closer to the next step in your career.

Find someone to mentor you - informally or formally.  The best mentors have had strong role models so if you have had a mentor, consider how they benefited your development.  If you haven't had a mentor yet, identify who would be a good candidate.  Your direct supervisor may not be the best choice, so look for someone who is going to meet your objectives.  Evaluate the person's appropriateness with these criteria:

• Within your own department - do they have skills that you would need to improve, increase, or learn to move into the next role you want to have in the company?
• Outside the department - is the company open to cross-departmental training, transfers, and promotions?
• In external organizations - women's groups, softball team, community outreach groups are all sources to consider, but be sure that you are selecting based on the person's overall ability to provide you support and development, not just be a buddy to you.

Offer to mentor someone - informally or formally.  Having a discussion with your supervisor about your interest is paramount to successful mentoring.  The reality is that it may take time during your work hours and you will need their support to be effective as a mentor.

• Within your own department - ask for opportunities to support the team with your strengths. Your manager may be able to assist you in formally establishing a plan that coordinates your goal with a developmental plan for another member of the team.
• Outside the department - this can be very relevant for companies that are merging departments and need cross-training. In smaller organizations this can also be helpful for on-boarding new employees on the policies and strategies of the company overall.
• Identify the time you will commit to both your supervisor and the person you are planning to mentor - setting the expectations with everyone involved will create an open environment to have a win-win result for both you and the person you are mentoring.

Whether you have just started a new career this year or are working toward a job shift, it's important to consider how you will be managing your network during the transition.  Your network is a constantly changing entity that should be evaluated as you move throughout your career.  So, if you change companies, move into new departments or learn new skills to change industries completely, how should you examine your network?  Here are some things to consider:

1.      What social media platforms do you use for networking?

Facebook® is great for certain networking, but not necessarily for business or professional networking. Evaluate what social media platforms your industry uses to communicate professional development opportunities, professional organization meetings, and continuing education sessions.  Make sure that you are connected with those groups/organizations on the right internet based systems so you can maximize your development.

 2.      Who is in your current network?

As you transition from an academic experience or a current role into a new one, it's important to see who is in your current network and determine how they will potentially influence your future network.  Don't eliminate people from your social network, but be forward thinking on who you can connect with who is a Connection at the 2^nd or 3^rd level and be strategic about how an introduction to those people could build your career over time.

 3.      How can you best network with people in your new department/company/industry?

If there is an internal company committee that you can be part of - join it.  If you can cross-train or shadow someone in another department, do that.  If there are special interest committees that you can join, check them out. 

Obviously every industry and department and job function has their own specific ways that they can provide value to their direct supervisor.  But - here are a few ways to consider making yourself more valuable to the overall function of the team or finding ways to improve processes and ways the team works together. 

• Find a way to help a co-worker be more confident. Notice this didn't mention making your co-worker more efficient or productive - although those could be the results of your support to them. This support is a little deeper way for someone to bring out their strengths and share them in the organization. Strong teams are built on utilizing everyone's strengths to grow.
• Commit to continuing your skill development. You know PowerPoint but if a slide needs to be modified you need to ask Sally for help. You can put numbers into the internal expense database but you ask Jim to check your figures. Communicate with your manager that you are going to take a training class, ask for help from a co-worker, or go externally for training to be a more competent member of the team in whatever area you decide to build upon your current skills.
• Identify a way to make the boss' job easier. This isn't referring to offer to get him his specialty coffee in the morning, pick up his dry cleaning, or walk his dog. Think about relevance to the job - are there activities, reporting, meetings that your boss doesn't really need to be involved in where you can be his ‘eyes and ears' and report back? Consider participating in committee meetings or company volunteering/community give back projects where you can contribute in a positive way and are also able to add input to your boss on how to manage those activities more effectively in the future.

