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Gov. John Kitzhaber has just signed two bills that will extend unemployment benefits to Oregonians by another 26 weeks. This affects approximately 50,000 people as the state's unemployment rate still exceeds the national average.
The Oregon Employment Department requires that job seekers make contact with employers every week. This means that they have to apply for work or discuss job openings with people in a position to hire them.
Some experts suggest that traditional methods of applying for work — submitting a resume in response to a job ad — are antiquated and ineffective. They say that if you want to land a job in today's market, you need to be creative with your research and self-marketing.
This presents a need for unique services to older job hunters, who may be unaware of changing expectations.
How did you find a job that you wanted to keep? How do you think Oregonians make connections that result in job offers? If you're an employer, how do you usually find people to hire?
GUESTS:
- Gregg Griffin: Unemployed information systems analyst
- Carol Fuller: Unemployed administrative assistant
- Alexis Grant: Careers editor for US News & World Report
- Jaime Caldera: Welcome Team Supervisor for WorkSource Oregon's Portland Central office
Tagged as: jobs · social networking · unemployment
Photo credit: SOCIALisBETTER / Creative Commons
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Unfortuntely I feel that your situation is all too common. People whom are overqualified end up getting the job. As long as you love your job though and you make enough to live well then I guess that is fine though. Lately we have been flooded with applications for our installers and many of them that we hire are also over qualified. - Smart Carpet
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As an employer, I truly hope your attitude is not representative of those looking for work!
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As a citizen, I lament that your attitude, sir, is all too representative of today's corporate mindset, interested less in thinking employees than servile drones.
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Newshound - read the original comment " Not that I'm trying too hard to sell myself back into voluntary servitude. Working for others isn't as fun as it used to be" and "Too little pay for a huge amount of responsibility. I prefer a diet free of anti-acids." As a potential employer, why would I want to hire this attitude? In addition, you know NOTHING about how I treat my employees, yet critique my "mindset".
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lesjoel,
It's too bad you swiped at "deficiencies in my attitude". You don't know me. Why didn't you address the issue that there are employers who treat employees like garbage? The way you expressed your response to my post proves my point. If I don't meet your criteria for "acceptible attitude" then I'm deemed a poor quality candidate. Your response to my post makes you sound righteous and arrogant.
What am I supposed to do when an employer who've I've earned a million-plus dollars for decides to cut my pay 25%? Clap him on the back and congratulate him for running his business efficiently? My employer failed to consider my contribution to the company's bottom line and chose to perceive me as an expense to be cut. I left that company because I couldn't afford the pay cut.
I suppose you'd say, "It's just business," but I'm not here to assume things about you. I don't know you either. C'est la vie.
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During my 7 months of unemployment, I relied on Craiglist for most of the job openings I applied for. There were a few company websites that I checked regularly for openings, and some of them offered e-mail updates when a position became available. The Oregon unemployment office also offers a job data base for seekers. But when it came down to it, Craiglist is the place to search!
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I have used a variety of sources to find employment. The most effective has been talking to the people I know in the field I'm qualified to work in. I have also used Craigslist, Jobdango, Monster, and other online employment sites. Craigslist and opportunity aggregators like Indeed.com tend to provide the most leads in my case. The "opportunity aggregators" as I call them basically draw job postings from several websites and provide filters to streamline the search.
This sort of job searching doesn't seem to work as well when one is attempting to change careers. I have spent 7 years repairing electronics in the narrow field of two-way radio. Lately I've been feeling that I need to shift toward either the medical field, or something outdoors that allows me to spend time around plants and animals. I would have to go to school for anything in the medical field, and I haven't had any direct experience in most outdoor jobs in the last 17 years. Unfortunately neither of these fields would allow me the kind of salary that would cover my expenses in the near term, so I stay with the job I'm currently qualified for.
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As an active employer, we tend to hire most permanent employees after a trial "temp" period. Production workers are trialed through a "Labor Ready" type organization and Office Staff through a "Express Personnel" type organization. This provides both employee and employer a low risk method to determine if the "fit" is right.
