If your finances dictate a need to go back to work after a time away, the window of time you have before relaunch makes a difference in the quality of your preparation and how you’ll spend that time.  In a challenging economy where several others are seeking the same job you need to be better prepared.  Here’s a couple of ways to do that with different scenarios:

You don’t know what kind of work you want to do, but have time to figure it out pull out the old classics: What Color Is Your Parachute? (go through it’s wealth of useful info and exercises, esp. the “Flower” exercise in the back of the book and consider getting the accompanying workbook) and 
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was. Even work through Career Match: Connecting Who You Are With What You’ll Love To Do by Zichy and Bidou.  These are available at individual sites online as well as Amazon.  I usually pick them at my local library and any edition works well, then xerox the exercises I need to fill out.

Also take the assessment from the book, Now Discover Your Strengths, to learn more about your important leading edges and consider the Elevations Online Career Assessment  by Helen Scully (which I’ve been trained in to use with clients too).  There are many free, low-cost and useful online career assessments.  “Know thyself first.”

If you don’t know what kind of work you want to do and have little time  Hire a career coach to help you quickly clarify your direction and streamline your search.  You may still have to do some of the work above, but she/he can help you sort through it and only work on the information that’s needed to move quickly ahead.  See 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller, president of the Business Source.  This book helps you make successful job and career decisions.  If you go on the About.com website, you can compare pricing on this and other books from many store and online locations.

If you know what you want to do and are just trying to find the work  Get either of Alison Doyle’s books. She’s a job search expert who specializes in online searches.  Also, The Job Search Solution:  The Ultimate System for Finding a Great Job Now! by Tony Beshara, a top recruiter who has been on the Dr. Phil Show, has a step-by-step system to finding a job. 

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Like O.J. Simpson at his trial, sometimes no matter how persistent you are to make the glove fit, your work just doesn’t fit you.

In a tough economic environment, it’s scary thinking of making major industry changes, (i.e. from a preschool teacher to a nurse), let alone changing jobs in your same field (i.e. from a piano teacher for kids to a piano teacher for adults). If you’re not in pain right now over your job and don’t have financial resources to be out of work for at least six months, I recommend you hold tight where you are until your finances will be supportive for a period of transition, you do know what you want, have the skills and talents to bring to the work, and have developed sufficient contacts to help get you the work.

But in the meantime, it’s time to find out why your job isn’t a fit for you and see if you can’t infuse it with new energy and interest to stay or begin the research process for a job change. Some key questions so you can make a list of your responses and begin to formulate a clear plan for your future action steps:

1. Was your job ever a fit for you? What are the best, the worst and the so-so parts for you?
2. Have you ever had some of the same positives (from #1) in other work you’ve done?
3. What specifically has changed and what can you be responsible for to improve your situation?

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Cover letters are designed as a brief introduction letter that draws the reader’s attention to the applicant, the purpose of their submission and the attached resume. So a brief intro of yourself plus an expression of your interest, and one or two key features of your experience that you want to point up are the most primary components.

But here are 5 “potent” points to add-in to make your cover letter stand out from others and make you memorable:

1.  Use error-free type in a font that’s easily readable.  You’d be surprised at the number of typos or incorrect grammar and punctuation used.  Also, copy that is creased or not copied onto quality paper is a common mistake.  This may be their very first introduction to you and why it’s #1 in this list.  Don’t be tossed out for the basics. 

2.  Open your cover letter without the usual “attached you’ll find my resume” comment.  They know this already and a simple “Encl: resume”" or “Enclosed Resume” at the bottom left of your letter is sufficient to address any concerns you might have about your letter and resume being separated.  Instead, include an opener that has more power.  From ”Hello _________.  Here are the top 3 reasons you want to consider me as your new Accountant…” to “Thanks for your consideration of me for the new position of Electrical Engineer.  Let me point up why I’m your top candidate…”  The underline above is where you add the name of the specific person in charge of hiring vs. ”to whom it may concern.”

