January 2011
2 posts
IF YOU WERE A TREE, WOULD YOU BE A CHERRY OR AN...
This is a question, albeit a silly one, that sometimes comes up in interviews or written psychological testing with strangers—or strange human resource reps. Another one is, “If you were an animal, would you be a fish or a dog?” They may be testing your critical thinking ability or your creativity or temperament. Probing like this is not all that common but not unheard of, either....
DOES YOUR ANSWERING MACHINE SPEAK WELL OF YOU?...
Make it ring true for you! Human Resource reps say employers will hang up if your machine contains a long-running rock song or is otherwise unprofessional. Record your message in your natural voice stating your name and asking the caller to leave a callback number. You may have a fabulous Linked In profile, dynamic resume and compelling cover letter, but you can create a bad impression and...
December 2010
3 posts
HEY, WHO WANTS TO BE A BILLIONAIRE*?
Get out of the box. Believe in yourself. Focus. Take Risks. Break Rules. And run like hell with your ideas! *Adjusted from millionaire to billionaire for inflation.
Hardworker blog week of Dec 20th
DON’T YOU WISH YOU COULD RULE THE RUDE, UNCARING BUSINESS WORLD? You’d give them “the business!” Imagine creating a four-credit college course called, Employer Etiquette 101? Unless you call the shots, the best you can do is know what you want, arm yourself with a dynamic presentation, resume and cover letter tailored to each and every desired job opening—and network like crazy. Mostly,...
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT FEAR IS A MOTIVATOR?
Creativity doesn’t flourish in fear. Inspiration born of love does. The enduring I Love Lucy comedy series evolved with Lucille Ball keeping her husband and fellow entertainer, Desi Arnaz, around to start their family. The Taj Mahal was built for a man’s beloved wife. Even Facebook’s beginnings evolved from comparing the opposite sex at different schools. Think about what motivates you to soar...
November 2010
4 posts
YOU KNOW THAT SINKING FEELING YOU GET WHEN YOU...
French author Marcel Proust said, “Each spelling mistake is the expression of a desire.” But employers aren’t as open-minded. You’ll never know if it was that typo that wiped out your chance at an interview. Hopefully the prospective employer’s eye will “correct” it when reading and never notice it. Always have someone else read your application before you send it out. Conduct ABC Spelling and...
DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE CAUSING A TRAFFIC JAM?...
You’re taking your job search too personally. How not, you ask? You cling repeatedly to a notion that an employer will come along and “discover” your heart’s desire and understand what you need. It’s the wrong slant that keeps you unconsciously stuck doing the same tried-and-failed attempts to land a job. You don’t fulfill requirements or redo strategies, make changes, ferret out the Unknown. None...
HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF FANTASIZING DURING AN...
Hold it—it’s not what you think! Here’s a way to calm your nerves and be natural to ace an interview. Imagine you are talking to someone you feel good with, or a group of friends with whom you are comfortable, while talking to the interviewer. Showcase your skills and how you can benefit the company—and feel extra confident—all while remaining professional! Actors perform similarly. It could...
WHAT LESSONS CAN BUSINESS TEACH US?
Many animals, some in the most remote places on earth, camouflage their appearances in order to survive the perils of the wild. Humans can adapt in the same way to the treacherous world of business. We have to keep changing, adding skills and developing heightened awareness to shifts and trends in our fields of work—to survive layoffs.
HOW CAN I OVERCOME MY EMPLOYMENT GAP?
Successfully overcoming employment gaps as interview obstacles is not just about the activities in which you engage to look and be productive while looking for work. It’s about time management—how you use that time—specifically. You have all the strategies. You volunteer and use your skills in consulting or internship capacity. Or you put some new skills under your belt in formal...
October 2010
4 posts
DO YOU KNOW WHAT NETWORKING REALLY MEANS?
We hear so much about it but do we truly understand it? Networking is about making professional acquaintanceships and business friendships, both online in professional networking sites like no-nonsense Linked In or Plaxo and live groups in person. Networking is about sharing and getting involved, being thoughtful, reaching out, asking questions, offering information and exchanging ideas. Making...
WHO'S WATCHING ME AND WHAT ARE "THEY" SAYING ABOUT...
Here’s how you find out. Google search yourself to see how the digital universe sees you. You can also check your cyberspace image on www.zabosearch.com ; www.spokeo.com; www.pipl.com; www.peekyou.com ; www.yasni.com and www.whoozy.com — sources from Do It Yourself Online Management. There are probably many more. Clean up your Face Book page of questionable comments and photos that...