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I think in the modern soceity you need to think a bit more outside the box. Definatley do all the usuall, job centre, job website, sending c.v's etc but certainly its worth thinking about how you market yourself especially as you get older. It may be worth using social sites that are free to publicise your self. e.g facebook, twitter, blogging, you tube videos. I suppose it could be similiar to marketing your business which im currently doing at the moment, maybe drop links on your c.v to videos of you and your work experince (its just a bit different than the normal boring c.v)
As an empoyer i would find it more interesting watching a video than just reading a c.v
By all means visit our website its still fairly new but it may give you some ideas
Website
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I am a recruiter for a major engineering firm, world wide presence. I am bombarded daily by resumes that make me think nobody can read. When a job says 3+ years of experience, that means a new grad is not going to get a chance. Or in our world, if a job requires a security clearance to work on federal facilities, you have to have it before the interview.
I strongly suggest using creative solutions. I am 66 years old, have worked from home for many years, and when I was layed off in Nov. 2009, I was scared. So, after trying a couple of internet possiblities which didn't do any good, I started contacting all my old clients saying I would work for an hourly wage, rather than a big check if they hired my candidate. I was hired by this firm in New Jersey. I have never met anyone who works for the firm, but over the past two years have created a reputation as being an excellent recruiter, finding difficult to find people, and helping the HR process work smoothly. I am happy to say I am comfortable about my job.
My stepdaughter recently graduated from U of O, degree was not focused on anything in particular, but after a six month job search, she was hired by a major firm in Portland. She is an accomplished reader, writer and speaker. So, with basic web design experience, she now coordinates with people all over the world to make their various websites work, read well, and market their products. How did she get the job? By having excellent skills. It was advertised on Monster.
I recommend targeting companies you want to work for and watching their site, and being politely persistent. Best wishes. Anne
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Full disclosure: I am a resume writer and also a national speaker on career management topics.
What I always advise people on regarding their job searches is to have a 3-legged stool: 1) Polished resume, 2) Targeted job search and 3) Network network network.
A significant change on the resume development side is to create a value-oriented document that showcases the applicant's achievements, versus simply cutting and pasting job duties. Employers are evaluating these documents to find out the 'so what?' of what the applicant did so they can make a better estimation of what this person could possibly do for the new employer.
I volunteer by teaching a resume writing class every 2 weeks at Worksource Oregon's Portland Central office to help job seekers understand what they need to incorporate into their career documents to make them compelling, keyword driven, and to show how they are going to help a potential employers.
But it goes beyond the resume...networking effectively is incredibly important - a lot of people fall down in this category- either they are too timid to set up informational interviews or fail to see the importance of joining professional industry organizations to gain networking and educational access to job specific training / counterparts.
As Ms. Grant will likely agree, having an online presence is also important so employers can find you. If you are looking for work and are NOT on LinkedIn.com, you are missing a huge opportunity to be 'discovered' and to bolster your online presence. Using online forums such as Twitter, Facebook, Quora, and LinkedIn can help you access people and communities that can assist in job searches.
Finally, looking for work requires dogged follow up and never giving up. It's okay to be discouraged, but if you let yourself give up hope, then you aren't opening up any doors to possibility. Take a moment to get through the feelings of rejection if you don't get the job, but then pick yourself up and just keep moving forward. By building upon your knowledge, contacts, and networking, eventually, you are building a web so far and wide that eventually, something will get snared into it!
Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions:
Dawn Rasmussen, Pathfinder Writing and Careers - Portland, OR
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As a supervisor who interviews and selects employees for many people in the organization there are some key things I have began to notice:
1 - I have never met someone "OverQaulified" if they were that good they wouldn't be here looking for a job.
2 - By the time a job announcement has posted your odds of getting that position are drastically cut - go to places you would like to work BEFORE they have an opening, then when the resume comes across the desk a face goes with a name.
