Since last Friday, I’ve been fielding inquiries about my new coaching program, to help those who have found themselves still without a job for the Fall. In talking over the details of the program, many people thought it might be useful, but just weren’t ready to commit. So I sat down to review the details of the program and make a few modifications to get people off the fence.
First, let’s review the general outline for the program, as announced last Friday….
“8 weeks to August” is geared toward job seekers who are determined to start something new this academic year. It’s a “hybrid” program…part individual coaching, and part on-line activities and support. It will also be significantly cheaper than a regular 1-on-1 coaching program, because I’m sensitive to the financial aspects of job-seeking in higher education. (I have some news on that, so read on.)
Features
2 individual coaching sessions in early June, to outline your goals for coaching, and to review your resume and cover letters, to make sure they are selling your unique skills and experience in ways that match the positions you are targeting. ($200 Value)
2 practice interviews-one via phone, the other via Skype, with feedback about areas for possible improvement. ($200 value)
2 additional individual coaching sessions during the program, which can be used for exploration, goal-setting, additional mock interviews, strategy sessions for specific applications, etc….Really, whatever you might need. ($200 value)
E-mail coaching during the entire program- send short questions or requests to me on topics of your choosing.
Online access to readings and activities that will help you focus your efforts on finding a position that will be a natural match for your interests, skills and abilities.
Group discussion opportunities for all group members, for support and encouragement from other job seekers.
The ability to have private online chats and discussions with me and with other group members about your search.
I thought I’d put together a pretty good package, and set a pretty good price point, but I’d like to see a slightly larger group. It’s true enough that the 1-on-1 coaching and the online activities may be enough for most people, but I like to idea of at least offering some group activities, to help people network with and support other searchers, and to know they are not alone in their concerns.
Optimally, I would like to see this group at between 15 and 20 members, because I think that’s a manageable size that still allows personal interaction and individualized attention to each member.
The changes are:
I’m going reducing the price. ($400/person instead of $500/person)
I’m going to split the payments and have an up-front part and then let participants pay the remainder later probably $200 now and $200 later in the program.
I’m going to set up a “client profiles” section on HigherEdCareerCoach.com for any member of the program interested to have the following:
Picture & Bio
Resume Highlights and downloadable resume pdf file
A BusinessCard 2.0 or similar internet card
Have an entire episode of my BlogTalkRadio show dedicated to interviewing you and talking about your goals for your job search. (will be linked to your page). Will be pre-recorded and edited. Both BTR and my site have good Search Engine Optimization, but A BTR episode will stay up, be searchable and hopefully help you get your name out there in a better way.
I’m still planning to give away a $500 Apple giftcard if we get 15 or more registrants.
You’ll still get the book.
You’ll still get access to the teleseminars and online workshops and activities until the End of September.
The number of registrants for this program will still be extremely limited, because I want to be able to deliver all I promise, and more, to participants, and turn them into raving fans and the best kind of advertising money can’t buy…satisfied clients.
Every participant will receive a copy of a great book on personal branding. (Me 2.0 by Dan Schawbel)
If I reach my intended target size for this program, one of the participants is going to end up getting all the features and benefits mentioned above, and a $500 Apple Gift Card. With the price drop this means that someone is going to get paid to get coaching and move forward in their job search. And maybe use that gift card to start a new job this Fall with a shiny new iPad.
Do I have your interest now?
If you or a friend are “stuck,” and really need to move forward and make significant progress in your job search, wouldn’t it be great to get personal attention, customized resume/cover letter/interview assistance, the support of a certified coach and other job seekers in your field, and (if we get a group of 15 to 20) theopportunity to get all your money back?
I know that if I was looking for a position, it would interest me.
So don’t wait…visit the program’s registration page (link below) to learn more about this program, what the costs and benefits are, and about my money-back guarantee.
Everyone knows that the perfect place to make career connections is the elevator. So it occurred to me that the topic might be a great one to explore on the next HigherEdCareerCoach BlogTalkRadio show.
Then Mike Severy, who was a guest on the show last week, had to go and reinforce this idea, when his tweet about an article on Inc. Magazine about the topic:
So this is what we’ll talk about this Friday. (I’m adding the topic of interview skills because I think it is relevant. We’ll give feedback about that, too.)