DID YOU KNOW THAT AN ON-THE-JOB TRAINING GRANT...
If you’re a laid off dislocated worker, see if your local One Stop Career Center and your state’s department of labor under the same roof, to find out if they have funds available for an OJT and take advantage of this opportunity to work. In a nutshell, here’s how an OJT works: The company trains the individual. The grant pays a salary to the employer to pay the individual for a period of a few...
September 2010
2 posts
DO YOU REALIZE THAT FAILURE IS CIRCUMSTANTIAL AND...
Life is cyclical. Sooner or later, everyone succeeds at something.
ISN’T IT AMAZING THAT INSPIRATION FOR THE LONG,...
This message just in from a Chinese fortune cookie: “A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.”
August 2010
4 posts
DID YOUR SELF ESTEEM TANK WHEN YOU LOST YOUR JOB?
It’s not a crime to be laid off so quit telling yourself that. Self esteem is the intangible that determines all else. Millions are with you in the same leaking boat of job search waiting to be rescued by a Job Offer. The criminal justice system can’t possibly prosecute everyone. There is a certain pleasure in thought revenge. Our work ethic taught us to work hard and be dedicated. Then the bottom...
WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE? MAKE LIKE YOU ARE AN...
Christopher Columbus discovered the New World in Europe during the 15th Century. He didn’t know what fate he’d meet in his little wooden ship against the vast ocean, tempest weather and Nature’s elements. Popular opinion centuries ago, was that the earth was flat and he’d fall off into an abyss never to be seen or heard from again. Treat your job search as an adventure—if you can stomach the ups,...
2 tags
Did You Know That Business Publications and Trade...
When perused carefully, you can gather a wealth of information that may lead you to your next job. One obvious way, for example, is if you look at columns announcing new promotions in various organizations and companies, both for-profit and non-profit entities, you will get a feel for where vacancies are. But you can also get a gauge on which companies are expanding and what their challenges are....
2 tags
ADDICTED TO JOB LOSS? GET INTO JOB SEARCH REHAB!
“This has never happened to me! I was never without work,” you say. It’s terrible to lose a job. Life is full of change. Pull yourself together. Get your basics underway and practice them daily: Admit that you are powerless over the economy and subsequent job loss. Take a personal inventory of your skills, strengths and talents and see where you can apply them next. Face your lacks. Improve...
July 2010
2 posts
WAKE UP! DO YOU KNOW YOU ALREADY HAVE A JOB?
Your job is YOU! Don’t lose yourself in the process or allow defeat to keep you down. Keep moving. Job search is a numbers game even in the best times. Keep your skills alive as a volunteer or temp worker and get out there, meeting people, sharing ideas, exchanging information—and at the very least—emotional support. Psychologically, it goes a long way. Use it well. Arm yourself with a...
NO CUTIE29 OR HITMANHARRY FOR YOU!
What does that mean? It’s those details again! If you have a lighthearted email address, don’t use it for job search. Create a new email containing your name@gmail.com or other legitimate email website and use that one strictly for your job search. It’s easy to forget this tidbit because there are so many larger, pressing issues to remember in a blind job search that most people conduct. It may be...
June 2010
4 posts
YOUR BEST FRIEND WON'T TELL YOU BUT APPEARANCES...
It’s about that first impression being a lasting one. While no one expects a matured person to resemble a 20 year old celebrity, your appearance affects the employer’s perception of you and your relevance as a job candidate. Have your hair styled and colored (if applicable), update your eye glass frames and wear stylish clothing. Avoid a frumpy, dated look, especially if you are a matured...
Anonymous asked: What is the best way to address gaps in employment? Should time not not related to employment be mentioned? What is the best way to note this information?
BAD CREDIT HOLDING YOU BACK FROM YOUR NEXT JOB?
Although currently there is at least one bill introduced in Congress that would make it unlawful for employers to reject applicants due to personal debt and poor credit rating, there is something you can do now. The government will provide insurance to an employer who would hire you for a period of six months, renewable by the employer thereafter for a nominal fee. It is called bonding. Bonding is...
SUCCESSFUL JOB SEARCH IS IN THE DETAILS.
You’ve got the powerful resume and winning presentation. So what’s missing? SIGN your cover letter if faxing or postal mailing your job application. It’s easy to forget this essential item in our digital age when we respond to most leads by email. But you’d be surprised by how many employers notice the applicant’s missing signature and comment on this forgotten detail.
BLOGS ARE POWERFUL TOOLS FOR JOBSEEKERS.