3 - A fluffy resume can be spotted from a mile away, give me something quantifiable that relates to the job. If you are applying to run a piece of machinery - tell me that you have operated the Kubota 2210 for 3 years, don't tell me that "I am an expert in operating machinery"
At our organization the HR office is the biggest stumbling block, they are paper people - not supervisors so they may cut a resume before the boss gets to see it because they can't be experts in all aspects of an operation - this refers back to come see me before you apply so I can ask them for your resume when it doesn't cross my desk!
You won't get very far trying to get work by hopping on Craigslist and blasting a canned resume to 40 places with a fire and forget technique!
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A supervisor, you say? Good grief. Considering your spelling and grammar, I doubt you'd recognize an overqualified applicant if you did meet one.
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Newshound,
My intent was not to defame people who have been told they were over qualified, obviously this struck a nerve with you. I can assure you the reason you are underemployed or unemployed is not your over qualifications it is your attitude.
People like you will always work for people like me. My spelling didn't land me my job, nor did it seem to hinder it. As far as my grammar - read your own post "Hey Pot, this is Kettle - Your Black"
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In this job market there is no clever trick or method to finding a job. People suggest all sorts of things: Linked In, various web sites, informational interviews, interview tips, cool resumes, etc. etc.
So what happens when you try all of that, and you're still unemployed -- for a year, or two years, or three years? With the number of unemployed people, getting a job is largely a matter of dumb luck.
And by the way, try getting a job when you're in your late 50s, and the people in the interview room are 20 or 30 years younger than you. Age discrimination is the 800 pound gorilla in the room that no one wants to talk about.
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Try getting a job in your mid-40's! That's pretty damn hard, too!
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The age issue is a huge point. Over 50, a person needs to really try to spruce up and essentially "reinvent" themselves to get into a 30-ish dominated job market. It takes more effort and self-care to look like one can compete with younger job candidates.
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I lost my job as a corporate pilot in December of 2010, and I was fortunate enough to regain employment with a different flight department on the first of this month. I was greatly benefited by the Oregon unemployment department for the 3 months between jobs.
My new employer is someone I met 3 years ago in a hotel workout room in Colorado. We didn't keep in touch after that, but when I called him to find out if his flight department needed pilots last winter, we immediately picked up where we left off, and had a great conversation. A month later he had a position for me, and I'm excited to be the newest pilot at N2 Air Charters. I will forever treat strangers in strange places as my potential employers of the future.
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Another detail I neglected to mention- All of the jobs I applied for online recieved 3,000-8,000 applicants. I was fortuneate enough to recieve 2 phone interviews in the three months I tried to use online job services, but the sheer numbers of applicants make it REALLY HARD to get a job when you're just a name on a resume.
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I am a 26 year old with a Master's degree in Education. I worked very hard last year applying for jobs in and out of Oregon. I am confident that my resume is stellar, my letters of recommendation are amazing and I will be a great teacher. I have no job. I cannot get a job. I did not grow up here, and I don't have the connections other people do. I am going to try again; however, I am not sure what to do with my $70,000 of debt if I do not get a job.
Part of the problem here is that the market is saturated. Portland State, where I went to school, graduates so many people without jobs. They do not seem to care in the least. Of the 30 people in my cohort, 5 got jobs. This is unacceptable, and nobody is saying or doing anything about it.
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Hi, I have been a career counselor for 25 years here in Portland, and I can tell you, without equivication, that the people who get the right jobs the most quickly are those who see Job Search as a serious job, follow the eight linear steps I have outline below, and keep their morale and energy up by working with others. We are launching a web site next week for the public based on these steps, FYI www.competitiv-edge.com. We hope to provide a workable framework for all those goiing through this horribly long and lonely process. One more note, it is taking our outplacement clients almost twice as long to get a job in this economy...normally it is about one month for every $10k of salary, now it is almost double. This is very serious.
Thank you for embracing this critical issue.
Ron Ennis, Ph.D., CMF
Managing Partner
Pathways/OI Partners, Inc.
