The Job Search Super Bowl

Featured Guest Blogger: Kristine Sexter, WorkWise Productions

The front door slams open and a thick shoulder enters your living room sideways, followed by a broad body that makes your big screen TV look like a pocket watch. A weather-beaten face, baseball cap perched on top, seems to hover unsupported over a vast red sweatshirt bearing the word COACH in white block letters. You would be afraid, but the man now towering over your couch bears a strong (and vitamin-fed) resemblance to your elementary school gym teacher, right down to the twinkle in his eyes.

"Sooo...," Coach booms, dropping a sympathetic paw on your shoulder, "they're saying your careers been side-lined, are they? That you've been benched by the economy, laid-off, downsized?"

You nod, hoping Coach will lift his hand before your lungs are compressed into pancakes.

Coach takes a step back, then hunkers down to put you eye to eye.

"Its an old story, rookie. But what I want to know is, what are you going to do about it?"

"Um, well, I...Ive updated my resume. And there are all those job search engines and the newspaper ads. But there are so many people applying for the same jobs..." you stumble to a halt as Coach jumps to his feet.

"Search engines? Newspapers? Come on, now, rookie, wheres your competitive spirit? Don't you want to be a winner?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, yes! I need a job."

"And aren't you the kind of person who rises to the challenge?" he reminds you, using one thumb to point to the plaques on the wall behind his shoulder. "Employee of the Year last year, remember? And Highest Producer the year before that, right? Or is that just locker room talk?"

"No! I earned those awards!"

"Darn right you did!" Coach bellows. "Earned em with hard work, sweat, and a winning attitude. Felt good, too, didn't it? Not just winning those awards, but doing your best, every single day, no matter what they threw at you! What a rush! Am I right?"

"Yes, sir!" you find yourself yelling back.

Coach looks you straight in the eye and challenges, "Then isn't it time you started feeling that way about your job search, kid? Stop thinking bush league, and start thinking majors! Ive got a playbook here that is guaranteed to put big points on the job-search score board! Just bring on some of that hard work and you can be a contender! What do you say, kid? Are you with me? "

Suddenly, you find yourself on your feet, your fists pumping, feeling the first glimmer of hope since you lost your job. "Yes! Yes! Bring it on, Coach!"

"The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity." The unknown author of this statement may never know the profound impact these words have had upon the thousands of persons with whom I have shared it. If you or someone you know is looking for work, then "suit" up and hit the field and Ill coach you through one of the most important games of your life: The Job Search Super Bowl!

THE PLAYBOOK : according to the Department of Labor, 48% of all people report finding their jobs through referrals and networking ("It takes the whole team to win a Super Bowl!," says Coach). 24% found their job via direct contact with companies (Coach calls this breaking through the defense), 23% through employment agencies, staffing companies, college career services offices and executive search firms ("Where did you learn to play football anyway?") Only 5% of people find their position through the help wanted ads, the Internet job boards and other printed advertising ("That's called the Hail Mary play!).

THE RULES:

Rule 1: Attitude : Its the only thing you have 100% control of, 100% of the time. All the coaches cant be wrong!

Rule 2: You must hit the playing field everyday: Looking for a job IS your job. Do it 7 days a week.

Rule 3: Wear the right uniform and protective gear: Dress to win, know that falling on your face is still falling forward. If you get tackled/knocked down- Get UP!

Rule 4: Ethics: Play fair. Play clean. Its a small world...

Rule 5: Its a team effort Help each other to win. Share your knowledge

Rule 6: The Super Bowl takes a series of wins: One step at a time. Win one game, then the division, then the league. A good job today may be a great job tomorrow.

SCORING:

• Interview for an open position that is a good match: 6 points (Touchdown!)
• Called back from an interview for a 2nd interview : 1 point (the extra point)
• Called back for a 3 rd interview: 2 points (conversion)
• Networking with business cards and resumes ready: 3 points for each occurrence:
  
  
  • Contact entire contents of family/home telephone book (every relative, every neighbor, friend. These people truly care about you. Make sure they have a copy of your resume)
  • Attend a professional association meeting and really work it!
  • Attend a business/ industry specific forums.
  • Join/start a job club.
  • State Employment Job Search Workshops/Meetings (Click Here)
  • Obtain an Informational Interview
  • Get a Mentor. Meet regularly. Mentor others.
  • Alumni clubs (military, school, ex-employer, special interest)
  • Contact entire contents of family/home telephone book
  • Your personal ... professional services contacts (physicians, attorneys, accountants, etc.) made aware of your search and you send resume
  • Attend Career/Job Fairs
  • Met someone at a: football game (!), fitness centers, weddings, theme parks, airplanes, hair/nail salons, movie theatres, or shopping ... gave them a resume.
    
• Direct Contact and Agencies: 2 points for each occurrence

Warning: Do not PAY any agency for a job! (Penalty-Expulsion from the game) Research, then contact specific companies that match your skills. Contact department/division head (not human resources) for informational interview.

• Send Resume to Job Posted in Local Newspaper .5 points
• Send Resume to a Company-Specific Internet Job Posting .5 points
• Built your own website; post resume to it. 1 point
• Send 1 Resume via Internet Mega-Job Board PENALTY! subtract 1 point

Ultimate Goal= 200 POINTS Job obtained......Super Bowl is won!

