Forbes.com video: top 20 fastest growing occupations for women

Dear readers:

Today's post is aimed at women who make up a significant part of the workforce in North America.

Forbes.com recently posted a slideshow on the "top 20 fastest growing occupations for women."

No surprise that many of the occupations are concentrated in the medical or healthcare field.
Co-incidentally, I just came back from the vet to take in cat #2 and the local practice appears to be flourishing!

Among some of the findings are:

-occupational therapy aides
-physical therapy assistants
-veterinary technicians and assistants (I have read many times that the pet industry in North America alone exceeds $300 million! We LOVE to spoil our furry and feathered friends!

You can read more at http://www.tinyurl.com/29fa4nb

Best wishes,
Melissa Martin, bilingual career coach and ebook author, How to use social media in your job search
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/
Facebook: melissacynthiamartin
Twitter: @ravingredhead

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job search tip # 9: The 3 C's of interviewing

Career expert J. T. O'Donnell, founder of http://www.careerealism.com/, on whose site I am proud to be an "approved career expert," published an article earlier this year on the power of 3's.

Here is a 3 part recipe for interview preparation:

1. Confidence- This is the FIRST thing that any competent interviewer seeks in the job candidate. Exude confidence (not over confidence) and you will walk a mile in your interview.

2. Communication- Experts will agree that this is the dealbreaker about being the successful candidate. A credentialed career specialist will coach you before the interview and help you get hired. Hiring someone for their expertise is a worthy investment. If you want to know more, drop me a line at http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/

3. Content- Rehearse mini stories that do not exceed 2 minutes. Statistics show that interviewers' attention spans drop substantially after one minute. Use strategies such as STAR (situation, task, action, result) or PULL (using content based on your paid experience, unpaid experience, such as volunteering, learning experiences and life experiences) to ace the interview.

Best wishes,
Melissa Martin, bilingual career coach and ebook author, How to use social media in your job search
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/
Facebook: melissacynthiamartin
Twitter: @ravingredhead

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job search tip #6 Beware of "loved ones' advice" for your next job choice

"Fathers know best." Heard that term? Wasn't that a TV show in America back in the 50's? In any case, my dear father actually steered me AWAY from a career choice. He only wished good fortune with his daughter so that she wouldn't have to "starve" on the meagre salary of a radio broadcaster...However, it resulted in my quantum career leap to career coach/counsellor/ job search specialist/educator.

I fared pretty well in radio broadcasting, but what if your loved ones insist on making a career choice that can be ill-fated?

My client "Mark" mentioned that his father wanted him to study material so that he could launch a career in insurance sales. Before you start to fire up the torpedoes, I am not undermining the importance of sales. Far from it. Dear dad has been a salesman for 50 years and another relative has enjoyed numerous successes. I too have relied on sales to make a "quick" income before and after teachers college.

Mark asked my advice about starting a sales career. I inquired if this career was a suitable fit with his existing talents and qualifications. (You may notice that I do not include skills as a primary determinant of a career fit). Mark would have to deal with the realities of sales: dealing with objections, dealing with rejection and having to "close the sale." Oh, and in this case, he would end up with a commission-based income.

In addition to his fragile level of self-confidence, Mark has been recovering from illnesses in the past years which have led to a few job dismissals. Ultimately, Mark decided that this was not the course of action.

We then proceeded to Carole Martin's (no relation) exercise of "digging for gold" in job postings (essentially deciphering a job posting three times). This exercise was invaluable in determining what jobs Mark would apply to.

Present company excluded, be weary of loved ones who claim that they have expert carer advice.
At the end of the day, you are the master of your own destiny.

"Fortune favours the bold," Virgil

http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/
Check out my ebook, How to use social media in your job search

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job search tip #4: Try a distraction technique (RESISTT) to rid any negative talk during a tough job search

How is your job search going? In the US, the average job search time is 33 weeks. That's extraordinarily high. I believe I saw a sign of the tough economic times when I visited New York state for a few hours yesterday.

Tough economic times can wreak havoc on your self-confidence UNLESS you take a different stance. Trying out new techniques.

I came across a really useful acronym for programming your mind to stop upsetting thoughts (and goodness knows that we have many when we are facing a stalled job search with no results).

The acronym, based on dialectical behaviour therapy, is designed to help people cope with overwhelming emotions (a long period  of unemployment can do this).

The RESISTT  acronym can "help you distract yourself from distressing thoughts without making things worse." Canadian registered Social Worker Sheri Van Dijk features the RESISTT concept in The Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills Workbook.

I have adapted it to a successful job search:

Reframe- instead of concentrating on what things have gone wrong in your job search, think of what's gone right. (Even the smallest thing such as taking risks).
Mindfully Engage in an activity-Many activities produce better results in a job search.
Do something for Someone else- Take break from your job search. Help someone else who is struggling or volunteer your time or expertise.
Intense sensations-If  a sensation is coming from inside you that could improve your job search, explore that sensation. It could be the breakthrough in your job search.
Shut it out-A drawn out job search is more likely to plague the mind with negative thoughts. See the "reframe" reference above.
Think neutral thoughts- Maybe you've sent out X number of applications and have not received an interview yet. Think neutrally. The hiring could be stalled or the employer may be on the brink of landing a lucrative contract, which could result in bringing in your expertise.
Take a break.  Rule #1. Peel yourself from electronic job boards. They only yield a 1-3% success rate.
Do something completely different from job searching.

Try the RESISTT technique and give it ample time to take effect in your job search.

Melissa Martin, bilingual career coach and ebook author, How to use social media in your job search
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/
Twitter: @ravingredhead
Facebook: melissacynthiamartin

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