For a quick video packed with job search and career tips, visit my web site and click on the video player in the lower left corner.

Just a quick reminder that you can download a free Job Search Survival Toolkit with plenty of valuable information to help you succeed. You can get it here by signing up in the box below my picture. Cheers!

I wanted to let you know that I’m now offering my 7-part “Career Success Audio” program for free. Normally it costs over $40, but since the job market continues to be such a challenge, I wanted to give everyone a chance to listen to it at no charge.

This audio series will get you on track by laying the groundwork for your career success. For all the details and an easy download, visit www.careersuccessaudio.com.

I honestly don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to offer “Career Success Audio” for free, so be sure to sign-up as soon as you can. And if you know someone else who could use the guidance, feel free to forward the link to them: www.careersuccessaudio.com.

Thank you!

Are you a Business Analyst? Come join us at Penn State Great Valley Conference Center in Malvern, PA for a Focus on Job Seekers.

There will be 2 presentations:

1) Chapter Sponsor, MISI Company, will share Business Analyst Market Trends and

2) Ford R. Myers, President of Career Potential, LLC, will present “20 Habits of Highly Effective Job Seekers in a Down Market”. Ford is the author of two books: “The Ultimate Career Guide” and “Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring”. More information is available at: careerpotential.com and fordmyers.com

Registration begins at 5:30pm. Meeting begins promptly at 6:00pm.

Find more detail and registration information for this event at the following website: http://www.philadelphia.theiiba.org/index.php/chapter-events/event-listing/details/21-annual-general-meeting-and-members-forum

Starts: Wednesday February 24, 2010, 05:30PM
Ends: Wednesday February 24, 2010, 08:15PM
Location: Penn State University, Great Valley, Conference Center
30 E Swedesford Rd, Malvern, PENNSYLVANIA 19355 US
Price: IIBA GPC Members Free; Guests $15
Website: http://www.philadelphia.theiiba.org
Industry: information technology and services
Intended For: Business Analyst, Project Manager, IT Manager, Systems Analyst, Business Systems Analyst, Program Manager, Product Manager
Organization: IIBA Greater Philadelphia Chapter

If you’re in job search mode, you should create a binder – your very own Career Transition Binder. I’ve found that there are two types of job seekers: those who create a binder to keep track of all their networking, interviewing, career documents, lists, and contacts in one place – and those who don’t.

Guess which group tends to make more progress, get more interviews, land great jobs more quickly, and negotiate better deals? Yup – the binder people!

Think you can track and manage all this information “electronically” – on your Smart Phone, PDA or Netbook? Think again! I’ve had plenty of technology-savvy clients try to do this, but it never works. They ALWAYS wind-up using a paper-based organization system, in the form of their own Career Transition Binder.

Your Career Transition Binder will help keep you organized and allow you to know where everything is. Think of it as “Command Central” for your entire career transition campaign. After all, you need to take your career transition as seriously as any REAL job you’re ever going to have. Treat it like a work project!

People who create and use their Career Transition Binder find themselves taking it everywhere they go – to the library, to coffee shops, to networking meetings. Sometimes, they even take it on interviews.

It’s wise to set-up this system early – before you need it. Before you’re drowning in handwritten scraps of paper, notes to yourself on the backs of envelopes, loose business cards of people you’ve met, and stray Post-It® Notes.

Go to your favorite office supply store and get a few 2-inch, heavy-duty, “D-ring” professional binders. Buy a 3-hole punch, and multiple sets of divider tabs. The following list provides the suggested sections for organizing your Career Transition Binder. Adapt it as you see fit:

• Accomplishment Stories
• Positioning/Departure Statements
• Professional Biography
• Target Companies
• Contact List
• Networking Contacts
• Professional Reference List
• Letters of Reference
• Resume
• Self Assessments
• Networking Agenda/Script
• Networking Records and Notes
• Follow-up Tracking System
• Copies of Written and E-mail Correspondence
• Master List of All Jobs You’re Actively Pursuing
• Interview Notes
• Articles and Research
• Job Postings
• Recruiters
• Ideas/Notes
• Inactive Section (Don’t throw anything away!)

Once you’ve built your Career Transition Binder, keep re-organizing and re-prioritizing the documents as you make progress and as new opportunities arise. This will serve as your portable, 3-dimensional “database” and job search pipeline, so you’ll always know where you stand and what’s next with any prospective opportunity.

In the job search, it seems that half the battle is getting – and staying – “super organized.” Your Career Transition Binder is still the best, most effective tool for doing this!

Bob Rosner takes a look at some of the reasons getting hired in this tough time is not only possible, but likely! Inspiration and guidance on getting the job you’re really passionate about.

The Career and Employment Services office of Puget Sound has some good recommendations for books you might want to look at during your job search. Thanks for including my book on the list!

If you’re afraid of looking desperate and blowing a job interview, take a look at this article by Dawn Klingensmith at the Calgary Sun.

Where are you are on the road to career success and satisfaction? Take our FREE and FAST Career GPS Self-Assessment now to find out.

The subtle differences in every step of the job search process determine who ultimately lands the job and who does not. This is especially true in a bad economy, when unemployment is high and the job market is so competitive.

Learn how to properly communicate your value to prospective employers. Master key strategies to help you in the job search. Discover tools to gain access to your target market. Get advice and feedback on the latest resume techniques and formats recommended for senior managers and executives. Delve into the critical pre-interview planning process. This presentation will show you how to stand-out as the candidate of choice, and get the offer!

Here are the details:

TITLE: How to Stand-Out in a Very Competitive Job Market
DATE: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
TIME: 9:00am to 11:30am
COST: $25.00, payable at the door
LOCATION: Radnor Financial Center, 150 N. Radnor-Chester Road, Suite F-200, Radnor, PA
REGISTRATION: Call 1-610-649-1778 or register here.

For more details, please visit the home page.