Hallie Crawford

Hallie Recommends: Womenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success

Womenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay

I just got this in the mail and am so excited to read it! The book addresses controversial and compelling topics about new trends in the workplace; like offering flex time makes for more productive employees. It has received great reviews. Let me know what you think of it.

Hallie Crawford
Certified Career Coach & Speaker

Live Career Workshop August 11th

There's no doubt about it - the world can seem like a scary place right now. And for many of us, what is especially unnerving is the way the unemployment rate continues to rise. If you are one of those fearful of losing your job, have recently been laid off, or are searching for your ideal career - this presentation is a must-attend event.

Career transitions can be trying; and even more difficult during a job crisis. In this FREE workshop “Survive the Job Crisis: Creating Career Possibilities for Yourself in Three Short Steps”, you will learn how to successfully manage whatever career transition you are currently facing.

In this presentation, I will give you the three critical steps you need to take right now in order to survive the job crisis. I will show you how to create possibilities for yourself - despite the tough economy. If you want to find out how to survive, and even thrive, during these tough times, join us!

Listen to Hallie's audio message for this event here

Tuesday August 11th
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Social Hall at Temple Kol Emeth located at 1415 Old Canton Rd. in Marietta, GA.

Get directions from Google Maps

**This event is free and open to the public! Please feel free to bring your friends, family and anyone else who can benefit.**

Hallie Crawford
Career Coach

Overcoming your career transition obstacles

To successfully transition into a new career path, you need to learn to overcome the obstacles you will encounter along the way.

1. Be committed, walk your talk. You have to be 100% committed to overcoming your obstacles; it can't be all talk. If an obstacle pops up and you become frustrated, angry or even worried, you have to be committed to pushing through those worries or negative thoughts. Otherwise, you will remain stuck.

2. Learn from disappointment. If you don't land the first job you go for, don't let that stop you. Disappointment is part of life. Keep going. Learn from the experience and turn the disappointment into motivation or determination to find another job.

3. Turn obstacles into challenges to conquer and overcome. What's getting in the way of you landing your ideal job (salary, experience, etc.)? Don't sit and mope. Figure out your next move. For instance, you could ask for more benefits to make up for a lower salary. Or, you could begin freelancing to get the experience you need for the position you really want.

Final thought: The people I know who are successful in finding a career they love, are not people who avoided failure or didn't have obstacles - but people who knew how to overcome those failures and obstacles!!

For more help with identifying or overcoming your obstacles, contact me for a complimentary consultation, I'm here to help.

Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Certified Career Coach

Tips for Job Hunting During a Recession Part II

On Wednesday we looked three job hunting tips during a recession. You can read those here.

The "R" word tends to scare people in the workplace. We think we'd better hold onto our jobs, or if we're looking for a new job we think the task is going to be that much more daunting. People get fearful and freaked out. It doesn't have to be that way! Yes a recession affects the economy and therefore the hiring decisions employers are going to make. But if you approach your job search from a place of fear or desperation it's not going to go well - period. So don't do this. Assume that you will be able to find something that works for you regardless. Just be smart about it and re-consider what you're looking for if you need to.

Here are tips 4-6:

4: Know your limits: You may have to accept less money, benefits or something else during a recession. Before you go on the interview, know your limits. What's the least you can accept and still feel comfortable? Remember to ask for more than you need at the beginning. You can negotiate down but it's much harder to negotiate up.

5: Amp up your networking efforts: Knowing someone who works in the field you want to work in always helps, but is even more critical during a recession when companies aren't necessarily combing the internet for resumes. Brush off your list of networking contacts and see who else you can add to the list and get in touch with to network. Look for local networking groups. Don't be shy! This is the time to brush up on your networking skills.

6: Finally, remain positive and optimistic: Don't assume the worst, assume that you'll find something. It will help you attract what you want!

Consider this... Landing a job during a recession comes with a bonus. If a company is ready to hire you during tough times - they must really need you and want you on board. That means, this is your chance to shine - to make a difference there and have a big impact on the organization

Hallie Crawford
Career Coaching Expert

Tips for Job Hunting During a Recession Part I

The "R" word tends to scare people in the workplace. We think we'd better hold onto our jobs, or if we're looking for a new job we think the task is going to be that much more daunting. People get fearful and freaked out. It doesn't have to be that way! Yes a recession affects the economy and therefore the hiring decisions employers are going to make. But if you approach your job search from a place of fear or desperation it's not going to go well - period. So don't do this. Assume that you will be able to find something that works for you regardless. Just be smart about it and re-consider what you're looking for if you need to.