Did you know that blogs can help jobseekers in gaining contacts and leads? It’s another avenue to explore in job search of the new millennium. There are three ways jobseekers can use blogs: to stay relevant, generate interest and provide an online portfolio. You can connect a blog on your linked in page profile. A blog is an e-portfolio in progress. Blogs are supplements to resumes; they show the jobseeker’s personality and prove one’s technical savvy and ability to write and think critically. What’s more, they show you have stayed connected to the world of work, so that when an employer asks, “What have you been doing?” you can say you are writing a blog. Find an angle or focus on a topic you like and know. The topic of your blog can be your area of expertise and commentary on the trends and changes in your business. The Internet has become interactive that almost every site now seeks reader and writer feedback. There is a plethora of online
advice on how to write a blog. Google search “blog” or “How to Write a Blog”. About.com/blogging has many categories of what you need to know, from the anatomy of a blog, to setting one up, marketing and “re-tweeting” and so on. Go to: http://weblogs.about.com. To learn more about blogs in general, see websites, such as www.wordpress.com containing free software visual presentations. Also check out blog world and technorati.
May 2010
4 posts
WHY BOTHER RESEARCHING THE COMPANY? AT LEAST THREE...
If you know about the company, its profiles and credit reports, you’ll know how you fit in and why and will successfully project it to an employer. You will also see if you like that company. Company reports are found from many sources including www.vault.com; Dunn & Bradstreet (www.dnb.com); Business Week (www.businessweek.com); Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com); Forbes Magazine...
SOMETIMES AN AD WILL SAY, “WILLING TO TRAIN.” IS...
When an occasional employer says that they’re willing to train a new hire, what it means is that they are willing to give you a chance at the job. “Willing to train” is a euphemism for allowing you to observe, shadow and ask questions (even if you think they’re stupid queries and are embarrassed to ask or afraid to look like a pest) and jump in the water on your own to sink or swim. Unfortunately,...
the405club asked: Congress recently approved additional weeks that equal a total of 99 weeks "for some people". In the absence of a physical office to go to for info and no answer on the TF# do you know who "some people" are? My claim was approved and benefits began last July. I exhausted the first level in or around mid January and was automatically approved into the next level. The additional...
April 2010
4 posts
Anonymous asked: 20 years old. College student. Been out of work for close to two years...I can only eat cup of noodles so many times before I want throw up. Any suggestions on the job hunt?
HOW IMPORTANT IS A BONUS?
In certain fields like IT and finance—a bonus is as important as the base salary itself. In light of the fat cat windfalls on Wall Street, it would seem that exorbitant amounts are necessary as rewards or incentives. Make sure you negotiate a certain percentage up front when offered a position, especially in these fields, and in sales, as well. Know exactly what you’re getting. In IT and IT...
Anonymous asked: i didn't file my unemployment claim within the 6 month (2 quarter) requirement. any chance i can get any money out of the state or am i screwed?
Copy and Paste Your Linked In Page Profile Link on...
Place and center this valuable item on your resume under your email address. Your Linked In page profile link makes all the difference on your resume. An employer can click right onto your Linked In page and be dazzled by you in how you describe yourself. This is another way of advertising your professional self regardless of your field of work. You can also create a Power Point presentation in...
March 2010
4 posts
WHAT ABOUT WRITING A FOLLOWUP LETTER—MONTHS...
Go ahead. Write one expressing that you are still interested. Was there a job opening for which you were chomping at the bit to interview? You applied and were never called? Or maybe you applied to a hot lead you heard about through a friend. Or maybe you blindly targeted a company with an introductory letter about yourself and never so much as received the courtesy of a response. You were dying...
3 tags
Ask Us Anything: Changing Careers.
Anonymous asked:
I’ve recently discovered that I want a complete 180 and switch careers while unemployed..I am planning on returning this summer to community college to knock some pre req science courses out of the way to move on to a university Dietetics prgm…I want to only go for a part-time job so that I may go to school part-time as well. And while I feel I have resolved this...
Short-term assignments or freelancing for pay may...
You get to explore different companies and they get to try out different workers. It can be a win/win for both. This seems to be a trend since employers don’t want to (or can’t) commit to full time with benefits. Used to be that these types of jobs, also known as temporary or fill-in’s, were to substitute workers out on leave or to help a company with an unusually large project that didn’t require...
CONSIDER SEEKING A NON PAID INTERNSHIP IF YOU ARE...
An internship will give you valuable experience and provide a platform upon which to test new skills, a forum to make contacts, and impress staff and possibly be hired by them or someone else to whom they communicate your talents. Internships, paid or unpaid, are the best ways to learn a job on the job in the direct environment to try out new skills and have some substantial experience to put down...