317 SW Alder St. Suite 1120
Portland, OR 97204
Tel: (503) 221-8747
Fax: (503) 221-9947
Web: www.oipartners.net/pathways
Here are the Eight Critical Steps you need to take:
Click on each one to see how we might help you be more effective in your job search.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Starting Your Job Search
Build Self Confidence
Know Yourself
Build a Resume
Build a Self Market Plan
Implement Your Plan
Prepare For Interviews
Negotiate a Job Offer
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Because there are so few jobs here would you look for work out side of Portland or Oregon and or would you consider moving for work?
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It's all well and good to discuss to these statagies, but I worry that this sends the message that the current situation can be fixed by simply by teaching people to use facebook or linkedin. The problem we face is there are simply more people looking for jobs then there are openings. For every individual that is succesful in finding a job there will be 4-5 others that aren't. No individual job hunting statagy is going to change that.
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Just over two years ago my wife and I wanted to move back to Portland from Seattle. As we all know, this was right when the economy began to take a steep downward turn. I had graduated from college a year and half earlier and was new to the company that I was working for. I worked as an engineer providing designs for commercial construction. It became quickly obvious that this market was going to take a big turn for the worst. Since I was at the bottom of the seniority totem pole it was clear that I would be laid off first.
Instead of waiting around for this to happen I decided to take action. I updated my resume and decided to switch fields into the electric power utility field (a field that has historically been recession resistant). I sent off several resumes and got no response. I signed up for on online career finders and was even contacted by a “headhunter” who I met with and worked with to try to find a position. Still there was no word from any prospective employers. The backlog at the job I was at had shrunk to nothing, meaning that once I finished the project I was working on I would have no work left to do.
It was time to take more decisive action. I picked a date that I wanted to have interviews on in Portland and began to contact the companies that I had applied to. My message was:
“I will be in Portland on XX-XX-XXXX date doing interviews. I have been interested in your company and would like to schedule an interview with you while I am in town.”
Of all the companies that I sent this message to I received one response:
“We regret to inform you that you have been weeded out of the application process due to your lack of experience in this particular field.”
I responded:
“I have actually been wishing to transfer into this field and am interested in setting up an interview with you while I am town.”
They responded with an invite to an interview. I made the trip down to Portland and the interview went well. I returned to Seattle with a job interview pending my reference check. After all the details were settled I avoided getting laid off, got a raise, and moved back to Portland! Mission accomplished.
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What I hear missing from this conversation is the personal side of job searching.
A job hire in today's market is not a transaction by a company - it is a risky investment and the job seeker's role includes assuaging that risk.
Get off the keyboard and put yourself out there. Be the solution to their need, ask people for help that know you, be confident in the things that you are good at & that you know you can do well for a targeted company.
The hard part is being heard/noticed and that rarely happens thru a computer-generated stack of files. It happens through networking, a personal cover letter perhaps, and by putting yourself out there (even to companies that are not hiring), everywhere that makes sense.
Finding a job is hard work: you have to really throw yourself in it and manage it like a project with lots of different elements.
Hope my comments help.
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Get off the keyboard and put yourself out there. -- DrKeelyK — Fri March 25th 9:28a.m.
Easier said than done, when EVERYBODY is sending you to their website to apply. And I do mean EVERYBODY -- even McDonald's won't give you the time of day as an applicant unless you have done the online application.
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Here's my worst job-hunt story: I am still looking, after almost THREE YEARS! I left my last full time job in May 2008, and have been looking ever since. I am getting pretty disgusted and discouraged that nobody seems to want to interview -- let alone hire -- an applicant who is over 25. My resume is written in such a way that I don't explicitly reveal my age, but even someone with third-grade arithmetic skills can add up my experience, and see how old I am. And that's only with relevant experience on the resume.
Don't get me started on the so-called "Employment" Office, either. They don't really do anything other than give you a piece of paper that says who to contact and where, but you are still totally on your own as far as competing against all the other people that the "Employment" office has given the same piece of paper to. They don't do any real pre-screening, they don't do any interviewing, if they were really in the business of getting people into jobs, they would be able to make placements.
