News we could loose!(Humor title) January 6, 2011
Posted by jvmullin in Job Searching, Job Searching.Tags: attitude, career search, careers, job hunting, Job Search, job seeking, jobs careers job hunting, mentor, reality, research, Viewpoint
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I am being a little sarcastic with the headline. Why? Because it is news we do not really want to hear but must face.
The news we have been hearing through 2010 is continuing into 2011. I guess it boils down to who you want to listen to and who do you want to believe. I mean it is confusing when the media you are reading has 2 articles on the same page that conflict each other.
US companies showing a rebound in stocks. Sounds great for the ole U S of A gives you hope. Then 2 articles down they tell you that while US based companies are hiring like crazy off shore they continue to layoff here at home.
The industry that is hiring is the medical field so you should apply there. They do not tell you that you need school and more than that exact experience. A few articles down there is talk of drug companies having major layoffs as well as hospitals.
So you can see my point for the title and the sarcasm.
So with all the conflicting data and articles out there what is a seeker to do.
Stay focused, do your research, pick your target companies and stay on top of what they are doing. Set up google alerts on them to notify you when they get mentioned. Use this information when you are networking your way into the company.
Use LinkedIn to help you get noticed and stay up on the latest trends in your field. How? By groups and professional organization groups, read and engage in the discussions. Check the company for jobs and for people who you may want to network with.
Loose the news and stay focused on what is important you landing!
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.
How do I research a company before an interview? December 8, 2009
Posted by jvmullin in 1.Tags: careers, job hunting, Job Search, research
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There are many ways to research information on a company. There are a number of places online to get information. Then there is the best way and that is to network person to person. You need to perform research in a number of locations to get a real good idea on the company before your interview. This is work but you need to put in the time.
This is also good information for researching your target companies also.
So lets look at a number of ways to find information;
Google:
Google the company name and look at the first 2 pages of search data that comes up. Take note on newspaper and magazine articles about the company. Visit the company website (I will get more into that in a minute).
Yahoo Finance:
Search Yahoo Finance for the company. If it is publicly traded the stock trends will come up and you can see how the stock has been trading.
Hoovers.com/free (remember the “S” or you will look at vacuum cleaners):
Hoovers free version will provide the name of the company, the address of the headquarters, the industry, who the top executives are, description of the company, the competition, the competitive overview, and sometimes it list jobs.
SEC.gov Edgar search engine:
This is for publicly traded companies. This is the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission website. This is where you want to search for a companies 10K and 15K reports. These reports are loaded with great information about the company. The information includes, where they are at, where they are headed, what the risks are to the business, who they feel are there top competitors, and there financials.
LinkedIn:
Perform a company search. Look for people that you have a connection to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree. Network to these contacts. Set up in person meetings. Just ask for information on the company do not ask for them to hand in your resume unless they ask you for it. See post on networking.
LinkedIn groups is another way to find people that work at the company. If you are in professional trade groups or industry specific groups then start a discussion and ask if anyone works for or knows anyone that works for the company.
Company website:
The company website will have a number of sections to look at.
About Us: This will tell a little about what the company does and what industry or market they are in.
Investor Relations: This will have the Annual Report if they are publicly traded. Latest News about the company (always good to know for starting conversation), and other information.
Careers: This will list the open positions in the company. I find that most companies usually do not keep this section up to date.
Contact Us: This section will have a single point contact or can have multiple points of contact. They are usually HR, Sales, and Customer Service email accounts. There are also phone numbers.
These are some of the best sources for finding information on a company before you interview there. It is also a good way to get information on your target companies so that you can have better informational meeting conversations. Either way you will go into the interview knowing about the company and be able to ask substantial questions and be better prepared to tell the interviewee what you can do for their company.
If you know of anymore good sources please add them to this post as it will help myself and others.
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