Today’s job market is more competitive than ever. Job seekers search for any competitive edge to stand out in a crowded field of well qualified candidates. So what do employers look for today? All employers will seek education, experience and technical skills for positions.  These needs are clearly outlined by the job description.  However, beyond the standard skills, employers also look for other skills which are not limited to the type of job or industry.   Listed below are the most sought after skills employers identified in studies and surveys.

• Communications Skills (listening, verbal, written). This skill earned top honors for all employers.  In business, communication is critical.  Every employee is required to write, speak and listen.  Being able to do these things well definitely makes an employee more attractive.
• Analytical/Research Skills. The ability to identify issues and assess systems and processes is a valuable skill.
• Leadership/Management Skills. Leadership is valued in every organization.  The ability to lead/manage teams, or projects is an in- demand skill.
• Teamwork. Working with others, and the ability to collaborate are key skills.  Rarely can an employee accomplish the company’s objectives without the involvement of other employees.
• Computer/Technical Literacy. It is the rare company that is not automated to some degree.  Email, word processing, developing spreadsheets and presentations are basic skills that all employers desire.
• Adaptability / Flexibility.  This is the ability to handle change – in work environment, priorities, responsibilities and to do it all with a great attitude.  Employers do not want employees who will respond negatively to a shift in assignments or that have a “that’s not my job” mentality.
• Organization. Refers to being able to organize, design and plan.  Setting objectives and systematically working to achieve them.
• Problem-Solving / Critical Reasoning. Ability to critically think through problems, issues toward resolution by applying reason and innovation.
• Interpersonal Abilities. An ability to work well with others – team members, colleagues, management.
• Sensitivity to Diversity. This is being aware and sensitive to other people, lifestyles and cultures.

According to the 2011 Small Business Saturday Consumer Spend Survey, 89 million people said they plan to shop “small” Saturday.

According to industry experts there are approximately 27.9 million small businesses in the United States. Many of these businesses are solo businesses with no employees. Shopping small this Saturday is a great way to support your local and online small business communities. When you support small local businesses a greater percentage of the money remains in your local economy.

Shopping small benefits everyone. Shop your local mom and pop business this weekend, support an indie or small business online, shop Amazon via your favorite website or blog or take your family out for a meal at a local non-chain restaurant. Your support will go a long way with a small business.

You can shop small with Get Career Help this weekend by taking advantageof the Small Business Saturday Special . If you are employed and considering a career change in 2012, this special will help you take charge of your career and promote yourself to happiness.

Enjoy Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but I hope that you will also pledge to support at least one small business this weekend. Your small support can make a big difference!

I am so thankful for every reader of this blog. I am humbled that I have the opportunity to share my experience and expertise with you. I hope that you have a wonderful and joyous Thanksgiving, and may the coming days bring you even more reasons to be thankful.

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Your career is one of the most important aspects of your life.  It provides you with the economic means to live your chosen lifestyle, provides you with a sense of purpose and fulfillment, and is likely a large part of your overall social network.  Few things in business just happen.  Strategies are developed, tactics are executed and outcomes managed.  Your career deserves the same careful attention and management that you give to actually performing your job.

Although you may be employed by a company, your career should be treated like a business.  Your product is “you” and it your job to ensure that your product keeps pace with the changing market and that it is marketed to the right customer base with the right message.  In managing your career there are a few strategies that we can take from business and apply to career management.

1. Innovation and continuous improvement – Invest in your value by keeping your knowledge and skills fresh. What skills can you add that will make your more marketable? How can you apply your current skills in fresh new ways?
2. Competitive Intelligence – This includes business/industry competitive intelligence as well as hiring decisions and trends.  Knowing the industry and being able to identify trends is important as this can help you to spot unmet needs as well as emerging sectors.  Competitive intelligence will also aid you in demonstrating your knowledge to potential employers in the interview.
3. Identification of Target Market – A critical aspect of career management is taking time to identify who would benefit from your unique experience.  Without clearly profiling your target, you will be unable to develop a clear and compelling market message.
4. Strategic Marketing Plans – Once you have identified your target market you can develop a strategic marketing plan to reach them.  This is your roadmap for the route that you will take and resources needed to get there. A key component of your plan will obviously be your résumé.  Your plan however should also detail the tactics for achieving your goals – i.e. working with a career coach, contacting executive recruiters, networking.
5. Unique Selling Proposition – What makes you different from your competition?  What unique skills, knowledge, or experience do you have that separates you from others?  You will use your USP to demonstrate to employers why they should choose you.

Your career represents more than your source of income, it is a significant part of your identity.  You have invested time, money and resources into achieving your current success.  If you are like most, there was a fair amount of personal sacrifice along the way as you pursued your goals.  Given the priority of career in one’s life it would be unreasonable to leave it to chance.  How can you position yourself for career leadership if you are unwilling to lead your own career?

Before you begin writing, it is a good idea to assemble the information you will need to write your resume. Do not be daunted by the amount of information you gather, you may need only bits and pieces from documents but it will be much easier to have it ready at your fingertips. The checklist below will help you in your preparation.

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• Last version of your resume
• Employment history (employer names, location, dates)
• Most recent performance evaluation
• Letters / Statements of recognition from employers, vendors, colleagues and/or clients
• Awards/Honors
• List of professional, social, civic affiliations
• Psychometric Assessments / Summary (i.e. DISC, Myers-Briggs)
• List of professional courses, including those offered through employer
• List of publications
• Speaking Engagements
• Patents
• List of References (5-10)
• Social Media Profiles
• Special assignments, i.e. project teams, interim assignments

It is also helpful to take some time and note:

• What do you like about your current or last job?
• What type of work environment do you desire (small, team focused, energetic)
• What things do you do well?
• What are you areas of weakness?

