As Spring approaches, The U.S. Labor market has good news to report: 197,000 jobs were added in February (adjust upward from 175,000) and 192,000 in March. According to a recent NPR article: "The U.S. economy has reached a milestone: It has finally regained all the private-sector jobs it lost during the Great Recession."

The trends of job searching and career management are constantly evolving and changing, from resume and cover letter formats, applicant tracking systems, and technology used by hiring managers to select candidates. The Career Thought Leaders Consortium has just released a 42-page whitepaper from November 2013 Global Brainstorming Day, containing hundreds of useful facts, insights and tips from 150 career professionals, summarized as the "Now, New and Next" trends. Scroll down for more information and to download this whitepaper. 

Managing your job search time can be challenging, with so many avenues for searching and getting distracted by other priorities competing for your attention. The best way to get control of your time is by practicing a proven principle in this month's feature article: "Plan Your Job Search Activities Using the 80/20 Rule."      

I'm still working diligently on the "Wake Up to a Job You Love Home-Study System ©" -- the online, self-paced version of my private career coaching modules -- and have rescheduled the release date to mid-Fall 2014. Scroll down for details and for an article archive introducing the program content.

Happy Passover and Happy Easter to those who celebrate these holidays! Enjoy this issue and I look forward to staying in touch!  

Supercharge Your Career Virtual VIP Mini-Retreat 

Bottom line: you really want to be happily employed again...if only you knew how to make this happen!  

Well, I would love to help you get unstuck and on-course to achieve this goal! So, I invite you to consider investing in a private "Supercharge Your Career VIP Virtual Mini-Retreat." I guarantee you'll come away from this transformational, three-session experience with a renewed sense of focus, clarity and confidence about your ideal career direction, so you can approach your job search with more ease, energy, and enthusiasm, to successfully land a position that is the best fit for you!  

Please read the full description of this Mini-Retreat on my website; then contact me, for a complimentary consultation, to help you determine if this service is right for you.      

Over the last four years, the Career Thought Leaders Consortium has had an annual "Global Career Brainstorming Day" to uncover top trends in job searching and career management.  

The most recent Brainstorming Day was November 2013; 150 career professionals from the US, Canada, Russia, Australia, and the UK participated. The Consortium just released a 42-page whitepaper, summarizing their findings about the "Now, New, and Next" in four areas: 1) Career Planning & Management; 2) Job Search; 3) Global Employment Landscape; and 4) Career Marketing Communications. Download the whitepaper here:  

Plan Your Job Search Activities Using the 80/20 Rule

Each day on our calendar gives us 24 hours to use as we please. An average person spends 8 hours sleeping and 16 hours awake. Unlike money, which can be earned back after being spent, time passed is gone forever. Within the context of a job search, using your time wisely will help you reach your employment goals more quickly.

The Pareto Principle - The 80/20 Rule
According to the Pareto Principle, you'll get 80% of your results from only 20% of your activities. Most people who are successful in accomplishing their goals actively practice this principle and have figured out which 20% of their activities - otherwise known as "high-payoff activities" - bring them the results they want. 

What are your high-payoff job search activities?   

There are multiple job search activities you could choose, including, but not limited to: 

1. Applying for jobs and posting resumes online
2. Attending job search networking groups
3. Building a strong LinkedIn presence
4. Connecting with recruiters

5. Participating in professional associations and groups

6. Reaching out to people in your network (statistics have proven that 48% of jobs are found through referrals from friends or family, compared with 3% to 5% from classified ads and job boards)
7. Researching companies where you'd like to work and sending a targeted resume and cover letter to the hiring manager 
8. Visiting job fairs (in-person or online)

Track how you spend your time
Of course you're not just choosing between different job search activities - there are many other activities and tasks competing for your attention. Most of us strive for a well-rounded life that includes time for family, friends, leisure, creativity, exercise, community involvement and other elements.

There is a time and place for all of that. It can be helpful to think of your job search as your full-time job and spend that many hours towards your employment goals. Track your time to ensure that your job search hours are spent on high-payoff activities, rather than TV, aimlessly surfing the web or social media sites, busy work that is not related to your job search, or lower-quality job search activities.    

To help practice better time management, ask yourself:

1. What are your high-payoff activities?
2. How often can you schedule them into your day to get the results you want?
3. How can you say "no" to activities and distractions that do not support your goals?

Click here for a Time Management Grid, to help you evaluate how you spend your time. 

Wake Up to a Job You Love © Home Study System  (Beta) Coming Soon!  / Archive of Article Series

I've been planning to release a beta version of this self-study system of my career coaching program. It's based on the core content and tools I use with my private clients, to help them build a solid, laser-focused plan to land a job they love which is fun, fulfilling and financially rewarding. This system is perfect for you, whether you're unemployed and struggling to land, or unhappy with your current job or employer and you don't know which way to turn.  

I've rescheduled this release until mid-Fall 2014. It will be priced at an introductory "Charter Member" rate (to be announced).  

Depending on how many people enroll, I may host monthly Q & A group calls and create a private Facebook group for participants to post questions and interact with each other. I am planning to offer some special bonuses for the first 10 people who sign up.

There will be a special sales page created for this program and you'll be notified when it's ready. Until then, here's a description of it on my website: 

If you have any questions, please email me joellyn@career-success-coach.com; and I will be personally reaching out to those of you who have already expressed interest. 

Here's the article archive, introducing the content of this program: 

 #1: Know Your Top Transferable Skills Sets, Then Plan Your Career Transition

#2: Build Your Confidence and Career Marketing Content

#3:  Discover Your Perfect Career Path Through Your Hardwired Preferences 

#4: How to Choose Ideal Work that Fits Your Personality 

#5: The Six Dimensions of Career Clarity

#6: Where Do You Want to Work? Make A List of Target Employers

#7: Which Workplace Culture is Ideal for You? Let Your Workplace Values Be Your Guide 

Where: St. John the Evangelist, 20 Church Street, Hopkinton, MA  01748

Date:  Friday, April 18, 2014

Time: 11 a.m. to Noon.

(Regular meeting begins at 10 a.m.)

Contact: Gil Krispien: g.krispien@verizon.net