With companies maximizing their budgets in this economy, some job seekers may find themselves being asked to conduct a video interview.  This format allows the company to keep HR personnel and hiring managers in the office and still have a personal experience of seeing the candidate answer questions.  Here are some best practices to this newer form of interviewing:

• Dress for the interview. Wear a suit or equally appropriate interview attire for your industry and the position you are applying for and be as professional as you would if you were meeting them in person. Having a video interview is a convenience to the interviewer and is not a convenience to you as the candidate. The reality is that you need to still dress for the occasion as if you were going to the corporate headquarters.
• Position yourself in a room with a neutral background. Some candidates will conduct a Skype® or WebEx® or GoToMeeting® interview with their kitchen or bedroom in the background. This could be distracting to the interviewer. Try to find a blank wall that will keep the person focused on what you are saying.
• Practice with a friend to make sure that you have functionality with your webcam and the system the employer is using. Don't wait until 10 minutes before the interview to download WebEx® or GoToMeeting® or whatever system they use. Ask what program they are using and download it in advance.
• Check your volume and get a separate microphone if you need to. Some people know that they talk quietly and the interview process is not the time to be the soft spoken person, especially via computer. Detachable microphones are very affordable and can make the most soft spoken person sound confident and interview appropriate.
• Practice your speaking level with a friend. Get online with someone you trust to be candid with you and practice your tone and level of speech. This person can also help you determine if there are any other bad habits you may have such as wandering eye contact, overuse of your hands, or unnecessary words like ‘um' and ‘you know'.
• Practice answers to commonly asked questions. Have any supporting documents prepared and in front of you as a reference as well. Candidates that can share information during the interview and then offer to send it to the interviewer will have an advantage during the interview process.

Every metropolitan area has workforce departments at the city and county level who collect and analyze labor market information on a monthly and/or quarterly basis.  This data is very important for the job seeker to review.  Not only can you see the current jobs and industries most in demand in your geography, but you can also determine certain skills and certifications that employers are looking for most.  Soft skills are always crucial, but depending on your field, your administrative skills and abilities may give you a strategic advantage in the hiring candidate pool.  Here are some areas of note in the latest labor market information from December:

• Microsoft Office – it doesn’t matter if you are a ‘Mac’ or a ‘PC’ person, Office programs are a must have skill for most jobs.  Take a look at current job listings you want to apply for to determine if you need to refresh on certain programs or if you can leverage your skills as a strength in the interview process.

• Scheduling – Your skills in this area could range from knowledge of using online programs such as Google Calendar to more ‘old school’ methods like managing a hard copy schedule for several teammates on a certain project.  Having the ability to examine the needs of a team or project and determine the appropriate manpower timing allocation can be an important skill depending on your field.

• Budgeting – Obviously, there are some jobs that require high levels of expertise in this area (finance, accounting, etc.).  Other positions may not have this as a primary function, but could be a ‘value added skill’ from the employer’s perspective.  Even in entry-level sales positions, there may be a need to budget for expenses, account development, or promotional materials.

No matter what holiday(s) you may or may not be celebrating over the next 2 weeks, odds are you will have some time off of work to prepare for the New Year and a possible job change.  Even if you aren't planning to look for a new job, the holidays are a great time to do some professional development activities to stay ready to take advantage of any opportunities that may fall in your lap.

• Reboot your resume. If you haven't updated your resume in the past 90 days - now is the time. Add any end of year results you had, projects you completed, and committees you were participating in. Delete anything that isn't active (certifications, licenses, etc) anymore or isn't relevant to your current role or the type of job you may be searching for next.
• Spice up your social media. Don't make things up, but take the information from your updated resume and be sure to reflect that in your LinkedIn® profile. If you have a more current professional picture for your social media, upload that too.
• Dust off your interviewing materials. Check out your interview attire and take a trip to the dry cleaners if you need to. Get that padfolio out and jot down some basic questions to practice writing answers to with your updated resume. Print out information about key activities you have done in the past three months at work and in volunteering experiences.

Taking the time over the holidays for these steps will make it much less stressful when that perfect internal position or external opportunity comes your way in 2017!

Transitioning from one career to another should involve research and evaluation of what job sectors have the greatest needs and growth in the near future.  In Phoenix, healthcare continues to be a healthy and growing sector for employees.  This is such an important industry to Phoenix that more than 150 leaders in business, education, and the community have created a forum to have ongoing discussions about the workforce needs of healthcare.  Even though dynamics have changed in corporations - Scottsdale Healthcare and John C. Lincoln are now Honor Health - the needs for talent haven't changed.  If healthcare is an industry you would consider, here is some information to help you make the move.

