Can your resume engage a human resource manager and make them want to read more? Or, does it just blend in with all other task-oriented resumes they receive? This week’s guest expert Andrea Gerson has seen thousands of resumes, and shares her best practices to help you get the attention of your intended employer. She says, “It can be challenging for people to quantify what they have done, and to brag about their contributions.” Most people are encouraged to be humble and not to boast about their accomplishments, but a job seeker can miss out on a great career opportunity, if they don’t properly quantify their competencies and qualify their contributions on their resume. Use these resume tips to help you get an interview: Use the primary real estate (top third) of your resume to engage your reader. Add quantitative information about your high-level accomplishments that pertain to the job for which you are applying. Include your goals and intentions, and how they may benefit the prospective company. Add pertinent information in bite-sized pieces, and in concise bullet points. Use the S.T.A.R. Framework, and be consistent when formatting your resume. You have one chance to make an impact to get the job you want. Make the most of it! Andrea Gerson Bio Andrea Gerson helps professionals find clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of energy in their work. Andrea is the founder of Resume Scripter. She has created and edited resumes and cover letters for more than 3,000 people. And, her client’s organizations have included Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Bloomberg, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, the United Nations, and The Red Cross. Ben’s Job Search Resource: Ben’s resource this week is from Epic CV’s resume section and is titled "10 Pros, 4 Cons and 5 Risks of Graphic Resumes". 9 out of 10 people do not benefit from a non-traditional resume, but if your job description includes graphic design or creative director, a graphic resume may give you an advantage. If you are applying for a job and you know your resume will go through an automated keyword based system, do not, don’t, never ever and refrain from submitting a graphic resume. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac respond to Heath Padgett’s question, “How do you support members of your family while they look for a job?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected], or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air, you will receive a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere (to be published February 1, 2017). Or, if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected], and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. Ben and Jenna’s segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course is now live, so register today! If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. presidential election wrapped up last week, but politics remains a charged and potentially divisive issue. This brings up an interesting question for job seekers: how much of your own political beliefs should you share online and with prospective employers? How much politics is too much politics? This is part of a larger conversation about balancing your values against how those values impact your job search. It's important to be yourself so that you can find the right organizational culture fit. At the same time, you need to know that nearly any political posture may limit your job search options. Tips from the Mac's List Team: Remove any inflammatory political statements from social media. Know your Facebook privacy settings.  (Need some help with this? Check out our free course, How to Wow and Woo Employers Online.) Practice restraint. "Don't be the crazy uncle at Thanksgiving Dinner." Don't write anything that you wouldn't want to be seen as a headline on a major newspaper. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past, hiring managers using a telephone to solicit feedback from job references yielded a low, 50% return rate. Today, online reference tools and surveys boast a reference return rate of 85-90%! For job seekers, this makes furnishing quality referrals to potential employers a necessity. “Feedback is accumulated by various ways,” says guest expert, Ray Bixler. Metrics evaluated by employers include the number of references a job seeker offers, how long it takes an applicant to enter the reference names and what feedback the references supply. Job seekers can improve their results by being prepared with complete information about their references and entering the information as soon as the prospective employer sends the email. Tips for Job Seekers: Meet with your references to ask their permission to use their name and to let them know what is expected of them. Have your references ready in advance, as the reference process is moving ahead in the hiring process; sometimes references are requested before the first interview is granted. Give five references, with at least two being former managers. Fill out an employer’s reference request completely, and as soon as possible after receiving it. Remember, a prepared reference has time to think about all the great things you have done! Ray Bixler Bio Ray Bixler is CEO of SkillSurvey, an online reference checking technology firm that helps organizations recruit, hire, and retain talent. Ray has more than 20 years of human resource and career development experience. Ray’s organization has just launched the new solution, Source. Source gives references an opportunity to become applicants with the employer requesting their input. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Ben’s resource this week is a blog post from Main St entitled "5 Job Reference Myths That Can Destroy Your Chances and Reputation." The content includes common occurrences job seekers frequently overlook. Be sure to listen to Mac’s List bonus episode about ”How to Deal with a Bad Reference,” with Vicki Lind. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac respond to Paul Frazier’s question, “How to negotiate salary, benefits and time off when you fear an employer may rescind the job offer.” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected], or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air, you will receive a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere (to be published February 1, 2017). Or, if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected], and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. Ben and Jenna’s segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course is now live, so register today! If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “glass ceiling” is a concept that a woman who tries to progress in her career may only reach a mid-level position, says guest expert Elisa Doucette. The phrase, “glass ceiling,” denotes that a woman is able to see men, through a pane of glass, in positions above her own, but she is not able to break the glass, to reach a higher level in the organization.  Elisa says corporations have adopted a set of values towards women (or men) who are not willing to put aside their career or personal values and sell their souls, to make money. And although the concept has evolved since the 1970’s, the glass ceiling still exists -- just in a modified form. Elisa says corporations have adopted a set of values towards women (or men) who are not willing to put aside their career or personal values and sell their souls, to make money. And although the concept has evolved since the 1970’s, the glass ceiling still exists -- just in a modified form. Women need to understand the paradigm and know that corporations aren’t out to get them just because they are a woman. A woman needs to understand what motivates her employer and use actions -- not just words -- to show her value. If a woman can show how she will impact the company’s bottom line, she can start owning her own trajectory within the organization. Three tips women can use to show their employer how amazing they are: Quantify your accomplishments with hard numbers, to show the value you bring to an organization. Make sure your voice is heard, and be willing to defend your opinions. Understand your priorities, both business and personal. Move past “What can I do about it?” and start developing your iron will and thick skin! Elisa Doucette Bio Elisa Doucette is a freelance writer and editor.  Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Small Business, The Huffington Post, and Brazen Careerist. She runs the online editorial agency, Craft Your Content, and hosts the weekly podcast, Writers’ Rough Drafts. Elisa is also responsible for the syndicated column, Shattering Glass, on Forbes.com. She can be found on Twitter, @elisadoucette, and on Instagram, @elisa_doucette. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Ben’s resource this week is a list of 250 Flexible Jobs for 2016, which can be  found at FlexJobs 250: Companies with the Most Flexible Jobs. A flexible work schedule can benefit any employee, but traditionally women tend to take more responsibility in caring for older relatives and children. Flexjobs can include telecommuting, part-time work, and freelance opportunities. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac respond to Dan Reifenberger’s question, “How do I attract a company I want to work for if it isn’t currently hiring?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected], or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air, you will receive a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere (to be published February 1, 2017). Or, if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected], and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. Ben and Jenna’s segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course in now live, so sign up today! If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, the Mac's List team, Mac Prichard, Ben Forstag, and Jenna Forstrom talk about the single biggest mistake most job seekers make. They spend too much time and energy on job boards! Job boards can be a great resource. But did you know, 8 out of 10 jobs never make it on a job board?  That's employers prefer to hire candidates they already know and trust.  If you are looking for a job only on job boards, chances are you are missing out on 80% of the job opportunities you might be interested in.  As a business owner - even one who owns a job board site - Mac uses the hidden job market to hire his employees. If you are looking for a job only on job boards, chances are you are missing out on 80% of all job opportunities! Want to learn more about this hidden job market?  Today, we launched the Hack the Hidden Job Market online course.  It's a 12-part video course, where Mac walks you through the entire job hunting process. It's full of practical tips for job hunting, strategies for networking, and is completely inspired our community's questions that we've been hearing at Mac's List for years. In Hack the Hidden Job Market, we remove the curtain of confusion when it comes to job seeking.  Help you get focused on your career goals, which allows you to job hunt effectively.  Plus, we've got tons of additional bonus materials, podcasts, PDFs, website resources and a private Facebook group with monthly mastermind meetings with the entire Mac's List team. Interested in learning more?  Sign up for Hack the Hidden Job Market is available now at www.macslist.org/course.  Find your dream job faster and with less frustration! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The days of working for the same company for 30-years and retiring with a full pension are a thing of the past. Today, people have a powerful sense they need to consistently consider what their next career or job change will be. There are even employees who are worried about what hiring managers will think about a long stint at just one company. Guest expert New York Times Columnist, Rob Walker, says hiring managers look more for applicable skills or a major red flag than time on job titles. He says it’s important to stay on top of what is available in the job market and to periodically conduct informational interviews so you know what your value is in the marketplace. Checking job boards can also help a job seeker to understand what additional skills they could acquire before they might need to find other employment. Keep your resume current if opportunities for growth arise in your current environment. And, be proactive about changes you can make in the workplace. Signs it might be time to move on: Issues in Business Sector. Your responsibilities are diminishing. Someone starts taking over your tasks. If you do get a new job when departing your current company: Follow the rules of the organization. If they request two-weeks notice, give two-weeks notice. Don’t try to settle scores during your exit, no matter how angry you are. Your skills are valuable! Make sure you know what you are worth. Rob Walker Bio Rob Walker writes the "The Workologist" column for the Sunday business section of The New York Times and blogs for Design Observer.  He’s the author of four books and has written for such publications as Slate.com, New York Times Magazine, Money, and The American Lawyer. You can find out more about Rob at RobWalker.net. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Ben’s resource this week is the list of The Best (and Worst) Jobs in 2016 from CareerCast. The list is based on factors such as salary, work environment, and job prospects.  It may not be as awesome as puppy watching or Crayola Color Girl, but being a Data Scientist tops the list of the best job on the planet. You may not want to know what the worst job on the list is, just in case it is what you are doing right now. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac respond to Karl Borton’s question — “How do I market myself to employers in states other than my own?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air you will receive a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere (to be published February 1, 2017). Or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. Ben and Jenna’s segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course launches November 1st . If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you just land an interview? Congratulations! Now, it’s time to prepare. The interview stage is the time to show an organization how you will fit into the culture and how you can solve a company’s problems. It is the first time the organization will see you, hear your voice and get an impression, so make it impactful. Guest expert, Caroline Dowd-Higgins, shares her professional tips on how to land your dream job through great interview techniques. Caroline says research before an interview is imperative but it’s something many people fail to do. To prepare, first, print out a copy of the job description, highlight the attributes the company is looking for and write down a compelling story and/or an example of how you embody these points. Using the job description to help the interviewer understand why you are a good fit shows initiative. Storytelling Tips: Practice. If you don’t have a specific skill, find something that is relatable. Start with “I’d like to tell you a story.” Make your stories natural and authentic. Chemistry and culture are a huge part of whether or not an applicant will fit into an organization. Given the amount of time we spend with our work families, it is vital that we not only fit into an organization but fit well. Show your true self during an interview so the hiring manager can get a clear picture of what you will be like at work. Pro Tip - Take a video of yourself practicing for your interview. Use appropriate body language. Remember, a strong voice exudes confidence, eye contact makes a connection, and filler words can be eliminated with a little practice. And, if for any reason you do not feel you were able to share your skills and abilities completely during the course of the interview, use closing remarks to summarize why you are a good fit for the position. Go Get ‘em Tiger! Caroline Dowd-Higgins Bio Caroline Dowd-Higgins is executive director of career and professional development for the Indiana University Alumni Association. She’s the author of the book, This Is Not the Career I Ordered and she has a new book, Thrive! Where You Are, coming out in 2017 . Caroline also hosts the podcast, Your Working Life, and the online video series, Thrive! And she’s a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, Ellevate Women’s Network, The Rouse, and The Chronicle newspaper. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Ben’s resource this week is a post from the Recruitloop blog. It is a list of 75 hypothetical experience-based questions that draw from past experiences in an effort to anticipate future reactions. 75 Behavioural Interview Questions To Select The Best Candidate. What makes this list special is that it is designed for recruiters. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac respond to Katherine Moore’s question — “How can I persuade my employer to pay for my continuing education?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. If we use your question on the air you will receive a copy of our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere (to be published February 1, 2017). Or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. Ben and Jenna’s segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course launches November 1st .If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On an earlier podcast, guest expert, Hannah Morgan, spoke about how to nail your next phone interview.  While wrapping up the interview, she suggested informing the hiring manager you are still interested in the role and asking the question, "Would you think of any reason why I wouldn't be moved forward in this process?"  We thought this was a great question, that required a little more in depth conversation.  On this podcast bonus, Mac, Ben, and Jenna sit down and talk about the pros and cons of asking, "Why wouldn't you hire me?" Have you asked this question before?  Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below. These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course launches November 1st — Lock in your early bird pricing now. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you are between jobs you may find yourself with an abundance of unstructured time on your hands. Trying to make the most out of your day will be frustrating if you don’t know how to effectively manage your time. Guest expert, Matt Kepnes, aka Nomadic Matt, shares his tips and processes for accomplishing large and small tasks, even if you are on the road. Creating artificial constructs within your day can force you to complete assignments and is more effective than making a list. Lists are great for the grocery store but if you want to make sure harder tasks are tackled, create a schedule for yourself. One method to create an artificial construct is batching. Batching is restricting blocks of your time for one specific task. For example, batching emails for one hour means you will only read and respond to emails within hour you have blocked. Distractions can kill productivity. Social media sites, phone calls, and unplanned interruptions are things we all get distracted by. To reduce the level of distractions during your work time Matt recommends job seekers: Create routines. Familiarity lowers the chance of interferences. Use the Self-Control app to block distracting websites during your work hours. Schedule projects in advance and then follow the daily schedule. Go to a coffee shop with wifi to get away from distractions when working from home. Schedule a block of time to polish up your resume! Matt Kepnes Bio Matthew Kepnes runs the award winning budget travel site, Nomadic Matt, and wrote the New York Times bestseller, How to Travel the World on $50 a Day. After a trip to Thailand in 2005, Matt decided to quit his job, finish his MBA and head off into the world. His original trip was supposed to last a year. Over ten years later, he is still out roaming around and teaching others how to do the same. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Ben’s resource this week is a free online tool to save job seekers from the embarrassment of typos and grammatical errors. Grammarly can be used online or as a plugin and it identifies over 250 types of writing errors, many of which Microsoft Word doesn’t catch. Grammarly’s versatility allows it to function on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. when added as a plugin to the Chrome browser. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac respond to Kelly G.’s question — “How do I market my soft skills?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. Or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course launches November 1st — Lock in your early bird pricing now. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Employers may use phone interviews to save time, get a sense of an applicant’s personality and test their skill level. This phone screening saves an employer time allowing them to weed out those who may not have essential skills needed for the open position. Job applicants do not always know when a hiring manager or recruiter will be calling to conduct an interview. If you are caught unprepared or your situation is not ideal to respond to their questions,  it is perfectly acceptable to ask the interviewer to reschedule the call. But, be sure to ask for their number, so the follow-up task belongs to you — not the interviewer. Guest expert, Hannah Morgan says it is a good idea to do your homework and research the company and job posting thoroughly before the phone interview. She says it is best to prepare yourself with stories and examples of times you succeeded in completing similar tasks required for the job and focus on the positive outcomes. Use the company’s website to find out about its mission statement and who its customers are. The more you know the more relaxed you will be during the interview. Background research also helps you to prepare a list of questions to help you gain insights about your possible future employer. Pro Tip: Your questions should be different if you are speaking with a manager in the division you wish to work in than if you are speaking with a person in Human Resources. Non-verbal body language is important during a phone interview. Try these tried and true techniques: Stand up or walk around during the interview. This opens up your diaphragm and projects your voice. Smile while speaking. It enhances your voice. Don’t talk over the interviewer. Take a moment before answering questions to ensure you don’t interrupt. Dress in business attire. Studies show people feel more confident when they are dressed up. Always end the conversation with questions about possible timeframes for filling the opening, when you should expect to hear back from the employer and  anything else you don’t want to be left wondering about. Hannah says some job seekers will even end with a trial close. The question “Can you think of any reason why you wouldn’t move me forward in the process?” allows applicants to clarify any possible misunderstandings and to overcome objections. Show courtesy and always send a thank you note! Hannah Morgan Bio Hannah Morgan is the founder of Career Sherpa.net Her talks, blog posts, and books offer no-nonsense, actionable advice to active and passive job seekers.  Hannah writes a weekly column for U.S. News & World Report and is the author of The Infographic Resume, published by McGraw-Hill Education. For additional career-related information follow Hannah on Twitter @careersherpa. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Ben shares a blog post titled, Can I Turn Down a Skype Interview and Suggest a Phone Call Instead?, from the Ask a Manager blog which is managed by Allison Green. The article suggests it is OK to request a phone call based on the available technology. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac respond to Nathan Brennan’s question — “Is there a good way to respond to an unsolicited salary rate a recruiter presents to you over the phone?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. Or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course launches November 1st — Lock in your early bird pricing now. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On August 30, 2016 Mac Prichard, founder and publisher of Mac’s List, talked with Angela Copeland, career coach and founder of Coaching Copeland, a website that has been helping job seekers for over 10 years.  On top of that, Copeland is a Career Corner newspaper columnist and author of "Breaking the Rules & Getting the Job."  She also runs Copeland Coaching Podcast, where she interviewed Mac. In this podcast episode, Mac shares his secrets to hacking the hidden job market, to mastering informational interviews, and how long your job search should really take. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you have a personal website, a personal business card or a folder of compliments you have received? If not, you should, says this week’s guest expert, Michelle Ward of When I Grow Up Coach. A person is more than their current job title. And often, personal projects and hobbies tell more of your story than your job description does. If you want to stay in the driver’s seat of your career, you should consistently keep up on what is working for you and any wins you have. Create a separate folder (online or on paper) and add any kudos or accolades you receive throughout the course of a year, and update your resume accordingly. This will save you time and frustration during your annual performance review and you will be ready in the event that an unexpected opportunity arises. These resources make it easy to: Track your accomplishments online with Evernote Share information about yourself with About.me Give hiring managers a reason to be interested in you with Branded.me Michelle also advises job seekers to create an elevator pitch about themselves. You are much more than your field of work. When someone asks you what you do, expound on your job title by adding your skills set. This is extremely useful if you are attending a networking event or conference. Remember, conferences are opportunities for learning and connecting. Don’t dread your work! Michelle Ward Bio Michelle Ward has been offering career guidance for creative women as “The When I Grow Up Coach” since 2008. She is the co-author of The Declaration of You, published by North Light Books. Michelle also teaches a class, Create Your Dream Career and Ditch Your Day Job, on CreativeLive.com. Michelle is excited to be launching her new program, 90 Day Business Launch at the end of October. You can find out more about Michelle Ward and all of her programs on her website When I Grow Up Coach. You can also sign up to get access to her free monthly interview series. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Ben shares a job search app for your mobile phone called Switch. It’s a quick and easy way to see what jobs are available in your area and if they are of interest to you. Switch has been dubbed the Tinder of job searches.    Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac respond to Matt Cundill’s question — “How do you know if it is time to leave your industry for a new sector and how do you successfully make the change?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. Or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course launches November 1st — Lock in your early bird pricing now. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If the purpose of networking is to build relationships, then why would you only network when you are job hunting? Guest expert, Angela Copeland says it takes time for someone to get to know you, so start networking now. If you are unsure of  where to find information about networking events, Angela suggests to look online for associations or groups in your field of work, contact the local Chamber of Commerce or go to Meetup.com. You may feel more comfortable at a networking event that is a good fit for you. It’s advisable to target events where you have a decent chance of meeting people in your field, you can really connect to. Pro Tip — If you are looking to change fields, have business cards made with your contact information, leaving off your current field of work. It’s okay if you find professional events awkward and scary, everyone else who is there feels the same way. Angela recommends going to networking events alone and being on the lookout for someone who is also there alone. If a person is deeply engaged in conversation with another person, you are less likely to make an impact if you approach. If you do approach someone, ask them personal questions. Personal questions can open people up and help to form a deeper connection. Remember, the person who lands a job is not always the most qualified. It is the person the hiring manager likes the most or has a connection with. Networking Event Do’s: Do have a pitch about yourself in case someone asks. Do make a positive first impression through body language, a smile and being properly dressed for the occasion. Do make sure to be pleasant and authentic. Do ask personal questions instead of business questions. Do learn something new. Do follow up with an email or LinkedIn connection with every person you meet. Networking Event Dont’s: Don’t talk about your job search. Don’t just talk with the person who attended with you. Don’t forget networking and relationship building takes time. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t make a connection at the event. Shake everyone’s hand firmly and be pleasant! Angela Copeland Bio Angela Copeland is the CEO of Copeland Coaching. Her firm helps people at all stages of the job search process, including finding the right job, interviewing for a position, and negotiating an offer. Angela is the author of Breaking The Rules and Getting The Job. She also hosts the Copeland Coaching Podcast and writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column on careers. If you would like to follow Angela on Twitter, @CopelandCoach is her handle. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Ben shares a LinkedIn post from Melissa De Witte Do-It-Yourself Headshots - And You Can Even Use Your iPhone. The article includes the exact steps and settings you will need to get a professional looking headshot, which is essential for your LinkedIn profile. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac provide feedback to Pat Guiles’ audio question — “How should I inform my previous employer about my new job?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. Or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course launches November 1st — Lock in your early bird pricing now. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 14, 2016 Mac Prichard, founder and publisher of Mac’s List, talked with Terry Starbucker, cofounder and publisher of Built Oregon, a monthly online magazine that serves to tell Oregon entrepreneurial stories.  Built Oregon also has a podcast called, Making Oregon, this podcast brings you Built Oregon conversations with innovators, makers, doers, disruptors, foodies, dreamers, and groundbreakers from all across the state of Oregon.  These entrepreneurs talk about the inspiration and ingenuity it takes to make Oregon the best place they know to build and sustain a prosperous lifestyle. In this podcast episode, Mac and Terry talk about the Mac's List story and how to find a career driven by purpose. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a structure or blueprint to being a successful person but there is no perfect formula. The design differs for everyone, as guest expert Don Hutcheson explains. It is necessary to dig into who you are and what you are supposed to be doing before attempting to be successful at any one thing. The first quality all successful people have in common is they take full responsibility for their own self-knowledge and self-awareness, and they avoid mindless conformity. If you start with a solid base of knowing who you are on the inside, you eliminate the guessing which leads to reactions and unsatisfactory career choices. Other things successful people have in common is they are all on a lifelong journey of learning, and they surround themselves with like-minded people. They read educational resources about how to use their individual talents and how to strengthen their emotional intelligence. People go through what Don calls “turning points” every 6 or 7 years. If they have a continuous mindset to keep getting better, these turning points will enhance their already honed abilities. To be successful: Do research about yourself and your abilities Set goals for yourself Surround yourself with the right people Accept failure and learn from it Be disciplined Trust your instincts Make strategic decisions, not knee-jerk reactions Don’t be miserable Journal about your experiences Seek out people who have the same values! Book Resources from Don: What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson What Color Is Your Parachute? by Dick Bolles Don’t Waste Your Talents by Don Hutcheson & Dr. Bob McDonald Don Hutcheson Bio Don Hutcheson is a lifelong entrepreneur, inventor, author and coach. He hosts the daily podcast, Discover Your Talent — Do What You Love and has interviewed over 350 successful people. By the end of 2016, he will be offering membership groups and courses, which will include experts on topics such as emotional intelligence, salary negotiations and exposing natural abilities.  Don has never had a boss. Instead, he has created six companies in advertising, publishing, coaching and career planning over the last 40 years. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Ben shares the blog post How to Tell People What You Do—and Be Remembered by Alexandra Franzen on TheMuse.com. The post is about how you can communicate what you do in simple terms, which begins with the Maya Angelou quote “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac provide feedback to Sue Black’s question - “Is there a great career coach for young, recent college grads?” Jenna recommends career coach Satya Byock from Quarter-Life Counseling in the Portland area and Stacey Marie Ishmael’s BuzzFeed podcast, Another Round. If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. Or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course launches November 1st - lock in your early bird pricing now. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes (http://www.macslist.org/itunes). We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know 90% of women who opt out of the workforce will return at some point? The most common reason women decide to opt out is to take care of their children, and in the case of the Generation X-ers to care for elderly parents. While most companies are keenly aware of the necessities of a family, a woman  who is planning to take a career break should plan for her future. Guest expert, Jennifer Gefsky, advises women to start a log of everything they do during their time off. This planning will make the process of reintroducing themselves into the workforce easier. Women do a lot of unpaid work and gain skills, which can be used when transitioning back into the workforce. It’s important to document any work or accomplishments earned in Mom’s groups, in their children's schools or from  volunteering in their communities. Tips to make a transition back into the workforce easier: Keep your professional network alive Strategically consider what you want to do Educate yourself towards your passions Dive into your personal networks Learn to brand yourself The resume gap scares many people. It’s best to own the gap! Don’t explain it away―address it up front because when you show the employer how it can translate back into their business, it won’t need to be justified. Do not be afraid to fail! Jennifer Gefsky Bio Jennifer Gefsky formerly worked as deputy general counsel at Major League Baseball, where she was the highest-ranking woman on the “baseball” side of the business. Jennifer left baseball to raise her three children, and after her career break, she decided not to return to the business of baseball. Jennifer co-founded Après, a digital recruiting site that connects high-caliber women, who want to re-enter the workforce, with great jobs. The website is full of information and you can find @AprèsNYC on Twitter and on Facebook at Après. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Ben shares an amazing online resource this week. Skillshare is an educational site that job hunters can use to acquire additional technical skills. These skills can be used to enhance a current skill set or as a resume filler―to help you get the job you want. There is a cost for courses but many are priced as low as $.99. There are thousands of courses available, along with a global community of learners and teachers who are pursuing work they love. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac provide feedback to Erin, from Oregon, on her question - “What is the best way to present her time off to raise her children on her resume and in person? ” Watch the Mother’s Job Description Hallmark Video Jenna refers to in the podcast. If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. Or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course launches November 1st - lock in your early bird pricing now. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes (http://www.macslist.org/itunes). We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 14, 2016, Ben Forstag published a blog post on Mac’s List, “Why Employers Don’t Include Salaries in their Job Posts (and What You Can Do About It).” This sparked a lengthy and lively discussion in the comments section. We decided to continue the conversation on this week’s Find Your Dream Job podcast.  Mac, Ben and Jenna discuss why employers don’t post a salary range in a job posts and share tips on how you can work around this all-too-common practice. Our tips include: Researching other job postings by the company. Using Glassdoor.com to come up with an estimate. Asking the hiring manager, recruiter or personal contact you know at the company. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keeping a record of career accomplishments is an employee’s own responsibility. If a manager is accountable for ten people, they may not remember the special thing one team member did ten months ago. A person can make it easier on themselves and on their manager by keeping track of their accomplishments, and by letting managers know, specifically, what those accomplishments are. This becomes a powerful tactic when a juicy promotion becomes available. Self-promotion and managing your career is part of your career. An employee should want to gain as much as they can during the course of their career, says guest expert Dan Rust. Self-promotional strategies should be genuine, positive and occur during the course of a normal workday. Tactics to help you toot your own horn at work: Have a response for your boss when they ask how things are going. Make the most of your annual review. Make them see you sweat, BUT meet your deadlines. Offer to help others and tell your boss about it. Promote others. The key is to not be anonymous. Make your ideas or insights known, during a conference call or meeting, even if the idea is incomplete. A study found that those who are willing to step forward with an unpopular idea, leave other people with a higher perception of them. Furthering your career path is a game you can win! Dan Rust Bio Dan Rust is the founder of Frontline Learning, a publisher of corporate training resources. He regularly speaks on employee engagement, productivity and career management. Dan is also the author of a new book, Workplace Poker: Are You Playing the Game, Or Just Getting Played?, and more information can be found at his website Workplace Poker. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Keeping track of accomplishments is useful for many reasons, including resume creation or updates, annual reviews, and for realizing one’s value. Finding the time to pull all of your accomplishments together can be a difficult task in itself. This thorough article, Tools and Techniques for Brainstorming and Tracking Accomplishments from Livecareer.com includes information on journaling techniques, organizational apps and third-party validation ideas. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac provide feedback to Brenda Somes’ question - “How does a super-qualified candidate get a serious employer to even talk to her?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. Or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course launches November 1st - lock in your early bird pricing now. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes (http://www.macslist.org/itunes). We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does your manager fail to notice your accomplishments at evaluation time? If so, it is because “managers are busy” says salary negotiation expert Josh Doody. In addition to managing people, managers are also responsible for running the business and making a profit. Many companies only consider giving employees raises during a focal or anniversary period which can be the most politically challenging time for an employee to ask for a raise. The best way to get a raise or to maximize your salary is to start by doing your homework. Employees should start building their case for a raise 30-60 days before a review and make the process as easy as possible for a manager. To build the best case when asking for a raise you should: One:  Have a target salary in mind which is based on your market value. Use online resources such as Payscale.com, Glassdoor.com or Salary.com. Two:  Put a case together with proof you deserve what you are asking for. Ask for a specific raise amount. Outline the quantitative accomplishments since your current salary was set. Show which activities you have performed and the result they have made to move the business forward. Prepare a list of accolades or social proof from others who have recognized your work. Three:  Show how you are improving the company and how your results align with the goals of the business. When building a case employees should not include reasons which do not carry a positive result for the business such as, buying a new house, kids in college, etc. Remember to make the process as easy on your manager as possible! Josh Doody Bio Josh Doody is an author, consultant, MBA, and engineer who writes about salary negotiation, career management, business, job interviews, and self-publishing.  He is the author of Fearless Salary Negotiation: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Paid What You’re Worth. His current focus is in reaching people directly through one-on-one coaching programs and his Free 7-day course on how to get promoted quickly. You can follow Josh on Twitter @JoshDoody. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Anyone can use Payscale.com to way to find out what jobs are worth based on job title, location, company and experience. Advantages to using the site are targeted salary research, such as, how your salary compares with others who have the same job title and nuanced information on how individual skills can affect your salary. It also includes a comprehensive compensation review so job perks can also be added to the equation. The site is user-data-driven so you may want to limit the amount of personal information you supply. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac provide detailed, honest feedback Shannon Cleary’s situational question - “There is a philanthropic organization that I have applied to 2 jobs to over the last 10 months. I am about to apply for my third. After my last application, I had a phone interview. When I got the rejection email, I replied and asked for time to chat (with my interviewer) or suggestions for things to work on for my next application. I never heard back from her.  So my questions: Should I reach out directly to her and ask for coffee again OR just send in my application as directed by the job post?” If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, send it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. Or if you found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. These segments are sponsored by Hack the Hidden Job Market Course, which starts November 1st. Visit the link above to lock in early bird pricing now. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Jenny Foss, owner of JobJenny.com shares her tips for how to touch base with potential employers (without being a pest) after you’ve had your initial interview.   She reads “The Best Ways to Follow Up After The Interview”, her contribution to our book, Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). Here are Jenny’s top tips to stay top-of-mind with employers: Know the next steps. Ask the employers about the process and timeline so you know the best way to follow-up. Send thank you notes. A simple, but often ignored way to be remembered, especially if you send them to the right people. Connect on LinkedIn. Create a reason to connect on LinkedIn so you can have ongoing dialog with the interviewer. Just don’t make rookie mistakes when you connect. Follow-up by email. Know when and how to reach out for updates. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that your body language is responsible for 60% of your communications and that first impressions are nonverbal? Vanessa Van Edwards, from Science of People, shares some best practices for acing a job interview based on her team’s scientific research.     Body language research shows us that the first thing an interviewer sees is called a ‘glance test.’ Humans used to use this first glance to determine if an approaching person was a friend or foe. It is an instinctive response we still use today, even though we may not be aware of it. To make the most out of our time in front of an interviewer Vanessa offers up these tips... During a job interview applicants should: Nail the first impression by using expansive body language and making their hands visible. Shake the interviewer’s hand at the beginning and at the end of the interview. Demonstrate competence by aligning your body with the interviewer's body, nod to show you are listening and speak naturally. Use your portfolio or leave behind a document to open up an interviewer's closed body language. End the interview with a lean-in handshake and good eye contact. Walk side by side with the interviewer on your way out of the office. If you feel like a winner and have a winner’s posture you will come across as a winner! Vanessa Van Edwards Bio Vanessa Van Edwards is a published author, behavioral investigator, and Huffington Post columnist. Her specialty is science-based people skills. Vanessa runs the Science of People, a Human Behavior Research lab and her unique approach has been featured on CNN, Forbes, NPR, BusinessWeek and in the Wall Street Journal. You can help further Vanessa’s research experiments by visiting the website and clicking on something that interests you. Ben’s Job Search Resources: The free, online tool Apply Mate is Ben’s job research tool of the week. This tool allows job applicants to enter details about jobs which interest them and the Apply Mate database keeps track of the entire process in an intuitive and useful manner. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac provide detailed, honest feedback to answer Haley Twist’s question - “Should job hunters ever consider applying for positions they don’t necessarily want, but are qualified for, to get their foot in the door at a company they really respect?” These segments are sponsored by Hack the Hidden Job Market Course, which starts November 1st. Visit the link above to lock in early bird pricing now. If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, send it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. Or if you found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It pays off to prepare yourself before asking an employer to make your job virtual. Most employers will want to know what’s in it for them before allowing an employee to work from home full-time. A professional way to address your employer’s possible questions and concerns is to make a list of the objections you think they will have, and then build a mini business case around each issue. Showing an employer a value proposition is your quickest way to a yes. Employers appreciate when you can show them: How your productivity will be increased How you plan to hold yourself accountable How your creativity may be sparked The absence of workplace distractions Logistical cost savings When your employer agrees to your proposal of setting up a virtual office, you need to start preparing yourself for success. Melissa says that it is best to be honest with your work style and be sure you can spend long periods alone. Also, you should not consider working from home a substitute for child care. If you want to continue working virtually, you should have other means for your child to be cared for during your work hours. With focus and determination, you can do this! Resources for virtual office information: Harvard Business Review Blogs Fast Company Mashable Virtual Agency Realities Group on LinkedIn FlexJobs Melissa Mathews Bio Melissa Mathews is the founder and president of The Mathews Group, a strategic communications agency built on an entirely virtual, flex-work model. The Mathews Group supports Fortune 100 corporate clients, with a team working from home offices, coffee shops, horse barns and soccer sidelines across the U.S. and international time zones. Melissa believes that if you hire great people and give them the freedom they need to live and work, they’ll exceed your expectations. Learn more at Mathews Group. Ben’s Job Search Resources: This is a simple and free online tool which has revolutionized the ability to connect with people by email. Job seekers can use this tool to contact with hiring managers, to bypass Human Resource Departments or to make sure their email goes to the intended party. Email Address Verifier is very simple to use and allows the user to know if the email address is valid. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac provide detailed feedback to answer Eric Stachon’s question―“Is it possible to make a great second impression if your interview didn’t go as planned?” These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course and Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, send it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. Or if you found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 4, 2016, the New York Times published an article, “Walt Bettinger of Charles Schwab: You’ve Got to Open Up to Move Up,” in which the CEO revealed a very interesting interview tactic. Before hiring an executive-level candidate, Bettinger takes them out to breakfast. The trick? He pre-arranges for the restaurant to mess up the food order so he can see how the candidate reacts. What would you do if you were the candidate in this situation? On this seven minute bonus episode, the Mac’s List team talks about the unorthodox interview tactic. From food allergies to how you want your potential boss to view you - Mac, Ben and Jenna cover it all. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you know how to get a job you love? It’s OK if you don’t. Most people do not believe it is even possible. A traditional job search includes scouring job postings and identifying with skills an employer is looking for. Today’s conversation turns the table on tradition and encourages job seekers to first identify and then search for a job they will love. Guest, Scott Barlow uses putting a puzzle together as an analogy for identifying which type of job you will probably love. Signature Strengths are your inherent qualities which give you a natural and unfair advantage over another person. These strengths can be seen as the corner pieces of the puzzle as they are easy to recognize. Identifying these strengths is the first step in the process of finding a job you love. To assist you in figuring out what your strengths are, try: StrengthsFinder 2.0  Get Feedback from those who know you well enough to give you a truthful answer to the question “What do I do well?” The ideal work environment for you is a company which values the same things you do. Think about a workplace you would flourish in. These are the edge pieces of the puzzle, the framework of what you should be looking for when you search for a job. If you pre-identify the companies which closely match your ideal work environment, you can make contacts within the organizations before a job is posted online. You can place yourself first in line when a position becomes available. Go after the things you are great at and focus on the things you place the most value in! Scott Barlow Bio Scott Barlow is the founder of Happen to Your Career, a company that helps you stop doing work that doesn’t fit, figuring out what does fit and then teaching you to make it happen. Scott has been helping people develop their careers and businesses for more than 10 years. Scott is also the host of the Happen to Your Career podcast. Visit the Figure Out What Fits site to obtain the 8-day video series for creating career change. This is a FREE gift for Find Your Dream Job podcast listeners. Ben’s Job Search Resources: Apres Group is a community-based website for female professionals who have taken a career break and are looking to re-enter the workplace. The site is designed by Jennifer Gefsky and Niccole Kroll. The site’s resources include coaching, success stories and employers who are looking to hire. The site is free for women who want to register and perform job searches. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac provide detailed feedback to answer Leta Muncie’s question - “What is the general career path a person might have before becoming an Executive Director of a nonprofit?” These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). Now available in all formats! If you would like the team to answer a job-related question send it to [email protected]. Or, if you found a job resource you think everyone should know about send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Networking events can be, for an introvert, a worst case scenario. This is why introverts need to be prepared, strategic and have a clear goal of what they want to accomplish before attending a conference or event. Today’s guest expert, Trina Isakson says that introverts gain energy from being alone and a common misconception is to think of introverts as socially awkward or shy. In business today, most networking events are designed around the ‘spray and pray’ method of handing out business cards to a copious amount of people. Introverts may see this exercise as a vampire slowly draining their energy levels, both mentally and physically. Trina shares her tips which allow an introvert to make the most out of a conference or live event. And, she reminds us the true goal of networking events should be to build meaningful relationships which add value to our lives and the lives of others. Tips for introverts to get the most out of networking events: Attend the same conference year after year The conference topic must be interesting to you Focus energy on building deep and meaningful connections Identify people who can be a beneficial strategic connection Be generous to those who hold less power than you Have a purpose by volunteering for a position at the conference Stay in touch with purpose Trina stresses that quality contacts matter more than the quantity of contacts you make. Introverts who may feel they are bothering their newly made contacts can maintain a professional relationship with a quick email in place of a meeting. Trina Isakson Bio Trina is a strategist and researcher who works with nonprofit leaders and social innovators. As founder and principal thinker at 27 Shift, her clients include government, higher education, and national nonprofit organizations. She has also taught university courses on community development, leadership and management, and is the founder of the Quiet Changemaker Project, the Quiet Change Maker FB Group and the Do Good Better Podcast. Thank you, Trina, for contributing to this Introvert’s Guide to Networking podcast. Ben’s Job Search Resources: The Introvert Entrepreneur is the work of consultant, Beth Buelow. The site is designed to assist introverts by amplifying their strengths. The accompanying The Introvert Entrepreneur Podcast has been ranked one of the Top 10 Business Podcasts. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac provide their feedback to answer Jonathan Chambers’ question “How do I set myself apart from college grads when I have 7 years experience running a successful company but no paper degree yet?” These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). Now available in all formats! If you would like the team to answer a job related question send it to [email protected]. Or, if you found a job resource you think everyone should know about send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo,www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freelance writer, Jen Violi, shares how to make genuine connections in Oregon - or anywhere. Even if networking makes you queasy, you can make connections with others on a personal and professional level.  We say this at Mac's List all the time, 80% of jobs are never posted, so chances are you're next dream job will be found by networking with someone in your field.   Check out Jen's simple tips for making connections in a new city--from volunteer opportunities to fiestas. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this shoe, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A job loss due to layoffs or conflicting interests can be a shock to our system. A person may feel thrilled to be apart from their previous employer at first but a flood of emotions generally follows shortly after. Today’s guest, Career Coach Marsha Warner, shares tips and techniques to transform your first days of unemployment. If you find yourself in this situation Marsha advises: Don’t start to market yourself for a new position immediately. Take the necessary time to equalize your emotions. Just breathe. Be prepared to tell your story pragmatically and end it with a statement of moving forward. Friends and family can serve as a much-needed support system. Only after rectifying your emotions should you align yourself with possible new employers. Statistics from the Department of Labor anticipate each US worker will have six job changes from age 30 to age 55.  Understanding you may find yourself transitioning jobs more than once makes a good case for having a high-level, personal career plan. Taking personal responsibility for your skill set and keeping a larger perspective empowers you when your job search begins. Remember to: Stay engaged with your existing networks! Take a class to enhance your skills!    Marsha Warner Bio Marsha is the owner of Career Factors (www.careerfactors.com). She is a coach, resume writer, and recruiter. Her clients range from college students to senior executives. Marsha is a popular educator and speaker at career events and a frequent contributor to career blogs and podcasts. Thank you Marsha, for contributing to this How to Cope with a Job Loss podcast. Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: Ben, Jenna and Mac chime in to provide Jonathan Chambers expert advice when answering his question “How do I transition from being an entrepreneur to a 9-5 employee?” Ben’s Job Search Resources: Career One Stop (www.careeronestop.org) is a U.S. Department of Labor website designed specifically for the unemployed job seeker. The online tool  provides customized information for your specific situation and includes guides on how to file for unemployment benefits. Mac’s Pro-Tip: Unemployment benefits are NOT tax free. Set aside a portion of your earnings to offset the taxes due on April 15th. These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). Now available in all formats! If you would like the team to answer a job related question send it to [email protected]. If you found a job resource you think everyone should know about send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo,www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you want to work at home?  Thanks to the Internet, jobs that used to require you to sit in an office can now be done online.  Our guest expert this week, Sean Ogle, teaches people to a make a living online. Remote work opportunities can offer flexible or part-time schedules. And that can be important for people who need time for family or other interests. But how do you get started? You can look for employers who hire online workers. Or you can create your own job.  Whether you’re an online freelancer or a corporate worker looking for a more flexible work arrangement, Sean’s tips will help you ideate, start and grow a profitable online business. In this 30-minute episode you will learn: How alternative career choices can provide a valuable income stream How to overcome roadblocks like inconsistency, time management, and fear of launching The three steps to launching an online business that makes money How to find a mentor who will  help you grow Why you don’t have to be an expert, just a relative expert (and what that really means). This week’s guest: Sean Ogle (Twitter | LinkedIn)Owner, Location Rebel Portland, Oregon In 2009 Sean’s life sucked. So he quit his job, moved to Thailand, built a business, and started living life the way he’d always wanted. Location 180 documents the journey and teaches you how to do the same thing. Listener question of the week: Do you think it’s appropriate to change your job title on a resume? - Teresa Peltier Do you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode? Please send your questions to Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources referenced on this week’s show: The 25 Best Sites for Finding Remote Work Barnes & Noble Location Rebel BreakingEighty.com Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. -- Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Russell, owner of Pivotal Writing, shares how to hook your readers attention with that first sentence of your professional bio.  We all know Portland loves quirky, colorful personalities, from “Keep Portland Weird” to “Keep Portland Beered” to “Keep Portland Bearded”.  Hiring managers are no different.  Whether it’s your bio statement on your website or your LinkedIn summary.  In this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Mike Russell shares his tips on how to make a strong first sentence to hook your reader’s attention right away. If you’re looking for more advice on how to network, check out our book, Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond. You’ll find everything you need to get a great job whether you’re in Portland Oregon, Portland Maine, or anywhere in-between. For more information on Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond, visit macslist.org/book. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this shoe, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  Job hunting take a lot of time, energy, and attention to detail. It’s a job in-and-of-itself!  You might start your day reading several job boards. Then you complete and send a job application.  Next you email requests for informational meetings. And that’s followed by writing thank you notes.  After all that? Perhaps you have a job interview. But your day isn’t over. Your evening may include a networking event, too. How do you juggle all this activity while keeping your energy and enthusiasm high? Above all, are you using your time as best you can?This week we’re talking with Mike Vardy, a productivity expert. He’ll share his best tips for how you can use your time to get the results you want. In this 32-minute episode you will learn: Why batching your time to specific tasks is key to productivity Why “To Do” Lists might not be the best way to accomplish daily tasks How to use a calendar effectively How a Daily M.A.P. (Mode - Action - Project) can help you plan out your day How digital trackers and analog journals can help you manage your daily plan. Why reflective journaling is a key to increasing your daily productivity Tips on how to avoid burnout through time management This week’s guest: Mike Vardy (Twitter | LinkedIn)Owner, Productivityist Victoria, BC, Canada Mike Vardy is an author, speaker, and productivity and time management strategist (or 'productivityist') based out of Victoria, BC, Canada. His company is Productivityist, and the company's mission is to help people stop 'doing' productive and start 'being' productive through a variety of online and offline resources that he facilitates. Listener question of the week: I have some great experience in my industry, but I’m a graduating senior. How do I convince an employer that I’m worth a job and not an internship at their company? Should I apply to both positions (intern and a job position) or just the job position? - Hannah Alkad Do you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode? Please send your questions to Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources referenced on this week’s show: Productivityist.com RescueTime Susan Rich Episode ToDoList Asana Trello DayOne Journey Evernote BeyondProductivity.com MikeVardy.com/now World Domination Summit Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. -- Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talked in an earlier show about what you can do to prepare for and nail a job interview. But what happens next after you’ve impressed your interviewers?  The steps you take next can make the difference between getting a job offer or a terse rejection letter. This week we’re talking about what you need to do after you leave the interview room. Our guest this week is Deena Pierott, founder and CEO of Mosaic Blueprint. Deena provides recruitment and on-boarding services for employers, and she knows what companies are looking for in candidates. She discusses what you can do after your in-person interview to improve your chances of landing the job. In this 33-minute episode you will learn: Unusual ways that organizations determine whether you are a good fit for the office culture Why you absolutely must send a handwritten thank you note after your interview How many times you should follow-up after an interview Why you need a champion and advocate within the organization The fine line between being persistent and being a pest How to get feedback when you didn’t get the job This week’s guest: Deena Pierott (@deenapierott | LinkedIn)Recruiting, Onboarding, Diversity, and Inclusion ConsultantOwner, Mosaic BlueprintPortland, Ore. Deena Pierott is the CEO of Mosaic Blueprint, a boutique firm that specializes in recruiting and on-boarding, multicultural communications, outplacement services and career counseling. She is also the founder of iUrban Teen and has been named a champion of change by the White House and included in Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 list. Listener question of the week:  A prospective employer has asked for references from my last three jobs. The problem is, I haven’t told my current boss that I’m looking for other work. Should I tell my boss now--even though the new job isn’t 100% in the bag--or ask the prospective employer to not contact my current place of work? Do you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode? Please send your questions to Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources referenced on this week’s show: The Receptionist is Watching You | Wall Street Journal Mosaic Blueprint iUrbanTeen Wonder Women in Tech Conference | July 15-17, 2016 Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. -- Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many job seekers are interested in a nonprofit career as a vehicle for rewarding, socially-impactful work. But landing a nonprofit job isn’t easy. Competition is fierce – particularly for the most desirable positions. And the nonprofit sector itself is sometimes quite insular, with the the most plum jobs going to well-connected candidates. Finding a nonprofit job requires a strategic approach, solid networking, and a clear understanding of what you have to offer social impact organizations. On February 28, 2016 Mac Prichard, founder and publisher of Mac’s List, explored these issues on the Non Profit Hour, a radio program produced by the Portland-based Media Institute for Social Change. Mac discussed the history of Mac’s List, the unique challenges of finding rewarding work, and his own experience as a job seeker. He also shared some of his favorite work-themed music. (Spoiler alert: Mac loves Dolly Parton!) In this bonus episode you will learn: Why connection is the key – organizations hire candidates they know trust How to recognize and communicate the value of what you have to offer others Why online job boards are only a small part of the job hunt How hiring is a two way street – for the potential employee and the employer Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You don’t need to live in Los Angeles or have a hit song to have a successful career in music.  