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I have a feeling that a lot of the wrong people are the ones that end up getting the jobs. The biggest liars and fakers are the ones that get hired first. Really, you have to sell yourself out and pander to the stupidity of people in HR, and the lame power hungry managers, to ever get hired. If everyone is such an insider and such an expert on the ‘science of HR’ then what is the point anymore? We just end up back where we started, hiring blindly, or hiring people that smile the most in the interview, and are the best at conversation, which rarely equates to their ability to perform on the job.
All this how-to-market-yourself smut is disgusting. All these programs and services teaching people how to be the best liars they can be----way to go! The idea that people applaud this approach and think it is sophisticated and intelligent is even more disturbing. Everyone is so entitled, from the people doing the hiring to the people getting hired. I feel sorry for anyone having to look for a job in this slick rat race we have created. My heart especially breaks for older people having to look for work, I don’t know how they stand a chance. There is no room for error or difference anywhere. We have all this technology and all these ways to locate the best rat for our companies, but few things are really improving, employees aren’t improving, they are just learning how to look the part.
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Since 70% of jobs are found through networking, I track my networking as close as I do my job applications.
I have an Excel spreadsheet with all my networking.
One column gives the date of contact. One column is for type of contact (email, phone, face-to-face)
One column lists contact's name
One column is a summary of what happened, news.
One column lists follow up actions.
One column lists who is to follow up (waiting for news from contact or if I need to follow up or none needed)
In my job search of 5.5 months for 2010 I made 293 contacts of which 84 were face-to-face informational interviews. I found a job networking, but that job went away in Nov. 2010. So I tracked again in my new job search. I found a job in 3.5 months and my job search networking was 104 contacts of which 48 were informational interviews.
Additionally, I send out monthly emails to all my contacts with a summary of my job search. I talk about companies I've applied to, new interests that are professionally related. This reminds my contacts I'm still looking so if they hear of something or see something, they will think of me. No news for too long makes the network grow cold. Also, little bits of information about your job search gets warm words of encouragement from family, friends and ex-colleagues which is important during the job search.
Finally, this shows anyone who might be considering a position that you are organized. How many job descriptions ask for "organized"?
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I acquired my last full time job (that lasted 10 years) by sending the interviewer a packet of free information that they would need regardless of whether they hired me or not (I do import-export compliance). They appreciated the gesture and that made the difference.
My worst mistake ever was to take a job without asking to meet my co-workers. I accepted a job only to discover that I was hired to replace 2 people, and that my department was so demoralized that half the people were planning to quit.
My current hurtle is being overqualified (too old) for many jobs, but underqualified for others (missing management or I.T. skills). Maintaining morale is therefore a challenge.
My question today is whether I should use a plain-text version of my resume when the employer asks that your resume be uploaded or scanned. I've heard that the formatting that makes a paper resume attractive can cause problems with scanning.
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A Little Trick
It seems like many people get stumped by the new world of job searching with everything happening online. Often websites say to just send your resume and cover letter, and there's no need to contact anyone directly. I found ways to still make contact and I think that's what got me interviews.
I was looking for a teaching job and the common website, called Edzapp, told us to submit our info to the open positions but didn't encourage calling or emailing. In small writing there was often a contact name in case of questions--usually a secretary/receptionist, not a principal. In a school, it's often the receptionists who run everything anyway. I would write an email or call this person and ask if my application was complete, or ask a more specific question about my application (not a cold call or anything pushy). They were always friendly and helpful, and by contacting them, I not only had a name, but I made sure my application was viewed by someone. They would remember my name and my application when talking with the hiring staff. I think this makes people stand out in a world of online applications.
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The guests all point out how tough the job market is right now. I really appreciate their resillience, although it is apparent from their voices how the process of job searching has drained them.
I always recommend that job searchers do any volunteer activites they can, and interact with the other volunteers, board members, or volunteer agency folks they meet. Everyone has connections and I have found people to be generally empathetic to job searchers.
