Here’s why you, the job seeker, need to know about Craig’s List. My friend received 20 resumes in response to his ad, and of those he chose to contact the top 5 for interviews. Therefore, those who responded to his ad had a 25% chance of being contacted, maybe even more if anyone in the top 5 drops out of the running. Compared to a 1 or 2% chance of getting contacted from responding to a newspaper ad or one of the huge job search websites, that’s a great return! Craig’s List’s jobs are organized by city and by category, which makes it easy to narrow down your search. I suggest checking back every day, because new posts are being added all the time.

A word of caution. There are great jobs with great companies on Craig’s List, but there are also some listings that aren’t what they promise to be. Use common sense. If a job posting promises that you’ll make 6-figures working 5 hours a week from home, it’s probably a scam. Real companies will have an email address and often will post their web address so you can check them out and make an informed decision.

I’d love to hear about your experiences job hunting on Craig’s List and any other websites that seem to have less competition for jobs. Please post comments!

Happy hunting,
Allison

The most inspiring vision for the career you want to create will do you no good at all if you have no energy with which to create it. The problem with hating your job is that it drains you. It takes a huge amount of energy to resent what you have to do, to dislike the people you work with, and to clock-watch and not be present in the moment. Negative emotions use up energy, which is why I always recommend finding ways to enjoy your current job first before starting to look for a new one. For 101 ways to do just that, grab your copy of my free report by clicking here.

Here are a few great ways to begin taking back control of your energy. Think of the aspect of your work that you dislike the most. It could be a person you have to interact with, a time of day you particularly dislike (like a meeting or your commute), or a task that must be done. Next, choose one of the techniques below to lessen the energy drain this aspect has on you.

Technique #1: Eliminate it.
Can you eliminate it altogether? Before you jump to the conclusion that you can’t, try to think out of the box. If it’s a task you hate, is there someone you can delegate or outsource it to? If you hate your commute, you might ask to work from home a couple days per week. If it’s a meeting, ask if you can be excused from attending. Be sure to support your request with evidence of how the meeting reduces your productivity.

Technique #2: Minimize it.
If you cannot eliminate it from your day completely, how can you minimize it? For example, if you dislike your boss dropping by your office at random times throughout the day, you could ask to have a set time for him or her to stop by and take care of all business then, freeing you to work uninterrupted the rest of the day. If it is your morning commute, you could leave earlier to avoid the rush. If a particular task drives you crazy, you could do it first thing in the morning and have the rest of the day to do the parts of your job you like.

Technique #3: Change your perspective.
One of the most effective ways to deal with an energy drain is to simply think about it differently. Let’s take the meeting you hate to attend. How could you shift your perspective to make it better? Instead of looking at it as hours of your life wasted, you might use it as a time to voice some ideas you had that would improve your product or service. If someone cuts you off in morning traffic, instead of labeling them a maniac, you might imagine what would cause them to drive recklessly. They could be late to a job they are in danger of losing, and be worried about keeping food on the table for their family. Seeing things from a different perspective can create an immediate internal shift. Instead of wasting valuable energy being angry at someone, you have that energy left over to create the life you really want.

Be careful with your energy. You will need to have some left over from work in order to conduct a productive and positive search for your new career.

To your success!
Allison

When you have a goal that inspires you, it will pull you forward toward your goal. It’s a lot easier to have energy and discipline when you’re excited about what you’re trying to accomplish. Not only will you have a clear vision of what you want to do, but you will authentically desire it. Have you ever applied for a job you really didn’t want? I see this all the time with my clients. They get called in for an interview, and one of two things usually happens. Either they “forget” about the appointment and miss their interview, or they say something really ridiculous during it. The part of you that has seemingly sabotaged your interview is what Martha Beck calls your Essential Self, and it will help you get what you really want even if it has to make you say something silly to an employer that is wrong for you. That is why it’s so important to go after work that you really do want. When you really want it, your Essential Self will most likely make you even more adept at interviewing than normal. You may find yourself feeling a great rapport with the interviewer, or easily coming up with the perfect answers to the questions you are asked.

Authentically desiring something also tends to bring external forces to your aid. Coincidences may occur at the exact time you need them. Opportunities will appear seemingly out of no where, although they may have been there all along and you are only now noticing them.

So, the first step to a successful job search is to sit down and figure out what you really want – what is most inspiring to you. Do not let Premature Practicality (a phrase coined by the great success coach Michael Neill) get in your way at this point. Let yourself dream up something fantastic. If you like words, you can journal about it or make a list of attributes you want your job to have. If you are visual, you can create a vision board from magazine clippings or even do a video on your computer. MindMovies.com has software for doing exactly that. If you prefer audio, speak your career desires into a recorder. Then, once you have your list, revisit it often during your job search to give yourself a shot of inspiration.

Stay tuned for Part 2.

To your success!
Allison

First, companies are always hiring. At the height of the Great Depression, the unemployment rate was about 18%. A huge percentage to be sure, but it also means that 82% of willing and capable workers were employed. Some of the largest companies in the world got their start during that time. Today is no different. There are thousands of workers hired every day in an average sized city, so why shouldn’t you be one of them?

The second reason to initiate your career change now is that it could take some time. There is some inner work and planning to do first. You may not know what new career to pursue, or what skills you have that can transfer into another career. Then there are the nuts and bolts of the job search to tackle: updating your resume, contacting references, putting out feelers in your network. The longer you wait to begin, the longer you will be stuck in an unfulfilling career.

The third reason to begin your career change now is that you can’t predict the future. Nobody knows when the economic climate will improve. Do you want to place your life and happiness in the hands of outside forces? To do so is to give your power away. Take back your power and take action if you are unsatisfied in your career. It’s much easier to make a change while you are currently employed because you won’t have the extra pressure of your finances weighing you down. And if you decide to do something that involves financial risk, like going into business for yourself, you can start planning for it now when it’s easier to put some money away for the future.

So go ahead. Begin to make that career change now, and with the proper planning, you’ll have a smooth transition into a great new adventure.

To your success!

Allison