Across the country, tens of thousands of people make good livings as musicians and singers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  And the federal government predicts the number of such jobs will go up in the years ahead. The pay can be good, too. The average wage for musicians was almost $50,000 a year in 2015. This week on Find Your Dream Job, we explore how you can build a great career in the music industry. Our guest, Mark Powers, is a professional drummer who knows all about how to make a living in music. Mark shares his experience building a career as a performer, writer, and music educator. His advice to aspiring artists: create your own opportunities through diversification and building good relationships. In this 29-minute episode you will learn: Why diversification is the key to success in a music career The importance of ROCK: Repetition, Opportunity, Commitment, and Karma Why music royalties are a small (but important) part of the income model for musicians Why you should put yourself in situations where you are the “weak link” How to build an online presence as a musician This week’s guest: Mark Powers (@MarkPowers | LinkedIn)Percussion Artist and EducatorAuthor, I Want to a DrummerOwner, PowersPercussion.com and DrumItInAMinute.comPortland, Ore. Percussion artist and educator Mark Powers has shared the stage with everyone from Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, Devon Evans (of Bob Marley and the Wailers), and the Rolling Stones saxophonist Tim Ries. Mark now offers video drum lessons on his educational website, DrumItInAMinute.com. He is the author of several percussion textbooks and a past contributor to Modern Drummer Magazine.Fun fact: Mark is a former co-holder of the Guinness World Record for Longest Drum Roll by a Group. Listener question of the week: I love music - but I’m not musically talented.  What sort of jobs are out there in the musical field for me? Do you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode? Please send your questions to Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources referenced on this week’s show: The Top Jobs In 10 Years Might Not Be What You Expect | FastCompany DrumItInAMinute.com PowersPercussion.com Mbrascatu I Want to Be a Drummer The Weekend Resume Makeover Course | JobJenny.com If you have a job-hunting or career development resource resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. -- Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever thought about putting everything you own into a moving van and taking a new job in a new city? The typical American moves 11.7 times in a lifetime. From across town to across the country, you’ll face common challenges with job hunting and settling in a new city. This week on Find Your Dream Job, we talk about how to kickstart your career in a new city. Our guest is Terry St. Marie, who knows all about starting over. In the midst of a successful business career, Terry made the big jump from the the East Coast to the West Coast in 2011.  He’ll share his best tips for building rebuilding a career--and a professional network--from scratch. In this 41-minute episode you will learn: How to create a community after you move to a new place How to research new locations and opportunities to determine where you should move Networking tips for out-of-staters, from LinkedIn to email Why shared connections - from sports teams to donut preferences - can help build connections and strengthen relationships How a city’s culture affects the way you network How making an effort and putting yourself out there will help you secure an informational interview This week’s guest: Terry “Starbucker” St. Marie (Twitter | LinkedIn) Co-Founder, BuiltOregon.com Portland, Ore. Terry “Starbucker” St. Marie is a writer, consultant, entrepreneur and startup investor living in Portland, Oregon. Before moving to the Rose City in 2010, he had a successful 23 year tenure as an executive in the cable television industry.  Terry has extensive experience in business operations, customer care, strategy and financial management. For the past 10 years he has also published a popular blog featuring his “More Human” leadership philosophy, TerryStarbucker.com, and was recently cited by Inc. Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts”. He’s also the co-founder and publisher of the online media company focused on Oregon entrepreneurs, BuiltOregon.com, which launched in December 2014. Terry is also an investor in the Oregon Angel Fund, and is on the boards of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, and Social Venture Partners Portland. Listener question of the week: I’m moving to a new city for a job.  Any tips on how to make sure my professional life doesn’t completely take over my personal life? If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources from this week’s show: Weekend Resume Kit TerryStarbucker.com BuiltOregon.com Bushwackers GlassDoor's Best Cities for Jobs Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) – On sale through Today! If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve survived years of schooling, finals, group projects and finally have a hard-earned degree in your hands.  You’re still looking for full-time work and your career route is an open road in front of you.  While catching your breath, you get this question, “What are you going to do with your life?”  It’s an overwhelming question for mid-career professionals. So how do you answer that question just a few weeks after graduation? Satya Byock, founder of Quarter-Life Consulting has three tips for you to thrive during your transition from college to career. If you’re looking for more advice on how to network, check out our book, Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond. You’ll find everything you need to get a great job whether you’re in Portland Oregon, Portland Maine, or anywhere in-between. For more information on Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond, visit macslist.org/book. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this shoe, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google the words “cover letter” and you will find lots of opinions on the best tactics: which format to use, the right salutations, and to whom you should address your letter. Our guest expert this week, Susan Rich, author of How to Write a Kick-Butt Resume Cover Letter, says people are missing the most important point of all: an employer has a problem that needs to be solved.  The applicant who shows she or he can solve problem has a huge advantage. Susan shares her advice how to focus your thoughts into to key talking points that address the employer’s needs. A dynamite headline and a powerfully structured cover letter showcases your skills in a way that is uniquely appealing to employers looking for help. In this 26-minute episode you will learn: How to frame job seeking as a business transaction Why being a problem solver is the key to your job search How to organize your thoughts to focus in on your key points for a cover letter The elements of a strong cover letter headline How to structure a cover letter that actually gets read This week’s guest: Susan Rich (Twitter | LinkedIn) Author, How to Write a Kick-Butt Resume Cover Letter Portland, Ore. Susan Rich deliver results, not promises. People call her an idea refinery, always creating a new way forward. She is widely recognized for her strategic business and marketing savvy, her internal & external communications strategies. She is an expert speaker and trainer, and professional journalist with more than one million words in print. Listener question of the week: “With email as the primary form of application these days, how formal do cover letters need now?  Do I still need to include the employer’s address?” - Beckie If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources from this week’s show: Weekend Resume Kit The Muse's 185 Powerful Verbs That Will Make Your Resume Awesome RichWriting.com Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) – On sale through June 15! If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Find Your Dream Job, we’re talking about negotiation, a vital skill, especially at work. Maybe you’re considering a job offer. Perhaps  you’re about to ask for a raise. Or you’re chasing a  promotion. Whatever your ask, it will require negotiating. Many people treat negotiations as a win-or-lose situation for the parties involved. If you get what what you want, it’s at someone else’s expense. It doesn’t have to be this way.  We speak with Jeff Weiss, author of the Harvard Business Review’s “Guide to Negotiating.” Jeff will share his tips for how you can move from a game of concessions and compromises.   He’ll also talk about how to use collaboration and creativity so that you get better results and good working relationships with others. In this 32-minute episode you will learn: The three negotiating mistakes most people make The questions you should ask when you’re told “no” The importance of understanding “why” you want a raise How to find creative solutions and compromises in your negotiations Why systematic preparation is key to great negotiating - from asking for a raise to managing contractors. This week’s guest: Jeff Weiss (Twitter | LinkedIn) Author, Harvard Business Review’s Guide to Negotiating Cambridge, Mass. Jeff Weiss is a founding partner of Vantage Partners, a Boston-based consulting firm that works with Fortune 500 companies on improving how they negotiate.  Jeff has published extensively on negotiation is the author of the “Harvard Business Review Guide to Negotiating”.  He is also a member of the faculty of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In July 2016, Jeff will become the ninth president of Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Listener question of the week: “When should you bring up salary when interviewing?” - Ben If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources from this week’s show: Weekend Resume Kit Harvard Business Review’s Guide to Negotiating Vantage Partners IWillTeachYouToBeRich.com Glassdoor.com Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) – On sale through June 15! If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Networking and coffee often go hand-in-hand; inviting a professional contact out for coffee is one of the easiest ways to score an informational interview or stay in touch with your network. Chances are, before anyone accepts your coffee invite they are going to check out you out on social media. So it is vital that your social media profiles are a true reflection of who you are as a professional. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Joshua Waldman, author of Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies and founder of Career Enlightenment, shares his advice on how to keep your online presence and profiles up-to-date and professional during your job search. His top tips? On top of having a stellar LinkedIn profile, consider giving your new contact more information about yourself with a simple About.me website. If you’re looking for more advice on how to network, check out our book, Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond. You’ll find everything you need to get a great job whether you’re in Portland Oregon, Portland Maine, or anywhere in-between. For more information on Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond, visit macslist.org/book. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this shoe, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever think about quitting your job? A vast majority of people do. One survey cited by CBS News found that 84% of Americans want to switch employers. Yet most of us show up for work every Monday even when we want to be somewhere else. There are many reasons we don’t quit our job--even jobs that make us unhappy. Top concerns people cite include: family, money and opportunity.   But what if you walked out of your office today without lining up your next job? Does that sound crazy? This week on Find Your Dream Job, we speak to author Tess Vigeland, who makes a case for why you should quit your job now - even if you don’t have a “Plan B.” In this 34-minute episode you will learn: Why leaving a dream job might be the best move you can possibly make How to know when it’s time to quit your job How to review, understand, and present your employable skills How to discover who you are outside of your traditional career role This week’s guest: Tess Vigeland (Twitter | LinkedIn) Author, Leap: Leaving a Job with No Plan B to Find the Career and Life You Really Want SE Asia Listener question of the week: “How does one brand themselves in the midst of a career / industry transition?” - Chris Be sure to leave a comment on our Facebook page to be entered to win a special prize!  If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources from this week’s show: Weekend Resume Kit Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Outlook Leap: Leaving a Job with No Plan B to Find the Career and Life You Really Want TessUntethered.com Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) – On sale through June 15! If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s graduation season and a time to celebrate the great accomplishments of our graduating high school students. It’s also a time for those students to make some big decisions about their future. Should they continue their education? Enter the workforce? Take a gap year? Or perhaps sign-up for service? “What to do next” is  a big question and one that can causes teenagers and parents a lot of stress. It’s also choice on many people’s minds as graduation season nears. This week on Find Your Dream Job podcast, we talk about how to help teens choose what to do after high school so that they build a solid foundation for their career. Our guest is Dearbhla Kelly, author of Career Coach, a book to help parents and teens with career planning for young people. In this 31-minute episode you will learn: How influential parents are on career choice for teens Why parents need to guide (not lead) teens when it comes to career management skills How open ended questions can help teens make good career choices The importance of informational interviews, job shadowing, volunteering, and career day opportunities This week’s guest: Dearbhla Kelly (Twitter | LinkedIn)Career CoachAuthor, Career CoachDublin, Ireland Listener question of the week: “How do you stay challenged in your job while helping others?” - Cheryl Curry Don’t forget to leave your question (or comment) on Mac’s List Facebook page!  If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources from this week’s show: Career Coach The Weekend Resume Makeover online course Good.co Mobile App  SkillShare Luminosity Strength Finders 2.0 DearbhlaKelly.com Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) - On sale through June 15! If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to interviews, your wardrobe matters. You want to pick the perfect outfit for your interview--one that is professional, but which also honors the existing office culture that you hope to join. Doing so creates a good first impression with the hiring manager and signals that you might be a good fit for the organization.  