• Soft skills are crucial. No matter what position you want to secure in healthcare, you need to have strong communication, problem-solving, and organization skills. Healthcare professions require flexibility and adaptability too, so be prepared to talk about your experience in these areas.
• Get the licensure or training you need. Phoenix is known as ‘post-secondary training heaven'. Drive down Dunlap Road near I-17 - there are educational institutions that have healthcare programs from medical assistants, to dental assistants, to radiological technicians. And, if you are balancing education with a full-time career, there are many online options until you get into the externship part of your program.
• Market your willingness to continue professional growth. Transitioning into a new career, depending on your timing, your past training experience could appear like a lack of willingness to continue learning in your next career. Once you enter the interview process, it's important to explain your desire to expand your skills in your next position and throughout your new career path. Healthcare is a constantly changing industry, so the candidates who are willing to consistently learn in their jobs will be the most successful in the long term.

School-aged parents are either in the process of entering the second month of school.  If you do or don't have school aged children, you may be considering a possible jump into the job search candidate pool.  Regardless of your situation, it is a great time to evaluate how you can make the most of the remaining months of the year in your current work situation.  If you want to make a change, check in for the next four months on how to make the greatest impact, but if you don't, here are some ways to maximize your job's value to you and your current employer.

• What didn't you learn last year? School kids need to get a ‘refresher' on the skills that they needed to learn last year. Are you evaluating the skills that you may need to brush up on or learn based on changes to your department's goals and objectives? Take an objective look at how you can provide value to the team by learning something valuable and sharing it with the team.
• What did you do during the summer to add value to your job? Maybe you volunteered somewhere and strengthened your leadership, organization, or problem-solving skills. Perhaps your summer involved a vacation where you found a situation similar to work where you can offer productivity, efficiency or revenue generating ideas. Now is the time to share them.
• Have you established a plan in the next year to develop your skills? Look at the timeline your company has for formal performance evaluations and then determine how you can maximize your experiences between those times. Don't forget that you can always ask for a ‘'midterm evaluation" if you have strategically planned to learn new skills or get crucial experiences or training.

The employees who are consistently planning their career steps and consistently learning and expanding professional experiences will be the most successful.  Taking the time to plan, strategize, and then execute will help Phoenicians to achieve their short and long term career goals.

The temperatures are starting to move into ‘Fall' - triple digit temperatures are a thing of the past and children are back in school.  It may be budgeting season, planning season, hiring season, or ‘wait and see' season for your current employer.  This is a perfect time to re-evaluate your current role and determine how you want to develop your skills professionally in this position or move into a different job opportunity with another company.  If you feel like you can't move forward in your current job, there are steps you can take to assist in moving into a company that will leverage your skills and allow you to continue your professional and personal development.

• When did you last ask how you can help the team? Employers want to know that you are willing to assist your teammates, help your manager, and collaborate cross-departmentally. If you were able to do any (or all) of those things over the summer - it's time to update your resume before you enter the job search process.
• Are your technical skills ready for a ‘move'? Depending on your industry, technical skills may be a moving target that you need to be aware of and ready to take classes or training in order to stay relevant. Review job descriptions of positions you are interested in and pay special attention to technical skills that are at the top of the list of qualifications/skills for the job.
• Have you asked to learn something new lately? Before you jump into the job search process, determine if there are skills that you can learn in your current role with your company. Managing your career and professional development is something that you need to not only own, but control. If you know that the next step in your career path requires certain training, shadowing, mentoring, certification, licensure, then you need to establish a timeline of how you will make that happen.

Phoenicians will most logically use a job search engine to find possible opportunities in the market.  The days of reading the classifieds in the Sunday paper are pretty much gone.  There are more than 30 different large job search engines - so how can you choose?  Here are five criteria to consider before you sit down and surf for hours with few results...

1.      Determine what your industry could have to support your search.  Depending on your industry, it may make more sense to go to a specific website such as usajobs.com for government positions, ihirerealestate.com for real estate jobs, etc. instead of using a large general search engine.

2.      Establish how specific you will be in your search.  The larger search engines require that you have as specific job titles and keywords as possible in order to narrow the results.  Be sure to also narrow the timeframe for the postings down to past 7 days and then be consistent in checking again every 7 days to see what new opportunities are available.

3.      Newer may not be better.  There are new ‘compiled' search engines popping up frequently, such as Indeed.com.  These engines profess to take all of the postings from the larger engines and put them in one place for ‘one stop searching'.  Unfortunately, not all of the postings may be collected, so it's always best to use a couple of search engines to ensure you are getting the best selection of possible matches for your skills.

4.      Find one with other tools to maximize your time.  Some of the search engines have other career search resources that can be very valuable.  Look for salary calculators, job market trend information, and links to other job sites in order to build your job search skills and speed up your time in front of the computer.