February 2010
4 posts
ALWAYS PEN A THANK YOU NOTE TO AN EMPLOYER AFTER...
A thank you letter keeps you alive in the interviewer’s mind. It’s also a way to mention something critical that you may have forgotten that is pertinent to your being the best candidate for the job. Make the letter short and appreciative. Mention if there was some unique characteristic of the time together, such as having received a company tour. Tell how you feel you fit in, you like the...
DO YOU THINK SALARIES ARE SET IN STONE AND NON-NEGOTIABLE? THINK AGAIN. UNLESS THE JOB IS CIVIL SERVICE OR UNIONIZED, THERE’S USUALLY WIGGLE ROOM. Test the waters—after you have the job offer. Then you will be in a position of strength. So wait until they want you. Know the going rate, the low, median and average wage for your job title. You can find information on www.payscale.com;...
MANY PEOPLE THINK A COVER LETTER ISN'T IMPORTANT....
People think that company officials scouting resumes do not read cover letters. Not always so. Better to have one, than not. Your cover letter is the other half of the complete application package. It showcases your personality and makes a compelling argument to read your resume and call you in for the interview. Make it professional yet a bit conversational making sure you point out some...
1 tag
The 405 Club's "Ask Us Anything"
405er: I have been unemployed since May '09...And went from manic (searching frantically for a job, considering several employment/ career options) to utterly depressed (completely withdrawn, don't see/call any friends, never leave the house, crying every day, no longer do anything. Spend entire day in bed, rarely read---I feel as though my intellect has severely suffered...I feel like I'm a in a bottomless pit) I'm too broke and have no insurance to even get examined by a psychiatrist. I'm far from being a doctor, but I'm convinced I'm chronically depressed. I'm in California...feel so lost. I really feel like I could use some job coaching at least. I don't have family support since in my culture depression and like illnesses are highly stigmatized. My parents just tell me snap out of it. They can't believe a college grad is such " a zero" (their actual words)... Any recommendations? (I'm 26)
The405Club: First, I'm sorry you lost your job. Job loss is one of the most devestating and significant losses in life that is up there with the big ones like death and divorce. The loss is perceived by some people as if it were a formal declaration of failure and incompetence. People who have been laid off or fired from a job, sometimes turn a lousy situation inward and attack themselves over it as a way of coping or fighting back. It's human nature. One need only google search the topic "Job Loss" on the Internet to come up with a daunting amount that talks about the stages of job loss, including fear, anger, doubt, obsessive thoughts--much like the natural stages of feelings over death. So give yourself a break and realize that what you feel is natural. Accepting it, recognizing it, is the first step. The fact that you read unemployment online websites like The 405 Club shows that you want to climb out of your funk. Pat yourself on the back.
It's when these feelings hold us hostage for a protracted period of time, and we can't seem to get out from under, that we have to seek professional help. We know enough about symptoms today to realize when someone is depressed and needs some helping along. Though you have no health insurance benefits and it may be too late to join COBRA (but you could ask your last employer HR dept.), you can call the state mental health office in your area and ask for an agency that accepts sliding scale fees for payment. That means a therapist or doctor will only accept what you can afford. A fee would be determined by your unemployment income and a sliding scale fee may mean as little as only $10./week. Please muster up the strength to pick up the phone or ask a trusted friend to do so on your behalf to investigate where you can go. But you then have to call for the appointment. You need to talk it out. If you have to make several phone calls to find what you need, keep going.
There are also mental health hotlines in every state. Here is a website for California Mental Health: http://www.dmh.cahwnet.gov/ Please keep it handy. Ask questions and find out. Whatever you do, don't turn to drugs or alcohol to assauge the pain. We all have to go through pain to get to the other side. Reach out for a helping hand to cross over the divide back to normalcy!
There is also your local Catholic Church--and you don't have to be Catholic. Every community has a Parish Outreach Social Ministry for those in the community in hard times. They help with different needs and have resource information. They also give food to those in need. The help is free and you can always "pay it forward" one day when you are re-situated.
The next "order of business" is recouping your occupational interests and connecting with other people. Please join some job loss clubs in your area. These groups have mushroomed all over the place because millions are out of work. It does a world of good to know we are not alone. We are not freaks of nature because of our loss. Once you start seeing a therapist, you might consider getting some free career guidance and job search assistance. You can go on www.servicelocator.org and tap in your zip code to find a multitude of One Stop Career Centers run by your taxpayer dollars and there for you free of charge. Services include assessment inventories of your talents, strengths and skills and workshops on resumes and interviewing which are stimulating and you will be around other people, not isolated. The longer you isolate, the harder it will be to recoup and get back on your feet. There are some friendly counselors and you might feel better talking to them.