On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Cecilia Bianco, former community manager at Mac's List, shares her advice on picking the right interview outfit. Learn the do's and don'ts of professional attire, as well as tips for customizing your outfit to accomodate the organization's internal culture. If you're looking for more advice on how to ace your interview, check out our book, Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond. You'll find everything you need to get a great job whether you're in Portland Oregon, Portland Maine, or anywhere in-between. For more information on Land Your Dream Job In Portland and Beyond, visit macslist.org/book. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this shoe, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you happy at your job? Unfortunately, most people aren’t. According to Gallup, unhappy employees outnumber happy ones, two to one. There are many reasons people end up with jobs they don’t like. Some workers take the first job offered in order to pay bills. Others stick with an employer because they aren’t clear what they want to do next. And some worry if they say no to a job offer another one won’t come. What would it take for you to be happy in your career? This week on Find Your Dream Job we explore this issue with career expert Hallie Crawford. Hallie shares strategies for finding your professional calling and tips for taking control of your career. In this 26-minute episode you will learn: Career fulfillment: what it means and how you can achieve it Tools you can use to pick a career you’ll love How fulfillment plays a key role in your professional career Why you should listen to your gut when making career decisions How a career contrast list can help you focus on your career path The eight elements of the ideal career model to identify your career values This week’s guest: Hallie Crawford (@halliecrawford | LinkedIn)Certified Career Coach and Job Search ExpertFounder, Create Your Career PathAtlanta, GA Listener question of the week: What is the difference between a resume and a CV?  Which one is appropriate to use when job hunting? If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources from this week’s show: Unhappy Employees Outnumber Happy Ones By Two to One Worldwide Jenny Foss’ Weekend Resume Makeover Create Your Career Path Hallie Crawford’s Blog Dream Job Coaching Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maybe you’re looking for your next job. Or perhaps you want to stay on top of your career. Whatever your goal, you know you need to go to professional events.  It’s one of the best ways to meet others in your field. But does the idea of walking into a room of strangers and striking up a conversation fill you with horror? This is a common fear many jobseekers have—and it keeps them from making vital professional connections. This week on Find Your Dream we’re talking about how to work a room, with an expert on the subject, Susan RoAne. Susan’s best-selling book, How to Work a Room, teaches you everything you need to know to become an expert networker. In this 26-minute episode you will learn: Why face-to-face networking is still happening in the digital age The difference between working a room and networking Why showing up is key to a positive personal brand image How customizable introductions are key to making connections at events Why ice breakers and small talk are valuable forms of communication This week’s guest: Susan RoAne (@susanroane | LinkedIn) Author, How To Work a Room San Francisco, Calif. Listener question of the week:  How can I support my friend during their job hunt? If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources from this week’s show: Networking for Introverts SusanRoAne.com Sign up for Susan RoAne’s newsletter & get her free e-book Nuances of Business Networking How To Work a Room Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The question every college student dreads but can't avoid: "What are you going to do after graduation?" It's graduation season and university students across the country are preparing for the next phase of their lives. For most, that means a job--or at least a job search. Others may explore graduate school or an alternative learning experience. Regardless of what's next, this transition can be a time of great stress for new graduates.  On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, we share tips on how to smooth the transition from college to "real life." Gabrielle Nygaard, a Fulbright Scholar and Linfield College graduate, reads "Hello College Student, I’m Talking to You!", her contribution to our book Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this shoe, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every time you switch jobs, you have the opportunity to redefine your career—to pursue new challenges and find new meaning in your work life. Most workers have ample opportunity to change career paths; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the typical American will have 10 different jobs before the age of 40.  Yet many of us struggle to make the big choice of changing professional direction. Knowing what you want to do in life often means conquering your fears. You may have to shed old ideas. Or find the strength to let go of a safe job. Put simply… it takes courage. This week on Find Your Dream Job, we’re talking about how you can plan your career instead of letting just happen to you. Mac talks with Katie Kelley, an executive coach, motivational speaker, and author of the new book, Career Courage.  Katie shares her tips on how to discover your passion, step out of your comfort zone and create the career success you want. In this 33-minute episode you will learn: How the FOG (Feedback – Opportunities – Gut Instinct) model helps you make career decisions What you should stop, start and continue doing in your career How to evaluate other careers that interest you What the “career success circle” looks like and how it can point to your next steps How to reflect on career plateaus and move forward from them Why permission to be different is the key to having career courage This week’s guest: Katie Kelley (@katie_c_kelley | LinkedIn)Professional MentorAuthor of Career CouragePortland, Ore. Listener question of the week:  When it comes to creating (or updating) my resume do I really need to include my home address? If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources from this week’s show: Signed Copy of Career Courage Dan Ariely’s TEDx Talk Katie Kelley’s Facebook Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To have a great career, you need passion. But you also need a solid plan.  Specifically, you need to know how your passions and ideas will be marketable in an ever-evolving job market. This week on “Find Your Dream Job” we’re talking about career management and how to build a plan for a remarkable long-term career. Mac interviews professor and author Larry Smith, whose provocative TED talk, “Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career,” has attracted more than six million views. Larry urges his students to explore their passions--but also to think about their ongoing relevance in the job market. In this 35-minute episode you will learn: Why passion is a prerequisite to a great career--but not enough in-and-of-itself. How to market yourself and your ideas How to discipline your passion as part of your overall career management plan Why everyone needs a 50 years career management plan Why even non-creative professionals need to be creative when managing their career This week’s guest: Larry SmithAdjunct Associate Professor, University of WaterlooAuthor, No Fears, No Excuses: What You Need to Do to Have a Great CareerWaterloo, ON, Canada   Listener question of the week:  Everyone tells me to “do what I love” for a job. But how am I supposed to know if I like something before I do it? There are so many different jobs out there. I feel like I will be limiting myself if I pick a direction too early in life! If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources from this week’s show: "How to Find Your Passion" | Seanwes’ Podcast, Episode 101 "Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career" | Larry Smith's TEDx Talk Larry Smith’s Facebook Page No Fears, No Excuses: What You Need to Do to Have a Great Career Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All too often people only think about career management when they are actively looking for a job. This is a big mistake! Ongoing, proactive career management while you are employed can pay huge dividends next time you are looking for work. Don't wait to lay the foundation for your next job search! On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Marsha Warner, owner of Portland-based Career Factors, shares professional regrets she's heard from her clients. She reads “Lessons Learned By The Recently Unemployed”, her contribution to our book, Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). Avoid future regret! Here are Marsha's tips for help you prepare for your next job search: Keep your own file of reviews and accolades Don’t wait until you’re unemployed to start networking Keep your LinkedIn profile active When your job ends, take time to mourn the loss and acknowledge your emotions, then let it go Teaching is a great source of career satisfaction Proactive career management means stepping up to a challenge Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support!   Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com. Transcript Mac Prichard: This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want and make a difference in life. I'm Mac Prichard, your host and publisher of Mac's List. On today's bonus episode we're sharing exclusive content from our new book. Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) compiles all of our best job search tips and career management tools into one simple, easy-to-read guide. It's the definitive tool kit for anyone looking for meaningful work. The book also includes special contributions from an array of job search experts and today you'll hear from one of them. Here's Marsha Warner, owner of Career Factors, reading her contribution Lesson Learned By the Recently Unemployed. Marsha Warner: Recently, a client shared what he wished he'd done before he found himself on the job hunt. Here's a list of best practices for career maintenance that are applicable to everyone. He said, "I wish I'd kept of copy of my performance reviews." Lesson: Keep your own file of reviews and accolades. They are helpful to promote accomplishment statement, review for interviews and remind yourself of achievements when doubts creep in. He said, "I wish I'd continued to network and develop outside contacts." Lesson: Don't wait until you're unemployed to start networking. Stay in touch with colleagues, classmates, ex-bosses, other parents, fellow volunteers, and so on. He said, "I wish I'd joined LinkedIn earlier on." Lesson: Keep your LinkedIn profile active. It's a tool for recruiters, a way to stay connected and a source of information for professional development. Spend at least an hour a week updating your profile, reconnecting, joining interest groups and staying current. He said, "I wish I had not taken it so personally. I let this lay-off really get to me." Lesson: When your job ends, take time to mourn the loss and acknowledge your emotions, then let it go. Evaluate the job market, then take up your career toolbox, and go forth. Know that when you're part of a reduction in force, it's a business decision not a personal decision. Take charge of your career with a personal marketing plan. Manage what you can control, and let what you cannot go. He said, "I wish I had reached out and passed on my professional knowledge to younger colleagues before I left." Lesson: Teaching is a great source of career satisfaction. Some companies have formal programs for knowledge transfer. Seek them out. The effort will be worth the reward you'll feel in sharing your knowledge with others. He said, "I wish I had paid more attention to my own development and taken advantage of challenges that would give me more exposure." Lesson: Proactive career management means stepping up to a challenge. Volunteering for projects and committees or getting trained for new skills are ways to grow. They'll get you noticed by your boss and bring greater satisfaction to your daily work. Ask yourself at the end of each day, what did I learn today? He said, "I wish I'd ask for help early on in my job search. Things have changed so much, I feel a bit lost." Lesson: Feeling isolated and lost is common. A career coach can offer expert information and advice about the job market and how to put your best foot forward. Portland is blessed with great career resources including local colleges, private coaches and job search support groups. Help is available. Be wise, and ask for it. Mac Prichard: If you're looking for more expert advice and insider tips like what you just heard, check out Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). You'll find everything you need to get a great job whether you're in Portland, Oregon, Portland, Maine, or anywhere in between. The 2016 edition includes new content, and for the first time ever, it's available in paperback, as well as in an array of e-reading devices including Kindle, Nook and iBooks. For more information on Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) visit macslist.org/book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you know someone who has the perfect job and is getting well paid, too? It might seem that this happened by stroke of luck. In fact, it has nothing do with chance. People with dream jobs have clear goals and plans to accomplish them.  And when you find that job or career, it feels so right, it’s like you were born to do it. But to get there you must first choose among what can seem like an overwhelming menu of career options. This week on “Find Your Dream Job” we’re talking about how to find the work you were meant to do. I talk to Chris Guillebeau, author of the new book, “Born for This: How to Find the Work You Were Meant to Do.” In this 35-minute episode you will learn: How knowing your personality traits can help you find a job that plays to your natural strengths Why it helps people think as an entrepreneur Why making mistakes and taking risks is part of a successful career What “working conditions” are and how they help you find your career path How joy, money, and flow matter when figuring out your career goals Why asking “Did today matter” is an important tool for evaluating your career This week’s guest: Chris Guillebeau (@ChrisGuillebeau)EntrepreneurPortland, Ore.  Listener question of the week:  My ultimate career goal is to own my own business. I’m not ready to make the jump now, so I’ve been interviewing for positions at established firms. Should I share this goal with prospective employers? Will it make me look like I’m not dedicated to the job? If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager at [email protected]. Resources from this week’s show: Ep. 007: Getting Clear about What you Want from Work Free Myers Briggs Personality Test – 16Personalities Chris Guillebeau’s Book Tour “Born for This: How to Find the Work You Were Meant to Do” Chris Guillebeau’s World Domination Summit Chris Guillebeau’s blog “The Art of Non-Conformity” Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) If you have a job-hunting or career development resource resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director at [email protected]. — Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support! Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com.    