I know that it may not be for everyone, but large mainline churches are tremendous sources of contacts and potential job leads. It takes time to join a congregation and get to know the people who can help, but attendance at volunteer church-sponsored functions and the opportunity to get to know folks is exceptional in a church, especially if you share the faith backgound.
The "social networking" avenues are jammed right now. I would recommend a more person-to-person contact through volunteer opportunities close to your field of interest.
Also, anyone can try to start their own business. If you are going to spend 8 hours a day looking for work, you might as well spend 8 hours a day building a business niche of your own.
Good luck and best wishes to all job searchers. It is a tough and emotionally demanding process.
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Yes, I have noticed this. It seems the more religious you are, the better chance you have at getting the job or the contract. I have come in contact with many businesses, in the last several years, that all seem to be networked through their churches. I find this very unsettling, but it must be working for them. Now we have a whole new form of discrimination to worry about. Not to mention all the Jesus fishes I have seen on the marketing materials of small businesses.
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Emily -- An career org here in Portland that teaches the approaches mentioned by Alexis is Career Makers, headed by Peter Paskill - 971-224-1231. He regards most traditional ways of searching, i.e. sending in resumes via the Internet, as simply filing papers into a blackhole. Could be worth a call.
Roland Casad
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I agree with luck being a part of the process. I was unemployed for six months and through searching for those 'easy to find jobs' in the restaurant and tourism industry I stumbled upon my lifelong career in education. It was only because a winery was putting me throug a strenuous three week interview process that I continued to check craigslist EVERYDAY! One day, there it was- Montessori classroom assistant. Little did I now that the interview process for the school wasn't going so well and this was their second posting and last effort in finding a qualified candidate. They said they knew I was the perfect match after only two questions. Two years later I am getting sent away for additional paid training and will be taking over for a current full time teacher. My position is now in need of a replacement and we fear that the resources available to post the position will fall short of linking us with the perfect match a second time around. It is hard for employers to weed through the candidates to find appropriate applicants for sensitive and specific positions such as this one. Being that people are somewhat desperate for work, they often say what they have to say to get the job rather than truly representing their qualifications and intentions. I lucked out, or Fate played a hand. Now I have my path clearly defined but it certainly wasn't what I paid 25K+ to study or how I saw my life working out. I couldn't be happier!
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Sometimes while waiting for Mr. Goodbar, you have to settle for Mr. Goodenough.
There are fast food jobs, hotel staff and entry level cashier jobs that go begging.
In a tight job market, ANY job must be considered.
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Then why am I having so much bad luck? I have applied to just about every fast-food restaurant in Eugene (and Springfield) and many of the places that would need cashiers, especially places I can get to by bus? (I can't afford a car -- not with gas approaching $4 a gallon again!)
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The problem isn't being middle aged, too experienced, qualified or whatever. The problem is that employers and recruiters actually think they have magical or psychic powers! That is the problem; not the candidates. The caller who was “a drug user” because he was middle aged and under employed is a perfect example of the idiocy employers and some congressmen, apparently, have.
Here’s my magic powers job hunt war story: I was finishing my Master’s degree (not quite yet) when I was job hunting. I calculated that employers like smart people so I put it on my resume. Several employers explained that they weren’t sure they could afford to pay for my degree…WHAT THE…? Naturally, I never mentioned it before. I’m sure glad I work at a school now!
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I was in college when I was laid off and was forced to find a way to pay bills as Unemployment money is not given to students. I was having a really hard time finding a job and got to thinking about how I could make money to pay the bills. I took an inventory of my skills and started my own job, called Poor Boy Possibilities. The company I started is a business that helps small and medium sized businesses market their companies through social media. I have been able to hire my fiends and interns who can assist me in things I personally don't have the skills to do (video editing, iPhone applications, building websites... etc). I now have 4 clients with 2 more getting signed next month. When you don't have luck getting a job, why not think about what you can do and start your own business? Poor Boy Possibilities LLC. was started because I was poor and thinking big!!
https://www.facebook.com/PoorBoyPossibilities?ref=ts
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Is MONSTER.Com, on line super job site, a boom or a bust?