3.  Mention anyone who is referring you and a simple statement as to why, i.e. ”Stephanie Wilson suggested I apply, because in our 15-year relationship, she’s seen my design and management skills expand to the point where I’d be an excellent match for this graphic design coordinator position.”

4.  Share a point or two about the company or the client’s business to demonstrate you’ve done your homework.   i.e., “Since your Valentine’s Day ’92 program launch, I’ve followed the success of your Dial-A-Florist program and know I can bring added market dimensionality and a boost to this campaign.”  (Of course, be prepared to back up any and all promises).

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When things don’t go as planned, there’s a tendency to back off and let opportunities fade away, or let others handle things while you stand on the sideline.  While a sharing of expertise on projects can be worthwhile, other times not stepping up and leaving things to others can become a negative pattern.  Are you feeling reluctant to try new things because you don’t want to fail or you feel you’re in uncharted territory? 

In our careers we’re often confronted with new challenges and it’s this reluctance to sail ahead that makes the difference between successful business people and those less successful.

“He’ll get the offer, so there’s no sense positioning myself for it.”  “No matter how much I market, it won’t change my client return ratio.”  “There are so many others that do what I do, regardless of my speciality or branding, the client can’t tell us apart and I probably won’t get the business.”  “I can do it, but if they can’t see that, I’m not going to bother asking.”  If any of this sounds like you – or some similar version of career reluctance - then it’s time to revamp your career commitment and relook your strategies to turn your results around.

The first step will be to make a new commitment to your work.  Without that willingness and belief in the possibility of new results and your deserving of them, along with your belief in your capabilities, then this list below won’t apply.  (Hint:  If you weren’t willing to revamp things or work towards improving your career outlook, then you probably wouldn’t be reading this).

1.  Make a list of successes you’ve caused within the last 6 months to a year. 
2.  Examine the list and circle any similarities (noting dissimilarities) in how those came about.
3.  Recognize specific actions you took that led to positive results to decide if you’re willing and able to replicate them.
4.  Make a list of anyone who was your ambassador or a beneficial contact then to retap them if needed.
5.  Decide your most important current objectives for your business or projects now and what resources you’ll need.
6.  Let go of any projects you honestly don’t feel ready or able to head up and don’t fault your decision to do so.
7.  Notice if your reluctance has to do with stronger personalities that surround you and practice being assertive, while never exhibiting any feelings of distrust or jealousy in what they do.
8.  You can delegate by empowering others and demonstrating appreciation, while remaining in control of a project.

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As I let go of another business project that I decided is not a valuable use of my time and other resources, I reflect on the process itself of “letting go.” There are those things, people, projects, places, to-do’s that we consciously choose to eliminate…this project is one of them. It’s wise to let those things go before you expend too much more energy on them. Then there are those minor things that fall away on their own because you really weren’t that interested in them and didn’t focus your energy on them to begin with. But what about those larger matters that are important that you don’t give your due attention to out of past fears or disappointment?

One of my husband’s aunts was married for 50 years and deeply in love with her partner. A woman in her early 70′s, she had been fun to be with and lively.  For the last four years she’s lived in a senior home with severe loss of memory and physical deterioration. Before she went into the home we used to talk with her about doing some of the things she’d loved to do so much with him and she had no interest in doing it on her own. It was sad for all the family to see her so dependent on what she had had that she was unwilling to live fully for herself.

I can’t help feeling that my dear aunt-in-law gave up on living for herself, gave up on living her own dreams. I don’t want to judge her in any way; I don’t know what she’s been thinking and feeling since her husband passed, but I do know that she began to fade when she became inactive and disinterested.  It causes me to question my own disappointments, what I may harbor as sad or hurt feelings, and to see if there is anything that I really wanted that I’ve given up on or am unwilling to try out.

The question you may ask yourself is, Are you complete with your life as it is and as it is not? In other words, are there hopes or dreams you had that didn’t manifest and have you moved on from those? What about people you longed to connect with but didn’t get to, or people or circumstances you want to disconnect from, but don’t? Are you resigned in having to relate to certain people or be in certain circumstances that are unhealthy, or are you dwelling on thoughts of missing out?

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