Friday, May 28, 2010

List of Prospective Companies to Work For

Reposition yourself to re-enter the workforce; join me on my personal branding journey.

Well, it's back to work now that I finished my marketing metrics class and have a bit more time to dedicate to my job search. One of the first matters of business on my planning guide is to put together a list of prospective companies to work for.  This is not as easy as it seems. To make the list meaningful you have to sort through quite a bit of information. My approach is to spread a wide net and narrow in on specifics.

My objective is to target local companies (within a radius of 30 miles of where I live) that are large enough to have branding departments and are within my range of interest, ideally, consumer products. Since I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, many of the companies headquartered here are technology and/or internet focused.  Although it would be foolish to ignore this category of employers altogether, they will have second tier status in my targeting efforts. The kinds of companies that interest me most, aside from Leapfrog, are food related.

With that in mind, I googled 'Bay Area Companies', and came up with a few good lists. Wikipedia's List of companies headquartered in San Francisco was a good place to start.  From that I chose various categories.  Next, I will look at each company I'm interested in more closely to see if they have the kinds of jobs that I am looking for. Another good resource is SF Gates' Chron200 which lists the largest and most financially healthy companies in the Bay Area. 

 From my initial research, I've come up with the following companies to check out more closely:
  • Ghiradelli Chocolates
  • Del Monte Foods
  • Dreyer's Ice Cream
  • Haagen Daaz
  • Jamba Juice
  • Williams Sonoma
  • Safeway
  • Shaklee
 Next week after I've checked out these picks more closely, I'll be able to present a more concise list to target.

See you next Friday...

Friday, May 21, 2010

Celebrating Moms

Reposition yourself to re-enter the workforce; join me on my personal branding journey.

This week I'd like to put on my mom's hat for a change and consider what it means to be a mother.  My friend sent me a great video entitled Momisms which was circulating for mother's day and I just loved it. Watching it made me think of my mother and myself with my daughter and how all mothers can relate to the experience which is a common bond between us.

A mom is a director, she directs the lives of her children so that her household runs efficiently. She is a teacher, adviser and counselor, encouraging her offspring to learn social competency and lead happy, healthy, independent lives. She is a role model, remember actions speak louder than words. She is a protector, a cheerleader, a friend. She is always on your side. She wants the best for you. She is your most powerful ally.

I am proud to be a mom and I don't want to downplay that in my job search. In fact, I'd like to incorporate it into my job search, if I can. Leapfrog is a company that I would really like to work for. It's a company that makes educational toys for children. Don't you think that's a great fit for a Mom? I am totally in tune with their target market. Interestingly, the company is mostly run by men (it's a software company). Anyway, my plan is to put together some sort of presentation for them that introduces me and what I can do for their company. I did a similar marketing project for Avon before I started with them and it landed me the job.  Putting forth extra effort makes you stand out as a candidate. It's a great way to differentiate yourself. Oops, my marketing hat is back on!!

Moms are hard workers and great organizers. They know how to prioritize and have social skills.  Be proud of what you are and what you have to give. Don't hide it, acknowledge it and integrate it into your work life.

See you next Friday...

Friday, May 14, 2010

Updating Your Skills - two sides of the coin

Reposition yourself to re-enter the workforce; join me on my personal branding journey.

Since I've been out of work for quite awhile, especially in my chosen profession, I find I can gain a bit of confidence by taking professionally related classes. Most communities have local universities or colleges which offer continuing education courses. These days, of course, you can also do classes online.

Things are changing so fast in the world around us, sometimes it's challenging to keep up with the technological advances.  Between when I went to college and graduate school, computers became common use in the work place. When I worked at Avon China we used computers and Microsoft Office programs regularly, but there was no internet or even email at that time.

Now Social Media is all the rage. I recently took an online class through UC Berkeley Extension about using social media in marketing strategy. It was a great class, and I learned a great deal. Not all classes are created equal, however. I've taken 4 classes altogether. Two were really useful but two were not what I expected.  

When I take a great class, I feel challenged when I'm taking it and accomplished when I complete it. When I take a not so great class, I feel frustrated when I'm taking it and humbled when I complete it only to realize how much I don't know!  One day I feel like I can take on the world; the next I'm afraid I won't be able to compete. 

Such is the nature of the job search and just about every other challenge in life. We have our ups, we have our downs.  The important thing is to keep going. "Courage is not the lack of fear. It is acting in spite of it."  Fear has been a challenge I have faced my whole life. I am proud to say, it hasn't held me back.  You just have to learn to plow right through it with your blinders on. 

The class I am currently taking will be over in a little over a week. I just need to focus on what needs to be done and get through it. Then I will be able to sigh a breath of relief and get on with my life. Wish me luck.

See you next Friday...

Friday, May 7, 2010

Job Search References

Reposition yourself to re-enter the workforce; join me on my personal branding journey.

This week I have been thinking about job references and the fact that I have not worked in my field for a long time (more than 10 years).  Neither have I followed the golden rule of keeping in touch with my job contacts.  So, as you can imagine, I'm slightly nervous about who to use as references. 

As usual, I've done some research and come up with some guidelines about how to go about lining up and pre-screening references, because afterall, you don't want any surprises.  One of the articles I liked was called "Resumes Win Interviews, But References Win Job Offers", which about sums it up.  References are very important and you absolutley must have a few people in your pipeline to sing your praises, it's a critical part of the process and should not be taken lightly.  

Randall Hansen lays out  a plan for developing a reference list in his article References: The Keys to Choosing and Using the Best...  The steps are as follows: (modified list)
  • Think Strategically about who to choose as your references
  • Consider different categories of references (3-5 people who can speak of your accomplishments)
  • Get Permission to use your references
  • Collect up to date reference contact details
  • Keep references informed (and possibly coached)
  • Thank them for their help
This is the process I will use going forward. I have a few people in mind to use. Fortunately, in the age of social media, it is easier to track down old colleagues than it used to be. Approaching them and asking for their help seems intimidating, but the worst that could happen is that they will say no. And hopefully, in the end, I will come up with a list of people who I am sure will recommend me and help me secure the job I want.

See you next Friday......