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Social media is a great platform to connect with online communities and mobilize people. Our strategy focuses on creating and executing programs that bridge traditional and new media to engage with candidates and deepen relationships. –Monica Pons

You can read the entire interview here.

Employers are becoming savvier about building an employer brand online. Candidates must become equally assertive about building and managing their employee brand. Today, companies like NBCUniversal are using the social web to discover and engage with potential hires. This makes it critical to be vigilant about having a clear, consistent professional brand on and offline. The days of personal branding being reserved for the trendsetting trailblazers are over. Like it or not you are a brand and it is up to you to define and deliver your brand promise. Below are 3 tips for building and managing your employee brand online.

Profiles with a Purpose

Use your online profiles to convey your brand identity and values.  Who are you as a professional and what do you value? What can you offer to an organization? Have a clear vision about who you are and then succinctly convey it in your profiles. Remember that your profile does not have to be dry and boring. Tastefully injecting personality into your profiles will show your humanity and invite people to engage with you.

Monitor your Mentions

If an employer does a Google search for your name, what will they find? In addition to googling your name, and email address it’s a good idea to assess and monitor your mentions. Addictomatic and How Socialable are two free tools that scour the social web for your entered keywords and terms . Both will often find items not captured by Google. Negative information can be as damaging as no information at all. Many companies today place value on a candidate’s ability to navigate the social web. At the very least you should have a presence on LinkedIn.

Master your Message

Take some time to develop your brand message and align your online profiles and content with that message. You can support that message through the information you share online. If you are an expert in technology, share emerging trends, demonstrate that you are a thought leader in your field. You can use your existing profiles such as Facebook and LinkedIn to share information that supports your personal brand. For even more sharing start a blog using WordPress, Tumblr or Posterous Spaces or make use of content curation tools such as Storify and Summify.

Employers are online, are you ready to be found?

Related articles

• You: How Recruiters Use Social Networks to Screen Candidates [INFOGRAPHIC] (mashable.com)

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The vast majority of job seekers will do nothing more than send out resumes and wait for return calls.  This task oriented approach is not the most efficient way to secure a job. The 7 tips below will help you to judiciously direct your efforts so that you get the interview and have the opportunity to sell yourself to potential employers.

1. Prepare a targeted resume. Your resume is a marketing document and should be written with your target audience in mind. This may mean that you will make multiple modifications to the information during your search process. You want to present only the information that is relevant and will resonate with your audience.
2. Be reference ready. Contact your references in advance to remind them of key details such as dates and key accomplishments. If you are unsure how or if references will respond, hire a professional service to do reference checking for you.
3. Brainstorm. Make a list of five creative ideas or tools that you can use to win you the job. Be creative but mindful about what will work in your industry. Your list may include things such as creating a presentation resume, finding an innovative way to meet a potential employer or sending your resume in a creative package.
4. Identify your target. Make a list of 5-10 companies that you would consider as future employers. Having a focused list will help you to be intentional in your search. Create a database for target employers and note the dates of contact and any follow-up details.
5. Meet and greet. Look for opportunities to connect with industry influencers and target employers in your area.  Your daily paper, the company’s website or local business journal are all good sources to find events. Don’t limit yourself to networking events. You may find that someone on your list is giving a lecture at a local college or delivering a presentation at an event.
6. Help your network to help you. Use your target list to ask for help you’re your network. Most people will reach out to their network with a generic request to keep an eye out for opportunities. It is much more effective to ask for an inside contact at the company or a supplier to the company.  LinkedIn is a great tool to help you discover who is connected to your target companies.
7. Know your value. List the contributions that you can make to a future employer.  Is there a problem or need that you are uniquely qualified to solve?  Get creative and turn your solution into a video or presentation.

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While this may feel like the Great Depression of our grandparents’ era, today’s job search requires a thoroughly modern approach. Searching for a job requires a much more tailored approach that is customized to your desired employer and shows your talents and skills in action. To get noticed in this market, you have to be willing to go big to get noticed.

In “Get Hired – 5 Ways to Rise Above the Crowd, SlideRocket offered several creative ways to stand out, including Facebook Ads, QR codes, and Presentation resumes. All of the ideas present creative ways to begin a conversation with a potential employer. Of course, you will still need your traditional resume  - for HR and internal sharing for the interview – so have it ready when you are tapped for follow-up. These ideas are all about creating an opportunity for a second look by standing above the crowd.

Just because you can’t ditch the resume entirely does not mean you’re stuck with a boring one dimensional document.  Gain ideas from Save Delete’s 100 Most Creative Resumes of All Time. These out of the box styles are sure to inspire ideas of your own.

The bottom line is that you should not be afraid to incorporate real world tools in your job search. Take an active role of creating an opportunity rather than waiting for fortune or database algorithms to smile upon you. You should be able to clearly tell your story to a potential employer without limiting yourself to the traditional resume.

If you’re not using creativity in your search, what’s holding you back? If 2.0 tactics landed you a job, tell others about it in the comments box.

Related articles

• 51+ Essential Resources for the Digitally Savvy Job Hunter (mashable.com)
• 30 Ideas: The Ideas of Successful Job Search

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