But I’m hoping to do even more.
They say that practice makes perfect. Well, here’s the time for you to practice. Call in to the show and introduce yourself. Deliver your elevator speech. Get feedback from me, the co-hosts and maybe even the audience.
We’ll also corner callers into answering some questions in a “mini-mock interview,” and give feedback about that.
I hope you will join us and consider calling in (to get or give advice and comments.) When the show is on live, you can call in to (347) 989-0055 or go to the show page and click on the Skype Click-to-Talk button (Blue “S” logo above the show summary.)
Please listen and call in. Your engagement could be really helpful to job seekers.
Using RSS feeds to keep up with vacancy postings during your job search with Eric Stoller, an academic advisor at Oregon State University, who also shares his thoughts on higher education, technology, and social justice issues at EricStoller.com and consults with institutions in higher education about technology issues.
From my Google Reader: Higher Ed News and Views, plus other interesting articles on social media, education, etc.
Cook Coaching Programs and Services: Information on my 8 weeks to August Career Coaching Program for student affairs professionals finding themselves “stuck” in their job search; Accidentally on Purpose sideshow, with Sean Cook and Monica Moody; upcoming workshops for high school students transitioning to college, parents hoping to avoid the “helicopter parent phenomenon,” and more.
Call-Ins: Please listen in to the show and call in your questions and comments to (347) 989-0055 or send them via twitter to @hiedcareercoach. I’ll be asking for comments at various points, especially between 3:15 pm and 3:45 pm when talking with Eric Stoller, but callers are welcome to comment on or ask questions about anything we cover, or other issues in higher education.
So the school year has wound down, graduation has passed, and the halls are empty (well, except for those being used for Summer School.) For some of us, it’s time to rest on our laurels for a bit, before planning ramps up for the school year.
But for others, summer might be anything but relaxing. If you have the “graduation-and-no-job blues,” the “I’ve-gotta-get-out-of-this-place-it’s-killing-me itch,” or the “been-here-done-here-now-what?” mid-career crisis, then it’s high time you get moving with your job search, or grad school planning…or you’ll be looking in the mirror this August, seeing the reflection of your discontent staring back at you, and wondering…
“How did this happen? I’m supposed to be doing something great!
…And it’s not this.”
If you find yourself with the blues, the itch, or the mid-career crisis, maybe it’s time to get clear on your interests, evaluate your skills, and start planning for a fresh start this August. Summer represents a second wave of opportunities for job seekers in academia, because many who got a job in the first wave also left a job.
To help those who have found themselves in this position, I’m launching a new coaching program to help them get unstuck.
8 Weeks to August Coaching Program
The “8 weeks to August” program is geared toward job seekers who are determined to start something new this academic year.
The program will be a “hybrid” program…part individual coaching, and part on-line activities and support. It will also be significantly cheaper than a regular 1-on-1 coaching program, because I’m sensitive to the financial aspects of job-seeking in higher education.
Features
2 individual coaching sessions in early June, to outline your goals for coaching, and to review your resume and cover letters, to make sure they are selling your unique skills and experience in ways that match the positions you are targeting. ($200 Value)
2 practice interviews-one via phone, the other via Skype, with feedback about areas for possible improvement. ($200 value)
2 additional individual coaching sessions during the program, which can be used for exploration, goal-setting, additional mock interviews, strategy sessions for specific applications, etc….Really, whatever you might need. ($200 value)
E-mail coaching during the entire program- send short questions or requests to me on topics of your choosing.
Online access to readings and activities that will help you focus your efforts on finding a position that will be a natural match for your interests, skills and abilities.
Group discussion opportunities for all group members, for support and encouragement from other job seekers.
The ability to have private online chats and discussions with me and with other group members about your search.
Benefits
Increased clarity about your career goals, as a result of personalized feedback about your resume, cover letters, and job search strategy.
A more focused plan for your job search, from opportunities to explore options, weed out ones that aren’t a good match, and concentrate on those more suited to your skills, experiences, and interests.
