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How to Get a Great Career Start with Janine Truitt and Chris Fields

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Very few job seekers who are students, graduates, careerists, or career-changers get a great career start. This episode will be an exception as we dive deep in getting a great start or rebooting your career. I have two co-hosts this week: Janine Truitt of TalentThinkInnovations.com and Christ Fields of ResumeCrusade.com. Both of them bring their perspectives in working with young professionals to those in the executive c-suite.

What was some of the best career advice at the start of your career? We would love to hear your thoughts in one of three ways:

Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number
Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
Send email feedback to [email protected]

Let me share a little about each of my co-hosts:

Janine Truitt is the founder of her company, Talent Think Innovations, LLC is a multi-disciplinary business strategy and management consulting firm. She has been in HR and talent acquisitions for more than 10 years. Her media features include Black Enterprise, Entrepreneur Magazine, and US News and Careers.

Chris Fields is founder of the Resume Crusade, and also an HR professional and resume writer. He helps around 150 people yearly with resume and job search advice. His career advice has been featured in O Magazine, Mashable, and Monster Working!

Here are some of the highlights from our discussion:

Janine believes your career start should be weaved in throughout your childhood, not just college
Chris emphasized many professionals aspire to degrees he or she doesn’t need
We discussed the importance of networking and using it as a main tool throughout your career
Taking time to show up: Go to networking events and be intentional about your connections. Listen more than you talk and learn to identify the fakers from the makers
Living on Purpose! Do work that is meaningful to you instead of ALWAYS chasing dollars and cents

Need help with your career goals, directions, or efforts? Do you need coaching or instruction? I am here for it!

I will be doing other shows with Chris and Janine, so if you have questions for us, let me know.

If you’re in Chicago, you might be interested in an upcoming event on February 12. If you want to join me, send me a note at [email protected] or call 708-365-9822 for more information.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

9 Ways to Keep Your Job Net-Working

Job networking is difficult because people expect so much to the point where it’s expectations are unrealistic.

Although referrals account for more than 60% of people finding jobs, networking is hard work. Not to mention there needs to be a mind shift in the way we use it.

Networking should be a way of life, not just a pill in the medicine cabinet.

Even when your career is well and productive, engaging your network should be a priority.

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If used right, job networking will be our primary career tool. You can’t take control of your career without it. Since it’s a little easier to initiate and sustain relationships anywhere in the world, there are some ways to foster useful long-term relationships:

1. Investment in yourself

Free is good and is encouraged, but when you research and are convinced paying is more than worth the value, then pay. There are countless stories of how iron sharpens iron when people are exchanging value with each other. It’s even better when one is out serving the other. Conferences, workshops, dinners, coffee, are all great–when it costs your something for the long term career goal. You don’t pay to meet the people, and you pay for the value people offer.

Listen to: Modern Networking Manners for Your Career

2. Give without measure

The people who I see with growing networks, who are always getting feedback and opportunities, and have set themselves up as the go-to insider or expert, are individuals who are very generous. There is no science to giving other than receivers are often more than willing to give back. The people we often see on social media who are successful in my eyes are the ones who have been givers for many years.

3. Widen the net

Usually, this would mean the number of people instead of diverse. In this case, a different network is everything. In your network, striving to have executive connections are as meaningful as the cab driver. Being considerate same says everything about your character people will need to know. We learn from a variety of resources, and somewhere along the way it is very useful.

Read: 5 Ways to Destroy Your Networking Efforts

4. Find out what works

Your network is a dynamic resource and not a static one. Whether it is a phone to people once a month or viewing your timeline, people are often sharing their successes. If you pay attention, there are golden nuggets you can apply to your career.

I think the old quote, “The best lessons are caught, not taught” is true.

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Some are willing to tell you how he or she got a raise, or negotiated their contract, or got a referral from someone they have yet to meet in person.

5. Challenge and be challenged

Back to my first point where I mention “iron sharpens iron.” When done in a healthy way, finding out the depth of disagreeing can outreach our intent and extend our learning. It does hurt to lower the defenses when someone questions a resource or our thinking about a strategy or procedure. Although it only works with people willing to respond to the rules of engagement, you’ll need to relate to everyone differently.

6. Treating people as individuals and not as a club

Honestly, no one is waiting with bated breath for what you have to say. You’re competing for attention (or more) like everyone else. It’s impressive when you remember people by name and not by group, network, association, or means of connections.

Listen: Strategic Connections in Networking with Anne Baber

7. Celebrate their success

Write an update congratulating them, lifting them up (and only them). People will remember how you celebrate them. Can you do it without expecting anything back? It’s hard, but it will pay off.

8. Mourn with them too

People need support during hard times or tragedies too! Some people don’t know what to say, and I know it’s hard. A simple, “Sending positive thoughts your way…” or “Prayers for you and your family…” mean so much during those times. Losing a job is similar to losing family. It’s natural to mourn a lost job (or at least the friendships left behind.

9. Invite them into your world a little more

I love it when colleagues let me know when they are coming to town even if I can’t always get to them. The relationship means much more when you meet them in person, or they remember personal milestones (other than birthdays).

The goal in owning the trajectory of your career is mainly through the connections you keep going. If you are job networking just for the next job, you’ll find it frustrating and hard to find relationships productive. It is about professional relationships thriving through service.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

3 Elements to Increase Your Usefulness During Your Job Search

Your job search efforts will struggle if you lack conviction. When you don’t have your reasons and a purpose for your job search, you can wander aimlessly for years. At times, you can even find jobs you later regret taking because of your lack of reasoning. It’s a dark place to be, and hard to find your way out without help, goals, and some form of empowerment.

These elements are also scary because of the commitment required to achieve and thrive in these areas. You may not feel the need to deepen your job search to include these things, but these are tools to help you reach your goals:

Mentorship during your job search

I don’t think we’re too old to have people whose career advice is at least a second pair of eyes. Objectivity is hard while assessing our career moves. Spouses and significant others sometimes can be great sounding boards, but unless they are further along in our career spaces may not be a career asset. It depends on where we are in our careers and our goals.

The New (But not So New) Job Search

Who we choose as a mentor is important because of the need of sound but objective judgment.

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Their choices should tell you whether or not he or she is a good mentor for you. You can check LinkedIn to see if coworkers or clients recommend them. Mostly if his or her career is in constant forward motion is a good indicator.

Mastery during your job search

People who are masterful in his or her career were trained by someone else who expects perfect from themselves. Being good or almost isn’t good enough! Rigorous work on your craft yields results, but loving the work is a sweet spot you’ll never regret.

9 Ways to Keep Up Your Holiday Job Search – The Voice of Job Seekers

There is something about intelligence gathering and masterful implementation over time.

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It attracts the attention of others who have done it, who will offer help!

Momentum to energize your job search

Opportunities appear in strings at times and need a proper perspective. It is easy to interpret momentary success as the “ticket.” If you have done the right things, momentum can quickly turn into tangible progress. A string of referrals and interviews are good signs of progress. If it doesn’t go past the first meeting, then re-evaluate your progress.

At any age or level of success, seek mentorship, mastery, and momentum fearlessly and incessantly. These three elements are critical to your growth as there as distractions and obstructions attempting to derail your focus and eventually your success.