Full Transcript Mac Prichard: This is Find Your Dream Job. A podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life. I’m Mac Prichard, your host, and publisher of Mac’s List. Do you know someone who has the perfect job and is getting well paid too? It might seem that this happened by a stroke of luck. In fact, it has nothing to do with chance. People with dream jobs have clear goals and plans to accomplish them. When you find that job or career, it feels so right it’s like you were born to do it. To get there, you must first choose among what can seem like an overwhelming menu of career options. This week on Find Your Dream Job, we’re talking about how to find the work you were meant to do. Ben Forstag has a free online test that can help you get clearer about your goals and your strengths. Jenna Forstrom has a question from a listener who wants to start a business one day but wonders how candid she should be with employers about this. I talk to Christ Guillebeau, author of the new book Born For This: How to Find the Work You Were Meant to Do. Our show is brought to you by our book, Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond. To learn more about the updated edition that we published on February 1st, go to macslist.org/book. We’re excited to have Jenna Forstrom, our new Community Manager, join us here in the Mac’s List studio. Jenna, welcome aboard. Jenna Forstrom: Thanks. I’m excited to be here. Mac Prichard: Yeah, it’s terrific to have you not only on the podcast, but I know listeners who go to the website will be seeing on the blog and people here in Oregon will be seeing you at community events. I got to ask Jenna, because I know our listeners are curious, why did you want to work at Mac’s List? Jenna Forstrom: I started to want to work at Mac’s List a couple years ago when I was looking for a job and my friends recommended it as a resource. I’ve been using it for the last couple years doing freelance work and apply for jobs and it’s just a really great website and resource. I think that it’s amazing because of the people behind it that put in all the love and passion. When you and me were speaking about the opportunity, it just seemed like a natural place for me to show up and I want to help make it great too. Mac Prichard: It’s a pleasure to have you here. You bring to the job so many great skills and experiences but I think you really put your finger on it. It’s the fact that you’re part of the Mac’s List community that I think is a very special asset. Welcome to the studio and welcome to the show, and we look forward to working with you in the months ahead. I also want to say thank you to the four career experts who filled in as our special co-host during the last two months. Those people are Aubrie DeClerk, Dawn Rasmussen, Jenny Voss, and Michelle Hynes. All four are nationally recognized experts and they are very busy people. I’m grateful to each of them for making the time to join us on one or more of the last seven episodes to answer questions from you, our listeners. If you haven’t done so, please check out the websites of these exceptional people. We’ll be sure to include links to their pages in the show notes. Ben Forstag: Hey Mac, Ben here. Mac Prichard: Hey Ben, how are you? Ben Forstag: I’m doing great. One of our most popular episodes on the podcast was Aubrie DeClerk on how listeners can get clear about what they want from work. You know Aubrie has been a frequent guest on the podcast and she was also a contributor to our book. Mac Prichard: Yes, she was. Her podcast actually is our second most popular episode. The topic, you may recall Ben, was how to get clear about what you want. This is a topic that comes up a lot when we talk to listeners. People who do dive into our book will find a couple of key topics that can help. There is information about how you can do the analytical work you need to do to be clear about goal setting. Tools like strength finders and what color’s your parachute. There are also, in the book, tips about how to get to know yourself and your strengths and your challenges. Tips about why you need to pay attention to your emotions and how to build a community. These are all things that can again help you get clear about what you want to do with your career. Jenna, Ben, when in your careers have you two felt like you were doing something that you were born to do? Ben Forstag: I think like a lot of people, there are days or periods in any job I’ve had where I felt like this is perfect. I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m on top of this. I feel in control. The one experience where I felt like that was kind of always the case was way back in the beginning of my career when I worked as an outdoor education facilitator for a YMCA camp. I put so much energy in respecting the traditions of that summer camp. It just felt like a very special place to be and I was really invested in the job. Mac Prichard: I’ve had that experience a number of times. I’m actually having it right now running both Mac’s List and Prichard Communications. Throughout my career, I’ve really felt like I was doing my best work when the things that are expert. This week we’ll talk about joy, work, and flow all lined up. In other words, there were jobs I had where it was just a pleasure to go to work. I had the skills and the experiences that allowed me to thrive in that position and I just was experienced in what the psychologist called flow. That state of mind where you lose yourself in the task that you’re involved in. For me, in addition to the work I’m doing now, it’s happened on political campaigns, it happened when I was working for a human rights organization early in my career. It’s a very pleasant state to be in. How about you Jenna? Jenna Forstrom: When a job feels like it was a great fit and you were born for it, it’s when it plays to your strengths. For me, that comes into play because I feel like my strengths are being on the fly and being creative under pressure. When I volunteer at Night Strike and we have bumps in the road, we can’t find the keys to the trailer, that’s where it’s like I kind of step up and get animated and I’m like, okay we’re going to problem solve this. You guys go find the peanut butter and jelly and we’ll just focus on that while the leadership figures out the solution. How do we get keys or how do we break the lock to get into the trailer. Small problems that come up and hiccups is when I feel like that’s my strength. I think I learned that when I was a lifeguard when I was like 15. You’re managing a pool and something happens, you have to direct people to different locations to take care of an incident. Mac Prichard: Jenna, do you want to talk a little bit about Night Strike and your work there? Jenna Forstrom: Sure, on top of being a community manager here at Mac’s List, I volunteer every Thursday night with a program called Night Strike. Which is an urban humanitarian group here in Portland, for those of you who don’t know but hopefully you are interested in moving to Portland or you live here. We have a huge homeless crisis so we do immediate felt needs. Mac Prichard: Thanks for sharing that. Jenna Forstrom: Yeah. Mac Prichard: Let’s move onto Ben who every week brings us a resource that you all can use. Ben, I know you’ve been looking diligently around the internet for the last seven days. What have you found? Ben Forstag: In the past, we’ve talked about different ways to help people get clear about what they want. You mentioned Aubrie’s episode earlier, and I believe in that episode, my resource was the strengths finder test. Which is a book you can buy. One of the other well-known tests out there to help you find out what your natural strengths are or what your personality type is, is the Myers Briggs Personality Test, also called the Myers Briggs Type Indicator or MBTI. My resource this week is actually a free version of this test that you can do online and it’s available at www.16personalities.com and that’s 16 with one-six, not written out like a word. The name of this site actually comes from the MBTI itself, which speculates that there are 16 basic personality types out there. The science behind the MBTI is actually pretty old. It originally comes from the work of Karl Jung who is a psychoanalyst back at the turn of the century. It stipulates basically that there are four general preferences that determine your personality type. Those are mind, how you interact with your environment. That’s whether you’re an introvert or extrovert. Energy, which is where you direct you mental energy. That basically is are you guided by intuition or observation. Nature, how you make decisions and cope with emotions. In layman’s terms that’s are you a thinking person or are you a feeling person? Then tactics, how you approach work, planning, and decision making. Are you a prospector or a judger? This test is about 30 different questions and it presents a bunch of questions and you answer across a continuum of strongly agree to strongly disagree about whether the question pertains to you. It’s a lot of interesting questions. Questions that you might not ask yourself on a regular basis. I wrote down a few of the ones that I really like such as, for you is being right more important than being cooperative when it comes to teamwork? Or, do your dreams tend to focus on real world and its events? Or, as a parent would you rather see your child grow up kind or grow up smart? You have to pick one or the other here on a spectrum. I took the test. It takes about twelve minutes. The result I got was that I am an INFP, which means I’m an introverted intuition feeling perceiving person. What the MBTI says is a mediator. I’ll be honest, this doesn’t feel like me. I don’t think that I’m introverted, or a super feeling person. What do you think, Mac? Mac Prichard: That sounds right to me. Ben, I know we’ve only worked together for seven months now but I see you, as somebody who smooth’s the waters. Ben Forstag: Okay, far be it from me to question an online personality test. Mac Prichard: Yeah. Jenna Forstrom: I took the test as well and got ENFP which is extroverted intuition feeling and then perceiving. I think that was a pretty good summary of me because I’m extremely outgoing. Ben Forstag: Yeah, I think the extroverted piece really speaks to you. Jenna Forstrom: I think it does great for our roles because we balance each other out. Ben Forstag: Yeah, and I think that brings up an interesting point here. There’s no normative stance on whether a personality type is good or bad. I think most people who look at these things would say for any organization, you need people who compliment one another. Right? Jenna Forstrom: Yeah. Ben Forstag: My introverted nature compliments your extroverted nature and vice versa. I think what this test really gets at is there are going to be certain types of roles or responsibilities or jobs that your personality type is going to fit into. You might do better at an organization that’s more hierarchical or one that has less organization around it. You want to find a job that fits that type of personality. The one real cool thing about this site is not only is it free but it produces a really comprehensive write up about each personality type and how that personality type might impact your life from relationships to parenthood to your career. It provides situations and strategies for specific roles that fit your personality type. Definitely worth taking a look at. Probably spend an hour doing this, or you can spend just twelve minutes and get the baseline information. Real good site, real great resource. The website is www.16personalities.com. That’s 1-6 personalities dot com. Mac Prichard: Thank you, Ben. If you have an idea for Ben, we’d love to hear from you. You can email him. His address is [email protected]. Now it’s time to hear from you, our listeners. Our community manager Jenna Forstrom joins us to answer one of your questions. Jenna, what do you hear from the community this week? Jenna Forstrom: This week our question is, “My ultimate career goal is to own my own business. I’m not ready to make that jump now so I’ve been interview positions at established firms. Should I share this goal with perspective employers or will this make me look like I’m not dedicated to the job?” I think that’s a great question. I think it also depends a lot on what kind of work you’re looking for. We know that the typical job length is four and half years for any person. Companies know when they hire people that they’re probably not going to stay forever. Also, they want to hire people that will last a little while. Like a year or two. If you’re looking to start a job within the next six months to a year and you just want a job to pay your bills, pay rent, maybe not share that information. I think if you’re looking to really gain a lot of information and grow into an organization, then maybe take that as a springboard platform, sharing that with hiring manager. Or maybe once you’ve gotten the role, find a mentor who’s maybe doing something on the side or something similar. I think that’s super acceptable. Ben Forstag: Most organizations I think when they make a hire know that they’re not hiring you for life and that you have bigger aspirations at some point. I think it’s fair to say, well like down the road in five years I was thinking maybe I’d like to start my own business, to an employer. I think that actually could speak well to you as a candidate, saying that you have an entrepreneurial attitude, that you can take calculated risks, that you want to take responsibility on for things. I think it’s all about timing. Are you looking to cover rent for the next year or are you going into this opportunity at hand with really an intent to see through your commitments and honor those commitments and your bigger picture of creating your own business is down the road some place? Mac Prichard: Good advice. Thank you Jenna and if you have a question for Jenna, you can email her. Her address is [email protected]. These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Land Your Dream Job in Portland and Beyond. We made our book even better. We added new content and now we’re offering it in the format you told us you wanted. For the first time ever, you can find our book in a paperback edition or download it on your Kindle, Nook, or iPad. Our goal is the same, whatever the format. To give you the tools and tips you need to get meaningful work that makes a difference. For more information visit macslist.org/book. Now let’s turn to this week’s guest expert, Chris Guillebeau. Chris Guillebeau is the New York Times best selling author of the Happiness of Pursuit. The $100 start up in other books. During a lifetime of self-employment, he visited every country in the world. 193 in total before his 35th birthday. Every summer in Portland, Oregon he hosts the world domination summit, a gathering of creative remarkable people. Chris, thanks for joining us. Chris Guillebeau: Hey Mac. Thanks so much for having me. Mac Prichard: Yeah, it’s a real pleasure. Chris, you’ve written a book about start ups. You put together an annual event called the world domination summit. I’ve attended and people come out of that event inspired. Many of them to quit their jobs and work for themselves. Now you’ve written a book about job hunting and careers. Tell us about that. Why this topic? Chris Guillebeau: The goal of the book is essentially to help people think entrepreneurially, whether they want to be entrepreneurs or not. Obviously, from my background I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I was a terrible employee. My bias is to help people essentially forge their own destiny, forge their own path. Maybe I’ve learned a little bit along the way that a lot of people can find the work they were meant to do, their dream job in a company or an organization. For example, I talked to a lot of people for this book like I do for all my books and one person in particular … I talked to a woman who 20 years ago became the first female fire fighter in Mississauga, Ontario. I told the story of all the challenges she had to overcome and she’s actually been in that job for more than 20 years now. She believes it’s the work she was meant to do. This is a good example of someone who if you want to be a fire fighter, which is a very noble profession. Saves lives. Does lots of good work. You can’t just be an entrepreneurial fire fighter. You have to go through the structure. You have to be a part of a team. I’m looking at people, helping people find the work they were meant to do, and whatever capacity that is. It may even change over time. It maybe you’re working for yourself. You’re working in a company. You’re doing a little bit of both. It’s all that. Mac Prichard: Now with reading the book, one of the points you made that struck me early on was that we’re all asked what we do for a living. You say the better question we should ask someone is what lead you to do what you do? Why do you think that’s the better question, Chris? Chris Guillebeau: I look at a lot of people who have been successful and they talk about this dream job concept, which I know you’ve done a lot of work with as well. They use phrases like I’ve won the career lottery. I love my job. I would go to work even if I didn’t get paid for it, but fortunately I do get paid for it. What I saw in tracing back their history is most successful people, and again success can be however you define it, but most successful people in careers actually haven’t followed a very linear path. They actually didn’t know necessarily when they were six years old this is what they want to do with their life. They’re going to go to college along this trajectory. Then their first job and their second job is all leading to something. They’ve actually gone down a bunch of different paths. They’ve usually even made some mistakes. They’ve made mistakes because they were willing to take risks and some things don’t work out so they go back and they turn around and eventually they find this thing. The reason I look at the whole process is because it’s not as simple as just saying okay here’s what I want to do. I know what that is. Now I’m going to make that happen. I think there’s always a process of discovery. There’s always this process of exploration along the way. Mac