Denver Leadership Expert Mary C. Kelly Shows How to Get a Job Despite Recession and Sequester

DENVER, March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The sequester trimming the Federal budget also will cut jobs. Smart leaders can prepare for possible job losses by teaching their employees how to effectively find new jobs, said Mary C. Kelly, Ph.D., economist and leadership consultant.

"Not only is training employees to find jobs the right thing to do, it is economically and socially the smart thing to do," said Kelly, founder of Productive Leaders, a consulting and training firm that helps educational, government, and business organizations achieve their profit and productivity goals faster.

"If you have to fire people and they don't find jobs, they will collect unemployment benefits. The longer they stay unemployed, the more companies have to pay," said Kelly who presents keynote speeches and training sessions for financial services companies, associations, and conferences.

"Managers who care about their people can show it by teaching them job skills that will easily transition to new roles. You want to help your people succeed," insists Kelly, an internationally acclaimed leadership expert and business communication expert.

"If more managers and leaders committed to the professional development of their workers now and in the future, we would increase their value in the market and we would have less unemployment," said Kelly, author of "15 Ways to Grow Your Business in Every Economy."

Here are tips leaders can share so that each person can find the right job based on their skills and preferences:

1.  Update your LinkedIn profile. More employers are using LinkedIn to check recommendations and endorsements. It is a way for employers to post jobs and quickly screen applicants.  Also, potential employees can use LinkedIn's resume function to build their resume at http://resume.linkedinlabs.com.  Sign in using your LinkedIn profile and watch the magic happen. 

2.  Know your finances and budget before you start your job hunt. Be able to live comfortably for 3-6 months so that you are not desperate for a job.  Need a free and easy budget?  Go to www.ProductiveLeaders.com/free-stuff. No sign-in required. 

3.  Do you know what you want to do?  What are your strengths?  What do you really like doing?  Many times job hunters announce, "I can do anything." This is a terrible advertisement because it is not true and it shows a lack of focus. 

Find your skills by taking this free online skills assessment at http://www.careerpath.com/career-tests/skills-assessment/.  Then discover your strengths at the Career Planner Quiz to determine how you can best use your strengths and skills at http://www.careerpath.com/career-tests/career-quiz/.

4.  Use your friends to help find a job.  Most jobs are filled because people are aware of people who are looking for talent and they recommend people they know and trust.  If you are looking for a new job, let people know what your skills are and what your ideal job looks like.  Ask them to let you know if they find opportunities for you to explore.  Most people are happy to help. 

5.  Network before you need it. Ideally, don't show up to your first networking event after you have been unemployed for 3 months. Business people today are more connected than ever, so stay connected and build your friends and relationships all the time. Attend chamber of commerce gatherings, show up at business after hours events, and volunteer in the community. Then, when you are looking for a new opportunity, you have a Rolodex of contacts to help. 

6.  Use online job-hunting resources, such as www.Indeed.com, which screens jobs by searching for keywords you input, such as "elementary school teacher" in your location and forwarding those job descriptions to your email account.  

7.  Thinking about starting your own business and wondering whether or not you have the right stuff?  The Small Business Administration has an entrepreneurship quiz at https://eweb1.sba.gov/cams/training/business_primer/assessment.htm as well as free resources.  More free tools for starting a business, including being paired with a mentor in your area are at www.SCORE.org.

8.  Transitioning military personnel can find help at www.hero2hired.com, which also helps identify civilian jobs that align with military experience. 

Changing jobs and finding new jobs is tough.  However, "a common complaint from business owners is that they want to find quality people to hire.  So make it easy on your future employer and be visible in the job market," said Kelly, a retired military commander and graduate of the US Naval Academy who has trained over 40,000 military and civilian personnel in multi-cultural environments all over the world in her 21-year active duty career.

For information about Mary C. Kelly's keynote speeches or leadership consulting services, go to www.ProductiveLeaders.com

SOURCE Mary C. Kelly