The career center might also have training funds to send you to school for a certification or specific skill to augment your career field or transfer over to a new one. These funds are freely given and never have to be paid back and the schools are usually local.
You will feel better once you equip yourself with a job search backpack. Perhaps there is a trusted teacher from your college days not so long ago or a guidance counselor you can refer to in this difficult time. College placement offices usually offer placement assistance to alumni. If not, there are the centers and groups in your area. Keep reading 405 and look into the vast treasure trove online for career ideas and information, including the Occupational Outlook Handbook and ONET. You can google search the sites. The Interent is always full of whatever it is we are looking for.
I wish you many blessings and a restored outlook on life! You have youth on your side, meaning that you are not at a place yet of having risen to top levels of management in your career or advanced titles. It is much harder to recoup financially and self esteem-wise from a job loss at that point in life. Keep moving forward towards the day you will look back and see this time in your life as a mere blip on the radar. ~The 405 Club (ask us anything http: //the405club.com/ask)
WOO YOUR NEXT EMPLOYER.
Create a business plan. It doesn’t have to be a formal dissertation or thesis but just two or three short paragraphs set apart and highlighted in your cover letter saying what you would do in 30, 60 and 90 days. The timetable sets the stage for goals and outcomes. Companies love to know where they are going. Offering a business plan of ideas to combat problems and increase revenue can be a very...
January 2010
4 posts
YOUR RESUME IS YOUR BRAND. IT MUST SELL YOU WHEN...
Your resume goes before you, heralding your professional worth. If it is not a grocery list of rote duties, it will open doors. Match your profile and previous/current success with the wants and needs of the desired employer, as told to you by personal contacts, business publications, or when researching and targeting particular companies. Concentrate on writing a masterpiece so that your document...
INCLUDE YOUR LINKEDIN.COM PAGE PROFILE LINK ON...
Your profile link positioned under your email address on your resume and cover letter is your signature and enables employers and in person contacts to click right onto your page and find out who you are and what you have to offer. Take advantage of a highly effective tool on the page profile, the Slide Share, to place a Power Point slide show of your achievements in porfolio, marketing and other...
SO YOU THINK YOU BOMBED OUT ON YOUR LAST...
Not always so…here’s why… Sometimes interviewers are distracted or in a bad mood over something internal in the company that has nothing to do with you. But you can still recoup if you keep your cool! One job candidate reported that the employer looked down and stared at the carpet the whole time. Most people would be thrown off by that reaction, lose their momentum and be convinced that it was...
December 2009
3 posts
SO WHY DID YOU PICK OUR COMPANY AND WHAT DO YOU...
Easy enough today to find out about a company, organization or agency with the Internet and other prolific resources but it’s a chance to strut your stuff. Be ready to tell all about how you fit in with the company mission. Don’t let those “why’s” stump you. It’s another freebie that some interviewers like to throw out onto the table. Expound upon and illustrate what exactly it is that you can do...
SO WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS FIELD?
It sounds like a basic question the interviewer might pop during an interview when he or she runs out of questions to ask. It may seem rote, elementary and hackneyed from someone who may or may not know what they are doing with you and throws it out there because it sounds good and makes the interviewer feel effective. Nevertheless, it’s a good prompt to highlight once more how you can aid the...
“NO ONE’S HIRING AROUND THE HOLIDAYS—OR ARE THEY?”
– “NO ONE’S HIRING AROUND THE HOLIDAYS” is a myth. Seasonal retail jobs aside, some recruiters claim that around and immediately before Christmas is the best time to get interviews—and offers. How can that be? Isn’t it slow in December? It may be slow in December but employers are relaxed and in the...
November 2009
5 posts
‘TIS THE SEASON TO RING IN “LINKED IN”! While you’re preparing for inner peace and joy to weather life’s difficulties, be sure to email all the connections in your network individually. Wish them a Merry Christmas, Season’s Greetings, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza—whichever may apply—and a Happy New Year, as well. Remind them that you welcome tips of potential opportunities and...
WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE BEST PERSON FOR THIS JOB? Be prepared to have as compelling an answer to match a question that puts you in the hot seat. Because why? Think about it. You trained under someone reputed to be tops in the field and you gleaned all their wisdom from them. Or you rose the ranks quickly and achieved the distinction of growing the same business at a competitor by 50% in six...