Do you have a personal website, a personal business card or a folder of compliments you have received? If not, you should, says this week’s guest expert, Michelle Ward of When I Grow Up Coach. A person is more than their current job title. And often, personal projects and hobbies tell more of your story than your job description does.

If you want to stay in the driver’s seat of your career, you should consistently keep up on what is working for you and any wins you have. Create a separate folder (online or on paper) and add any kudos or accolades you receive throughout the course of a year, and update your resume accordingly. This will save you time and frustration during your annual performance review and you will be ready in the event that an unexpected opportunity arises.

These resources make it easy to:

• Track your accomplishments online with Evernote

Share information about yourself with About.me

Give hiring managers a reason to be interested in you with Branded.me

Michelle also advises job seekers to create an elevator pitch about themselves. You are much more than your field of work. When someone asks you what you do, expound on your job title by adding your skills set. This is extremely useful if you are attending a networking event or conference. Remember, conferences are opportunities for learning and connecting.

Don’t dread your work!

Michelle Ward Bio

Michelle Ward has been offering career guidance for creative women as

“The When I Grow Up Coach” since 2008. She is the co-author of The Declaration of You, published by North Light Books. Michelle also teaches a class, Create Your Dream Career and Ditch Your Day Job, on CreativeLive.com.

Michelle is excited to be launching her new program, 90 Day Business Launch at the end of October. You can find out more about Michelle Ward and all of her programs on her website When I Grow Up Coach. You can also sign up to get access to her free monthly interview series.

Ben’s Job Search Resources:

Ben shares a job search app for your mobile phone called Switch. It’s a quick and easy way to see what jobs are available in your area and if they are of interest to you. Switch has been dubbed the Tinder of job searches.   

Jenna’s Find Your Dream Job Listener Question:

Ben, Jenna and Mac respond to Matt Cundill’s question — “How do you know if it is time to leave your industry for a new sector and how do you successfully make the change?”

If you would like the team to answer a job-related question, email it to [email protected] or call her at 716-JOB-TALK. Or if you’ve found a job resource you think everyone should know about, send it to [email protected] and tell him how it has helped you find your dream job.

These segments are sponsored by the 2016 edition of Hack the Hidden Job Market Course. The course launches November 1st — Lock in your early bird pricing now.

If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support!

Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com.

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