Prichard: I think that’s an important point to make because so many people that I chat with and my colleagues as well about careers, they think that if they try something and it’s not quite what they expected that that was a failure or a dead end. The point you’re making is that, it’s an experience you can learn from and it helps you get closer to where you want to be. Let’s talk about career success. In your book you say that we’re taught these conventions, you actually call them scripts, about what conventional career success looks like. These scripts are just plain wrong. What are these myths, Chris, and why should people ignore them? Chris Guillebeau: I looked at a lot of wisdom that’s traditionally accepted and handed down. You might have touched on something just a moment ago, when you said lots of people who are successful have actually turned back and been willing to do like a 180 and try something different. This is contrary to the traditional Western manifest destiny, never give up, perseverance is the most important quality. A lot of successful people actually are willing to give up. They’re willing to give up, not on their dreams, not on their life vision, but on any particular strategy or expression or job or attempt at starting a business. I talked to this one guy for example who had started eight successful businesses in his life. I asked him … it said eight successful business in his bio, so I said, were there any other businesses? It turned out he had a ninth business, which was actually the very first one. The first one was apparently unsuccessful. He had tried it for three years and it just wasn’t working. If you had gone to that guy in the beginning of his entrepreneurial career and said never give up. Keep going. You must make this a success. That would have been the wrong advice for him. The best advice was to give up, turn around, and start over. All these other things came later. I looked at that. I looked at a lot of different things and tried to test them in a real world model to say okay this is like the so-called wisdom of the ages, but does it actually work? How does that actually apply and what can we do to increase the odds in our favor? Mac Prichard: One of your points in the book is that there is one script that we should consider following. There’s more than one way to work. You don’t have to [niche 00:19:55] down or be a CEO or you only have one chance at a job for example. If you say no to this opportunity you’ll never have as good one again. Talk to us, Chris, about that script that you encourage people to follow. That there’s more than one way to work. Chris Guillebeau: I think we put so much pressure on people. Especially young people, but even people of all ages. We have so much pressure that you’re supposed to know what your life purpose is at age 20, or when you choose what to study, or when you go into your first job, or even later. It’s like you’re supposed to have this crystal ball. You have to make all these decisions with limited information. One of the things I saw was when people think about work, when they think about making a change or a career, they always think in terms of profession. They think about being a web developer or a doctor or a designer or whatever it is. What I saw was actually just as important as the work itself was what I called working conditions. Working conditions are things like how you like to spend your time. How much you like to work with other people versus work on your own. How you’re incentivized. How you’re motivated. How you like to be rewarded. You can start to understand this about yourself. You can actually make decisions a lot better. You may not have all the information but we’ll help you as you go forward. There’s more than one path. There may be one thing that you’re born to do but I think there’s more than one way to get there. Mac Prichard: Three things that you identified that you say we all want in our work are joy, money, and flow. Tell us about each of those and why they matter in not only picking your next job but in finding that work overall in a career that we feel like we’re born to do. Chris Guillebeau: I saw that, regardless of what profession people went into and regardless of what working conditions were most optimal for them, most people are happiest when they can create this intersection or convergence between these three qualities that you just named. The first two are pretty self-explanatory. Joy essentially is happiness. It’s something that you take joy in doing. You like your work. I think that’s an important goal. Money also self-explanatory. I’m not talking to people about a hobby. I’m talking to them about their career and your career has to be financially viable. Your work has to be something that you love to do, or at least it should be, that’s the goal. It should be sustainable. It should be viable. Then the third quality was something that I had to learn a little bit more about myself and that’s this quality of flow, which I essentially think of as using your unique skills. Doing something that you’re really good at. It may be something that comes naturally to you but it’s actually really challenging for other people. It’s the kind of work where you can get lost in it. You can have hours go by and you don’t realize because you’re so emerged in this particular work. When you find all three of these qualities … Of course it’s a journey. It’s a process. I think that is the goal. I think that is what we’re essentially working toward in finding the work that we were born to do. Of course, at different times in our life we have to make compromises. We might have to settle in some way. When I was 16, I delivered pizza. That was fine. It was a job. I don’t think it was the work I was born to do. It was something that I did at the time to accomplish a goal and we have to do that at different times in life. If we’re working towards something that if we are interested in self-development, if we do want to advance not just our career but our life, we’re going to make decisions with that model in mind of joy, money, and flow. Mac Prichard: Let’s talk about career development. You identify sub-skills that whatever occupation someone wants to pursue, we all need to have to get the work we want. What are those skills, Chris, and why do they matter? Chris Guillebeau: When people think about skills, most of the time they think about what I call hard skills. Hard skills are technical skills. They’re the skills that you learned in your specific training in your job or your degree. If you’re an engineer, it’s those engineering skills or those programming languages or whatever that is. What I saw was that in career advancement, whether you’re trying to get promoted, whether you’re trying to find your dream job, create your dream job in an organization, or go out on your own, what I call soft skills are actually just as important if not more important. Soft skills are basically areas related to communication essentially. Communication. Being able to facilitate a conversation or a meeting well. Follow up and follow through. Being that person in the room or in the meeting where there’s lots of good ideas being discussed but sometimes you can discuss good ideas and nothing happens … If you become that person who makes things happen and everyone starts to look to you and everyone’s like oh Mac should do this because he’s going to follow up on it. That’s a very very valuable skill regardless of your profession. This is not something that’s really taught. You don’t really take a class on this in college. It’s something that’s very valuable and I think it’s something that anyone can learn to improve and it’ll help them regardless of their specific career. Mac Prichard: Our listeners and I imagine a lot of your readers struggle with getting clear about what they’re good at. What they offer an employer. How do you recommend people do that? Chris Guillebeau: Very good, it’s always a process. The example we just gave a moment ago. We were talking about you’re working in a group and sometimes the members of the group, sometimes other people around you are actually better at identifying your strength or your skills than you are yourself. If you’re ever in one of these situations where tasks are being divvied up and everyone looks to you and says oh so-and-so should do this task. It’s almost like the group is affirming this skill. They’re recognizing it for you. That’s one way. Another way is simply just trial and error and experimentation. We put a lot of pressure on people to know at a young age, this is what I want to do. This is how I’m going to develop myself and advance myself. Very often the initial decisions that we make are incorrect because we don’t have all the information. Again, a key point is if it’s not working, try something else. Over time you are going to figure out, okay this is actually what I enjoy. You can ask yourself at the end of the day, looking back okay what did I do today that gave me energy? What did I do that drained my energy? Just focusing on that day-to-day. How can I do more of those things that I actually enjoy? The things that we enjoy tend to be the things that we’re also good at. Mac Prichard: Many people are reluctant to chase a dream job or career because of risk. What are your suggestions, Chris, about how people can manage career risk? Chris Guillebeau: Risk is a big thing. What do we mean by risk? I feel like risk is a topic like fear. People are like how do you overcome your fear? What sort of fear are we talking about? How does it affect our lives? What are the strategies that we can navigate to help us with that? I think maybe the first thing is a question of defining risk and saying if I’m thinking of making a career change, is this really risky? Maybe it’s actually more risky for me to remain in my current position because the current position isn’t good for me. Even if it’s good for me, I need to somehow create more opportunities for myself because in this day and age I have to create my own security. I wrote about this concept of being a self-employed employee where essentially you’re working in a job but the way you view it is I’m leasing out my talents to this company or organization. I’m going to do a great job for them, of course. I’m also going to continue to develop myself. I’m going to improve myself. That will allow me to go somewhere else or to be more valuable in my current position. When I think of risk, that’s the very first thing I think of. Let’s count the cost. Let’s see what really is risky. Then maybe also as you make changes, your confidence tends to increase. I think this is true with any goal in life. It’s not just a career thing. I had this project of going to every country in the world. I didn’t have that project when I hadn’t traveled anywhere. I went to maybe 30 different countries. I lived in Africa for a while and then I started thinking what could I do with this? Then I had a goal of going to 100 countries. As I got closer to that, I was like let’s raise the stakes. Let’s go to every country in the world. As you get better in making these kinds of decisions and taking what you might call risks, then I think you become much more comfortable in taking more of them and raising the stakes even further. Mac Prichard: We’re kind of the close the interview. Chris, what else would you like to add for the listeners? Chris Guillebeau: We talked about joy, money, flow. I just gave that example of at the end of the day maybe ask yourself where did I get energy? Where is my energy drained? This isn’t meant to be like a woo-woo thing. This is meant to be very practical. This is meant to give you data that you can then base decisions on in the future. Here’s a really simple thing that you can also do. At the end of the day, you get out a little notebook and you answer this question: did today matter? You know the answer to that question. If you think back, you’re going to be able to say okay I actually … Yeah, today was good. I made some progress toward a goal or an objective that I believe in. I invested in the relationships that I value. Whatever those matrix or those goals are. Or you’ll be able to say, actually today wasn’t that great because I got stuck in something. I got sucked in. I spent my whole day responding to things instead of creating things. I want to do a better job. The whole goal is essentially in life, let’s get closer to more and more days that matter. If we have days that aren’t mattering, that we look back and say that wasn’t good, what can we change? Small and big ways. Mac Prichard: Well, terrific. Tell us, Chris, what’s coming up next for you? Obviously, you have the book and I believe you’re starting … Tell us about the launch date and your book tour. Chris Guillebeau: I’m really excited about the tour. The book comes out April 5th. You may be listening to this later, in which case the book is out. I’m doing a 30 city tour across North America. People can find out about that at bornforthisbook.com. Of course, we’ve got world domination summit coming up in the summer but at the moment it’s all book all the time. Mac Prichard: Terrific. To learn more about Chris, visit his Twitter account and his blog as well as the website about his book. We’ll be sure to include links to all of those sites in the show notes. Chris, thanks for joining us. Chris Guillebeau: Awesome, thank you so much Mac. Mac Prichard: We’re back with Ben and Jenna. What do you two think? What were some of the most important points you heard Chris make? Jenna Forstrom: The biggest take away for me is that successful people don’t have linear paths. It’s just a good reminder for people who are thinking about changing their career or are unhappy in their current career and think they are locked into this path in this American dream and how really big successful people all over the world have done 180s in pivots and made really awesome successful life stories out of that. To think about that and meditate on it and make your own changes. Ben Forstag: As Chris pointed out, that runs so counter to this narrative that exists out there. Think of all the kids in college who, you have to go study X so that you can get out of college and get job Y and then you can progress up the ladder to point Z at the end. It really doesn’t work that way. I think about all the stress I put on myself or that all the young people put on themselves to figure out what they want at the age of 18 or at the age of 16 when you first meet with that college counselor who is trying to get you into the right school. It’s a little bit crazy because people’s careers don’t play out in that linear way. The point I liked was near the end. That very simple question of did today matter? There are days with any job, even with this job Mac where some days I walk out of the office and I don’t feel good about things. The day didn’t matter and I wasn’t happy. It’s sometimes things that I had control over. Some things I didn’t. The goal is to get more aware of the things that you can control and try doing things that do make you feel like today mattered. Fortunately, I think at this job, most days do feel like that. Mac Prichard: Well, good. Ben Forstag: That’s good. I think that’s just like an easy check to ask yourself every day to make sure whether you’re on the right path or not. Mac Prichard: I agree with both of you. Something that stood out for me was acknowledging that you can learn from failure. For me, I think I’ve talked about this before. I’ve worked on … I’ve lost count of how many losing political campaigns over the years but from each of them I’d learned something and I got something from the experience. I benefited from it and so did my employers down the line. Thank you both and thank you, our listeners. If you like what you hear on the show, you can help us by leaving a review and rating at iTunes. This helps others discover the show and helps us serve you all better. We’re also celebrating a big milestone this week. Over the weekend, we reached 50,000 downloads since we launched the show on October 17th. That’s more than 10,000 downloads a month. We continue to rank in the top 40 in the iTunes career chart. Thank you all, our listeners, and thank you for letting your friends and colleagues know about the show. We know we’ve grown largely by word of mouth. I also want to share a review we’ve received on iTunes. It’s from Nathan Cole Howard who writes, “Find Your Dream Job is the go-to podcast for millennials in search of their first job or their next job. I’ve recommended it to entire departments at colleges in Oregon and to at least a dozen friends. Definitely subscribe if you’re on the look.” Thank you Nathan, and thanks to the scores of other listeners who’ve left a review. Take a moment and leave your own comments and rating. Just go to www.macslist.org/itunes. Thanks for listening and we’ll be back next Wednesday with more tools and tips you can use to find your dream job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices