Discouraged and despair are taking over? time to reflect! October 4, 2010
Posted by jvmullin in Job Searching, Job Searching.Tags: attitude, career, career search, careers, job hunting, Job Search, job seeking, jobs careers job hunting, research
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This recession, I don’t care what they said on the news to us its still a recession, is lasting far too long. The end doesn’t seem to be in sight for a number of unemployed. More and more jobs and functions are being offshored.
That is the bad news so face it and get on with your life!
Really are you just going to give up?
NO !!!!
It is time to take a day off and clear your mind of all the baggage you have built up in the last year or two.
Start fresh by taking inventory again of all your skills and abilities.
Then get going on researching your industry and what is going on in it. Does it even still exist in your area. You may be chasing a ghost!
Next take a close reflection on your expectations knowing what is going on with companies. Are you being part of the problem with your search? Are your expectations too high or even too low?
Have you lost focus? Have you become so desperate that you can no longer think or see straight?
Are you depressed?
The best part of being an intelligent human being is that you have a brain and you can think logically strategically and calculate things.
SO take out the garbage in your head and get back to doing what you do best…..think!
You are a professional so act like one!
Develop a plan, write procedures that you will follow for every position, plot out a schedule. Reorganize and hit it hard!
Applying for a job is not just sending your resume. If that is all you are doing then there is no hope for you. It takes work and there are too many out there playing the whoa is me card. Well stop it!
There are plenty of resources out there for finding information on companies…use them. Use LinkedIn to search the company and find people to network with while you are waiting for your resume to miraculously bubble up to the to of the black hole.
If I sound harsh and rude it is for a reason. I hate to see talented people not using their talent when it counts the most.
Google the company to see what information comes up. If they are publicly traded then go to the SEC.gov website and read their 10K reports there is a vast sea of information there for you.
Research what companies are left in your area that could use your skills and talents and then target them. Set up an aggressive plan to network your way right to the decision maker. Develop your best this is what I can do for you speech. You r best this is how I can help the company do better speech. Talk about it in business terms as well as solving problems. Tell how you can save or make time, save or make money and how you can solve problems that relate to the last two statements.
So remember you are a skilled and talented professional. Get focused and organized then write your plan, procedures and schedule, then execute it!
Have faith in your self get out of the house and network. Ask for help and join a buddy group it will help you be accountable to others.
Career Fairs Great opportunities October 1, 2010
Posted by jvmullin in Job Searching, Job Searching.Tags: attitude, career, career search, careers, job hunting, Job Search, job seeking, jobs careers job hunting
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We all know how Career fairs are run today.
Most of them have some flunky standing behind a table collecting resumes. Others have an low level HR person collecting them who can not tell you much about the company they work for or the position.
While others have hiring managers working the table but why is it they are not the ones that will be hiring you. Such is the realm of career fairs.
Oh one last pet peeve the fairs I have been to lately are great if you want to sell insurance, be a financial advisor, or sell Avon.
So with all this negativism why should go to a job fair?
Because it is a place of opportunity if you know how to work the floor!
The floor???? What are you talking about?
The most important people at the show in my opinion are the job seekers. Yes the job seekers!
These are people who have worked at companies that you may be interested in. These are people who may know someone that works at a company that you are interested in.
These are the people you should be talking to.
I started doing this awhile ago and it works great for a number of reasons.
One it builds your network and it gives you the opportunity to maybe help someone.
You may get the inside skinny on a company that you are interviewing with.
It gives you something to do instead of just standing in line looking at your feet.
It makes the time to get to the table to dump your resume go faster.
If there is by chance a hiring manager at the table you are more open to talking and asking the right questions because you just spent all that time talking to a bunch of strangers.
It makes the fair much more enjoyable.
So how do you do this?
While standing in line turn to the person behind you and say something like what do you do? My favorite ice breaker is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It usually gets a smile, a chuckle or a laugh but it breaks the barrier immediately.
So after a couple of minutes say excuse me and tap the person in front of you and get them engaged. Then the person behind the person behind you. Then the person in front of the person in front of you. You should know have a 5 person network meeting running.
Oh but you are not done because there are more people in the lines on either side of you so get them engaged in the network meeting also.
As the lines move and people drop out engage more people to keep your mini-networking meeting going.
I have found out some interesting information while conducting these meetings. While at a Monster.com fair I had a woman who works for Monster come up and give me kudos for starting it.
So do not look at Career Fairs as boring and not worth the trip or effort go have fun and start your own networking event on the floor. Be sure to bring plenty of business cards and practice your pitch.
Reality check time! August 14, 2010
Posted by jvmullin in Job Searching, Job Searching.Tags: attitude, career, career search, careers, job hunting, Job Search, job seeking, jobs careers job hunting, starting a business
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The stock market was down again for the fourth day in row Wednesday. The great recession continues. National unemployment is still over 10% despite what the media quotes.
So what is the reality check your preaching to the choir!
Here is the check!
If you are still devoting a lot of time to job boards then you will be out of work for a longer period.
If you are not getting out of the house and networking you will be out of work for a longer time.
If you are not using social media (LinkedIn Twitter Facebook) effectively you will be out of work a long time.
If you have lost your focus and drive for what you want to do then you will be out of work along time.
If you are using the shot gun approach well good luck to you.
REALITY CHECK!
Learn what the hidden job market is! Research make a list of target companies and then form your strategy, your game plan to land a position there. It take work and determination.
If you want the job and you want to work there, then do the work. The pay off is better than sitting there reading this.
If you have or others around have convinced you that you will never get another job doing what you have been doing, then what?
What is your passion? Is there a market for it? Can you develop a business plan for it? Well then just do it! You will probably be happier doing what you have a passion for and working for yourself. Then if it takes off you can hire other people to help you.
As Nike says Just Do it!
Sometimes we need a timeout! May 10, 2010
Posted by jvmullin in Job Searching, Job Searching.Tags: attitude, career search, job hunting, job seeking, mentor
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Thursday mornings is my usual time to attend a meeting of other “professional detached” people, WIND Networking. I attended the meeting and we talked about the same old stuff. Elevator pitches given by all and suggestions flowed abundantly. I am not saying this is a bad thing it is a major part of the job search cycle.
This is about the meeting I had afterwards with a fellow WIND member who did not attend.
We met at a local Mall, got a bite to eat and sat down to have a discussion about everything and nothing. Just two people talking about what ever popped into our heads. It has to have been the best 4 hours I have spent in recent times.
I left the meeting feeling more relaxed more rejuvenated than I have in awhile. We have agreed to have more such meetings as we both thoroughly enjoyed it.
So if you have been out of work for some time (both of us have been out longer than a year) set up a meeting with someone to talk about anything and nothing. The only rule is job hunting subjects are not allowed.
Oh as a side note I then spent a fabulous weekend with my youngest son. Where we talked about everything and nothing as well.
Sometimes we are so caught up with our job search we forget that the rest of the world exists. So it is good to just sit down with a friend or colleague and talk about everything and nothing. I strongly suggest that you try it and comment on how it worked for you. After all we need to maintain our sanity too!
How do you stay focused and positive after a year? March 24, 2010
Posted by jvmullin in 1.Tags: attitude, career, career search, job hunting, Job Search, job seeking, jobs careers job hunting
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Well I have been unencumbered by employment now for 1 1/2 years. I have heard of people giving up, I have heard of people changing careers, I have heard of people loosing focus and taking anything, I have heard of people that have gone from focus to the shotgun approach.
They say desperate times call for desperate measures. Do they really? Or is that a cop out statement?
When they talk about people over 40 they always mention career transition like after 40 you have to seek a new career. What was wrong with the one I was in? It is still around and I still like the work so why do I have to transition?
I might be an enigma. I have worked in the same industry for a number of years. I still have a lot I can contribute. I still have the time to do it also. I really like my industry because it is constantly changing and you get to learn new things all the time. I have worked with some great people and I have worked with some real pain the asses.
I have hired people and I have fired people. It was just part of the job.
They tell you in these times to surround yourself with positive people who will support you. People who have been out this long have a hard time staying focused and being positive. I have my ups and downs but I try hard to have more ups than I do downs. When you start having a down day it can drag you down fast. You have to be aware and not let that happen.
How do you stay focused? I know what I want to do. I know that I can do it very effectively. I know there is a position out there for me. I just have to find it . So I keep looking for it and nothing else.
I know I have hurdles that I have to overcome. Knowing what these are gives me the advantage to address them in positive ways. This allows me to stay focused and up beat because I know that I can jump these hurdles with ease.
Staying positive is hard especially after all this time and then loosing my last 2 extensions because I worked a part time gig for a friend of mine. I have stopped watching TV there was nothing worth watching anyway except maybe the DIY and NAT GEO channels. Not listening to bad news everyday helps you stay positive. I would get my information online in daily emails from the business journals and the tech wires. This allowed me to be selective on what I read especially if it related to my industry. I could see if my target companies received a contract or bought another company or merged with someone. It kept me informed with what really mattered.