Here are tips 1-3:

1: Be money-wise: Re-evaluate your budget if you need to. If you can't find a job for the next few months, do you need to dip into savings to stay afloat and not feel strapped and scared? Are there things (like consulting, taking odd jobs you find on Craig's list) you can do in the short term to bring in some income. Remember you don't want to come from a place of fear when job hunting. Feeling cash strapped can make you fearful and feel desperate. Do things to manage your finances so you don't get into that position.

2: Be ok with something less: If you need immediate income, be ok with taking something you may consider beneath your skill or experience level. Money is money and if you need it, do something about it. It's ok to do temp work, or take a short term part time job that isn't your ideal. There's nothing wrong with this! It serves a purpose. I did temp work for months while I was in career transition. It got me out of the house and made me feel better. Which in turn, helped my job search. Remember it's only temporary while you're looking for something bigger.

3: Be realistic: Is the job you're trying to land realistic for you, or do you need to gain more experience/learn new skills to get it? People are probably less willing to take a chance during a recession so make sure the job you're applying for is realistic for you.

We’ll look at three more tips on Friday!

Hallie Crawford
Career Coach

Creating Career Possibilities

On Thursday July 9th I had the pleasure of speaking to Congregation Beth Shalom job seeker's networking meeting in Atlanta. The topic was "Survive the Job Crisis: Creating Career Possibilities for Yourself in 3 Short Steps".

It was a great event and I met some great people. If you live in Atlanta, be sure you know when my next event is by joining my newsletter list here: http://www.halliecrawford.com/newsletter.html    

You can hear more about this topic on my free audio here:
http://www.halliecrawford.com/careeraudios.html#possibilities

Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Certified Career Coach

Free Career Transition Teleclass on Tuesday

Join me on Tuesday July 21, 2009 at noon ET for “Three Critical Keys to Navigating Your Transition to Your Ideal Career" –

Discover live the 3 things you need to know in order to make a transition to a career you LOVE.

Register here: http://http://www.halliecrawford.com/criticalkeys.html

Have a great weekend!

Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Career Coach

Blast Through Your Obstacles

"Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them." ~Orison Swett Marden

What obstacles are getting in the way of your career transition?

Check out this great video about one boy's determination to overcome his obstacles: www.video.yahoo.com/watch/1197420/4273255   

Hallie Crawford
Career Transition Coach

It’s not to late to get ahead in your job search

Don’t miss our job search teleclass “Stop Spinning in Your Job Search: 3 Ways to Get Ahead of the Traffic” Friday at 12 noon ET.

This call is for you if you want to learn key strategies to conduct an effective job search. If you need help with resume and cover letter tips, need to brush up on your interview skills, and are looking to get networking advice that you can begin using right away, don’t delay. Register today. Space is limited: www.halliecrawford.com/jobsearch.html

Here’s to landing your dream job!

Hallie Crawford
Career Coach and Speaker

Interview Tip - Create Your Five Key Point Agenda

You've heard it before, you need to prepare for the interview. Research the company, find out who you're interviewing with, and review the typical interview questions people tend to ask. These are important and -- you should prepare further. Go beyond this basic interview prep. Here’s one way to do this:

Think about the 5 key points you want to get across during the interview. You may assume that the prospective employer runs the show during an interview. Most people think that’s the case, but it’s not 100% accurate. You get to drive the agenda of the meeting more than you think. Don’t be passive about prepping for your interviews, trying to guess what they might ask you. Be pro-active and consider the 5 key things you want them to know about you! Write down the answers to the following questions: Why would you be the ideal candidate for the job? What are your best qualities and accomplishments that are relevant to this position? What unique talents and abilities do you bring to the table?

Then be pro-active during the interview. Make sure you communicate your 5 key points by giving specific examples that illustrate each one. On the day of the interview, two things can potentially happen. One, the interviewer will ask you specific questions where you can simply "slant" your responses around the points you planned to mention. Or, two, you'll end up talking about other things - but when the time comes that they ask for your questions or thoughts, you can use this opportunity to make your points. Write them down and have them in front of you if you'd like. There's nothing wrong with that. Remember, the interview is a two way street. You are also interviewing them to make sure the job is the right fit for you.

Do you need more interviewing help? Join us for our next Job Search Teleclass “Stop Spinning in Your Job Search: 3 Ways to Get Ahead of the Traffic” on Friday July 17th at noon ET. Click here to learn more: www.halliecrawford.com/jobsearch.html

Hallie Crawford
Certified Career Coach