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This comment is targeted to people with kids in school & in college: encourage your kids to take, do well in, and keep on taking a foreign language, all through school & college. Encourage them to travel abroad. (Cancun for Spring Break does NOT count!) Being bilingual and biliterate will definitely help them in their future job searches.
I'm a first-year teacher, and being my Spanish was the reason I was able to get a teaching job in the PDX metro area, given the current job market for teachers here. But the importance of a second language is universal: it will be an advantage to your kids no matter what field they end up choosing as a career.
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I'm the owner of a recruiting agency in Portland, and also a national blogger on job search (www.jobjenny.com). The frustrations of some of the callers, and a few people commenting here are those that I hear every single day from people looking for a new job, or a job period. And it breaks my heart, because a lot of people just run themselves into the ground using search methods that simply don't work very well anymore.
The three biggest ones? Job boards (Monster.com, CareerBuilder, etc.), blind applications through company websites, and calling up a recruiter and expecting that they're going to "get on the case, stat."
The game of job search (yes, you must treat it as one today) is one that now requires bold, strategic moves. Moves that the thousands of other people competing with you aren't all using. Moves that grab the attention of the decision makers within the organizations that you want to work for.
Moves that don't waste your time.
It's not about being a fake, or a sales slime. It's about promoting your best asset, and that is YOU. No one's better qualified to promote the brand of you than you are, and no one cares as much about your career and livelihood than you.
So what does that mean for a job seeker? For those spinning their wheels, spending hours a day launching resumes into the proverbial black hole? I strongly suggest STOPPING that, like right now. Stop that, take a few deep breathes, and then think through a better game plan. Create an actual plan of attack, one that uses social media (it's a must, I insist it's a must -- and start with LinkedIn.com if you start with just one tool), and one that you follow like you would a regular work schedule each day and week.
I often tell clients this: "Everyone's trying to cram their way through the front door to find a job... let's figure out how to get you around to the side door, pop open a step ladder, and hoist you in while everyone else is stuck."
You can hate the game and the reality of today's job market all you want. But does the hate and panic and frustration get you a job? It does not.
I'm launching an ebook on this topic next week. It's called "To Whom It May Concern: Or, How to Stop Sucking at Your Job Search." Sounds lippy, but it's actually a genuine effort to help frustrated people cook up a better plan, learn how to use social media, and think about how they can survive in the meantime.
Cheers, Jenny Foss - JobJenny.com
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Two and a half million jobs were created by US companies last year. Fewer than a million of those jobs went to US workers. This is a political issue. Congress, Republicans in particular, have been blocking legislation to end offshore tax breaks and move foreign-based jobs back to the US. Until they hear from every one of us - loudly - our representatives have little incentive to change the status quo.
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You seem to have all the answers, why don't you run for congress and make some real change. (sarcasm)
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Comments are now closed.
She is "creative". Nice! Do you know how I can contact this outgoing recruit?
<Cheshire Cat grin>
I found my last job by walking into a shop and asking. I was hired immediately even though I was overqualified (so was everybody else there.) I said, "Don't worry about me, this is what I want. This is a job I'd do for free if I could afford to." I worked seven years for the company and it was great.
Haven't had a sniff of a job since. Not that I'm trying too hard to sell myself back into voluntary servitude. Working for others isn't as fun as it used to be. There are many nasty things that have evolved across the employment spectrum over the last two decades that are worrisome.
Employers that expect workers to be on call 24-7 is the most offensive condition I've encountered. I applied for a position that was responsible for maintaining a billion-dollar project and they wanted the candidate to be on call 24-7. I was asked, "Are you willing to hop on a plane at 1 A.M. Christmas morning and fly to Japan to solve problems?" No. Too little pay for a huge amount of responsibility. I prefer a diet free of anti-acids.
I've heard that some professional/technical employees have to be in their seat on time or they get marked tardy. What the heck is that - grade school?