Getting into discussions and answering questions on LinkedIn helped a lot for me to stay positive because it provides a sense of worth. Especially when you get voted best answer or someone in a discussion gives you kudos for your part.
Writing this blog helps me stay positive as it has been my hope to help others who are job seeking. I have received good feedback from other seekers thanking me for it.
I guess what it really comes down to is the person character. Do they have the discipline to keep themselves focused and upbeat when the world is crumbling around them? Do they have that dogged determination required to go the distance to achieve what they desire or are they going to throw in the towel and take what ever and be miserable until something better comes along?
If you have been unemployed for a year or more please tell me here what you have done and what you do to keep focused and keep going. I would like to know and I am sure it may help others who read this blog.
Whats with Unemployment and Career Centers? March 17, 2010
Posted by jvmullin in 1.Tags: career, career search, job hunting, Job Search, job seeking, jobs careers job hunting
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Here in Massachusetts there is a growing concern about a particular issue. That concern is about your UI benefits and extensions when you hit the one year mark in your endeavor to find gainful employment.
The career centers are encouraging you to find part time and contract work. They will tell you upfront that you can only make X number of dollars over your unemployment before it has an effect on your weekly UI check.
What they neglect to tell you is what effect it will have on your UI benefits if you are still unemployed after a year.
The eligibility amount is $3,500 to get UI benefits. I only worked a 3 week part time gig for a friends company and only made $2,300. When I went to file for my next to last extension I was told I was not eligible due to the fact I only worked 3 weeks in 2009 and did not make sufficient monies to collect. So now I am at zero income and no safety net left.
What others in Massachusetts are finding out is that there benefits are being greatly reduced because of their part time work. I know of a number of people who have gone from the maximum to $94/wk because of part time work. This places a further financial burden on these people and myself. It makes it many times harder for us to job search when we cannot afford gas to travel other than an actual interview. It hampers our ability to network as we cannot afford to buy the contact a simple cup of coffee much less the gas to get there.
So if you are starting or have been on unemployment and are working part time and /or contract I would suggest strongly that you go to your UI office and ask how this will effect your benefits down the road. The job market is going to be slow to recover and many of us will be unemployed or underemployed for years to come.
Volunteer work while unemployed. What does it get me? March 14, 2010
Posted by jvmullin in 1.Tags: career, career search, job hunting, Job Search, volunteering
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Volunteer work will provide you some benefits that may or may not advance your career.
One it provides a sense of worth that you lost when you lost your job.
It allows you to keep your communication and interaction skills honed for that interview.
Then there is the networking aspect of it as it broadens your network and allows you to meet interesting people.
Depending on the work it can maintain, enhance, or hone your skills. It may add new skills also.
Where do these volunteer opportunities come from?
You can search them out or they may present themselves in chance ways.
My latest work is based on a chance encounter at the local Post Office. It was based on my former volunteer work and the fact that I was wearing an old uniform jacket with embroidery.
I ran into Al who is running the Ram Island Restoration Project off of Mattapoisett, MA.
The project is to fly dirt out to the island to fill in 2 erosion spots, add planting and make it ready for the nesting season of the Common tern and the Roesetta Tern (endangered). 1/4 of each population nest on this island to breed.
The project uses 3 helicopters to fly the dirt out using mud mats that carry 750lbs of dirt at a time. so it takes many flights. We have moved 650 yards to date. We have another 3 -4 days hopefully to finish the dirt move.
The pilots requested a water safety aspect in case they go into the water. This is where I come in having performed underwater recovery for 20 years I have the experience to train, plan and execute such an operation.
So my leadership and operation skills are in use once again. The operation provides me a feeling of great worth and responsibility. It has put me back on my game. Something that I have been missing this last year.
It has also provided me with a new skill — navigation. I navigate us out through a narrow and obstruction avoidance from the marina to the island and back. I also have to select the anchorage point daily for optimum response.
I hopefully have 3-4 more days of doing this before my part is completed.
This has helped me exercise my leadership skills and get me back on game.
I hope that all those volunteering are finding it helpful. To those who are thinking about it I hope this gives you that push to go for it. It is rewarding and will help you in the short and long term.
Seekers we still need humor! February 26, 2010
Posted by jvmullin in 1.Tags: career, career search, job hunting, Job Search
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I was establishing a network contact today. It is a stretch in that I am trying to go to a 4th degree.
My 1st degree knows his 1st degree ( my 2nd) knows someone (my 1st 2nd and his 1st 1st) at a company that I am interested in. Did you follow all that?
So my 1st send me a note about the introduction to his 1st about his 2nd. Then he tells me to be patient.
Here is the funny part;
I reply that I learned patience from my volunteer work performing underwater recovery.
He replies, “That’s funny it is a trait that I was born with”
I reply, ” Then I guess I have a weakness to talk about in an interview”
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Okay! since I am loosing my mind about loosing my last 2 extensions my mind has warped!
So I am thinking about misleading job postings. You know the ones that get you excited them let you down.
For example here is the title of the job: Engagement Manager or even Sr. Engagement Manager
For us who know what that is it is a really good job and position.
Now here is the company: E-Harmony.com
Now just think of your own ad here! It could be hilarious!
Responsible for ensuring that our matches based on 39 points of compatibility get engaged to boost our standings in the matchmaking industry. Allowing us to grow market share and put Match.com out of business.
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I saw this on Twitter today it is a cute one.
What would you have if everyone bought a white car?
You would have a white car-nation!
I told you I was loosing it didn’t I warn you. LOL
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I know why Obama has big ears! It is from his parents and friends grabbing him by the ears and banging his head into a wall to get his attention!
Do I hear any takers America????????
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Add your jokes to this post to help us keep our sense of humor during these trying times.
JOB BOARDS Need to be revised February 20, 2010
Posted by jvmullin in 1.Tags: careers, job hunting, Job Search
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Job boards! We all now them Monster, Hot jobs, Careerbuilder, Dice and the others.
They are like the relative you can’t stand, but have to invite to the party to keep the family happy.
Are the effective? I guess that depends on the position you are seeking. But all in all they only represent about 5- 6 % of the jobs being landing. If I turned in numbers like that at work I would be fired.
They offer some advise and it is the same advice you get everywhere else. Then on Monster every time you click on a posting you have to go through the DO YOU WANT OT FURTHER YOUR EDUCATION screen. Which I find highly annoying. I wold like to see a box that I can click on that says never show this page again.
I did an experiment the other day. I went on Careerbuilder and updated my resume. Low and behold with in minutes I started receiving those form letters. You know the ones, We have read your resume and wish to invite you to be an insurance salesperson or a financial advisor. Really because I have been an engineer most of my life and my resume says right on it that I am looking for and Engineering Manager position. I have no sales experience nor I have I ever worked in either industry but they think I am highly qualified for a position when other companies would think I am under qualified. I know these are probably automatically generated and I feel sorry for the ones that actually have someones name and email address on them because I do send replies of thanks but no thanks and can you comprehend what you read.
The other problem I see with job boards is that the let recruiters post non jobs so as to build up their data base. They also let companies post adds for positions that do not exist just because they want to go fishing or is that phishing to test the waters for when things turn around. So we as job seekers deligently do what is required to apply only to never hear from anyone.
Then there is the issue of a real job gets posted and then it gets filled but it remains on the boards because the company paid for 30 days and by god we are going to give them their money’s worth. So again they waste our time. I guess they think like others that we have all this free time on our hands (see my post “Since your not busy SAY WHAT!”).
Lets talk about job alerts on the boards. What a joke these are! I received an alert today that I have set up for engineering manager positions. I am gong through the list and what do I see an opening for a cook! Now in my book that is a heck of a stretch for the criteria that I placed. Maybe I should have looked at the posting to see if it was a chef/cook for an engineering manager who negotiated it as part of his compensation package.
I have a job alert on Twitter called TweetMyJob. It provides me with engineering manager positions. The only draw back that I see is that it does not allow me to be industry specific and engineering title cross many industries. Therefore, I have to sift through the posting for other industries. At least I am not wasting my time sifting through cook ads.
So when people ask me if I use the major job boards I tell them yes but I do not put a lot of effort on emphasis on them. I have found that my best placed energy is on LinkedIn and Twitter for opportunities and to research target companies and network.
So if job boards want to be helpful they need to update and refine their job alert search engines so that we only see the jobs we are qualified for and want to apply to and not the plethora of anything that remotes matches any word we have in our search.
The other thing is if you are going to provide resume critiques, they should be done by people who understand the industry and language of the industry that I work in.
Job seekers if you want to have fun, I mean we aren’t busy right?, send your resume to one job board for a free critiques. Makes the suggested changes and then send it to another board for their free resume critique and look at the results. Ok don’t it is a waste of time. I have already performed this task and it was fun for me. It is like asking three recruiters to comment on your resume and getting three totally different answers. Sorry to spoil your fun.
Job seeking from a hunters perspective Blog 