A better understanding of potential obstacles to your success, including practical ones (like lack of training, or poor interviewing skills) and emotional ones, like anxiety, confusion, or poor self-esteem; with some personalized recommendations for skill-building, improved personal presentation, and building self-confidence.
What else do you need to know about the
“8 Weeks to August” Career Coaching Program?
I’ll give you some quick ideas, but you’ll need to go to the event page to get more specifics.
The price point is incredibly good…a significant discount over my normal rates (since it is a hybrid program, with individual and group components, the number of registrants will allow me to do this.)
The number of registrants for this program will be extremely limited, because I want to be able to deliver all I promise, and more, to participants, and turn them into raving fans and the best kind of advertising money can’t buy…satisfied clients.
I will be closing the program to new enrollments next Friday at 12 noon EST.
Every participant will receive a copy of a great book on personal branding.
If I reach my intended target size for this program, one of the participants is going to end up getting all the features and benefits mentioned above, and a significant prize, which will basically be like giving them all their money back.(That’s right–all of it!)
Do I have your interest now?
If you or a friend are “stuck,” and really need to move forward and make significant progress in your job search, wouldn’t it be great to get personal attention, customized resume/cover letter/interview assistance, the support of a certified coach and other job seekers in your field, and the opportunity to get all your money back?
I know that if I was looking for a position, it would interest me.
So don’t wait…visit the program’s registration page (link below) to learn more about this program, what the costs and benefits are, and about my money-back guarantee.
Much has been said lately about the value of social media to job seekers. Since you’re reading a blog post about it, which you probably learned about from a post on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or BrazenCareerist, the value of social media should be obvious. It is likely what brought you here.
So let’s cut to the chase: You know social networking can be valuable, but you just aren’t sure how to do it the right way. Here are 5 great posts that can help you figure some of this out.
7 Secrets to Getting Your Next Job Using Social Media by Dan Schawbel gives some unique ways to use search engines, bl ogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, Video Resumes and your blog/rss subscriptions to stay on task, monitor your personal brand, an d get connected during your job search.
This article about a panel presentation by the Sacramento Social Media Club about using Facebook and Twitter for your job search gives some simple but good advice from panelists. I also like the idea of social media clubs. If you have one in your area, this could be a great place to find people who could help you understand ways to use social media to enhance your job search and career.
Alison Doyle offers a good overview of networking sites at her About.Com page. Alison is a great person to follow, and her articles on About.Com are very much resource-packed. I visit often and always learn something.
And listen in the morning:
I am doing a BlogTalkRadio show on using social media in your job search tomorrow (Friday) at 11 a.m. My guest host will be Mallory Bower, Assistant Director of Career Services at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Mallory writes periodically for my other site, HigherEdLifeCoach.Com, and will have some articles on this site soon, as well. Our guests will include some of Mallory’s colleagues at UNCP, including Mike Severy, Director of Student Involvement and Leadership, and newly hired Assistant Director Becca Fick. Twitter was integral to posting the job, getting candidates and to Fick’s eventual hiring. Mike and Becca wrote great posts on their perspectives on using Twitter in the job search. Mike’s post, on the Student Affairs Collaborative Blog, can be found here, and Becca’s guest post at On the Go with Ed Cabellon can be found here.
We’ll also revisit last week’s discussion on “purpose” and what it means to people working in higher education. Plus news, events and perspectives of note in the higher ed/student affairs world. Show is scheduled for 90 minutes to allow call-ins, discussion, etc., but may end after an hour or so.
You can listen to the show by following this link. And you can call in live to ask questions during the interview to (347) 989-005 or via Skype from the show page. (I’ve never really done that, but it is supposedly possible. Someone should give it a try, and let me know how it works!) Please listen in and share your questions and comments. After the show, you can call in and record your comments to my GoogleVoice comment line, 706-352-9467. (352-WINS) and I may play them on the air in a future episode.
So please check out these links, think about how you might use social media to advance your job search and career, and call me in the morning.
Work with Sean. I help higher ed professionals take control of their careers with tailored services including resume and CV development, LinkedIn profile optimization and networking strategy, interview coaching, and one-on-one career guidance.