Know stars and leaders who'd be interested in reading more articles like this? Subscribe to Kristine's Newsletter here!

Your Coach, Kristine Sexter, President of WorkWise Productions is a professional speaker, workshop trainer, columnist and author. She works with companies of all sizes from start-ups to Fortune 500, as well as trade ... professional associations across the country that want to reduce turnover and increase profitability by recruiting, developing and retaining star talent.

Article used by permission. (c) KristineSexter.com
Blog (c)2008 Resume Source, all rights reserved.
www.resume-source.com

Read more...

Navigating the Ups and Downs of Your Career Search

Whether an individual’s job search is active or passive, there are three things that will help them through the up’s and down’s of their search.

ATTITUDE— Your attitude is reflected in everything you do. During a job search it is easy to become discouraged, cynical and down on yourself. When this happens it comes through in telephone interviews and face-to-face meetings with prospective employers. Allowing your attitude to become negative can also lead to failure to follow through on your objectives and plunge you into a state of inertia.

To develop or maintain a “positive” attitude:

• Don’t engage in “pity parties” with other people. If you are talking with someone in your same situation, be an encourager.
  
  
• Remind yourself of the special expertise you have and your accomplishments.
  
  
• Remember that job search is largely a numbers game and don’t take rejections personally. Remind yourself that every “no” just leads you closer to the inevitable “yes”.
  
  

CONSISTENCY— Someone once noted that even a rat could drown a city if it gnawed at a wooden dyke long enough. The key to success in job search (or any undertaking) is a matter of continually doing the thing that is necessary to achieve your objective. An executive once observed that “successful people consistently do the things unsuccessful people are unwilling to do”.

To be consistent means we have a plan and we stick with it. One of the problems with job search is that people fall into the trap of treating it like a hobby. Job search is a full-time job. Here are some things that will help you be consistent in your job search:

• Have Weekly Goals to send out so many resumes per week, make a certain number of calls to companies, increase your network of people, etc.
  
  
• Remember there are only two kinds of time: Productive and Non-Productive. Make sure you make the most of your productive time (productive time is the time when you can actually contact a hiring authority, go for an interview or make cold calls to get the names of hiring authorities. Non-Productive is when the people are unavailable that you need to contact.). Use non-productive time for research, letter writing, preparing mailings, planning and updating your records.
  
  
• Have a list of things to accomplish, prioritize it and then follow it. For example, develop lists of employers to contact, interview follow-up calls, networking activities, activities (such as internet searches, discussions with your Job Search Specialists, etc.).
  

EXCELLENCE— Strive for excellence in everything you do. If you write a follow-up letter take time to think it through and make it the best letter you can. If you go on an interview do your best to make it the best interview you’ve ever had. Review your progress in all areas of your job search and continually seek to improve.

(c)2008 Resume Source, all rights reserved.
www.resume-source.com

Read more...

Is It Time To Update My Resume?

by: Robert Hidde, Managing Partner
Hidde Career Services

Sean was still in shock when he called my office. “I never saw it coming,” he told me. “I knew business was off, but I was blind sided when they eliminated my job.”

Anytime there is a downturn in the economy the number of calls and emails from people like Sean increase to recruiters, career counselors and résumé writers. And almost without exception, they all claim they didn’t see it coming.

Many employees seem to think that when times turn tough management simply begins indiscriminately cutting jobs. While such a scenario might be true of a very small minority of companies the truth is, companies in the twenty-first century view good performing employees as their greatest resource, not an expense.

Top managers know that innovation and ideas don’t come from business plans or computer generated projections. They come from people who possess the technical knowledge, customer skills and specialized expertise to breathe life into plans and projections. In other words, companies are cognizant of performance and decisions about job cuts are made after careful evaluation of performance. This on-going process of evaluation doesn’t just happen when business “turns south” rather has been going on for months prior to any cuts.

So, whether business and economic outlooks are great or grim, what are some of the signals an employee should pick up on that tell them it’s time to update their résumé and start exploring their options? Hidde Career Services research shows that the top signals employees need to watch for are:

• The company misses revenue targets in consecutive quarters. Regardless of the size of the business, its main product must be profits. Without profits companies can’t remain competitive, obtain needed financing, pay shareholders, upgrade technology, fund research, carry out effective marketing, and support payroll.
  
  
• An unexpected reduction in training budgets. If management anticipates having to eliminate positions they will be less likely to invest resources in on-going training for people who may be laid off. This may also be a red flag that new projects are slowing down, thus negating the need for upgrading employee skills.
  
  
• Budgeted new positions go unfilled. In most organizations facing potential cuts the first positions to be eliminated are those that were being created to handle projected new business. Not filling them or completely doing away with them is often a harbinger of potential job cuts in coming months.
  
  
• Failure to fill vacant positions and/or a hiring freeze in other departments. If openings resulting from employees retiring or those who quit are not being filled it can be an indication that management is anticipating staff reductions due to revenue shortfalls or lack of new orders.
  
  
• A reduction in responsibilities or a change in the type of projects being assigned. Being assigned lower level projects, having projects reassigned to other teams or finding that they’ve been left out of the loop is often an indication that an employee’s position is being evaluated for elimination.
  
  
• Changes in the attitude of managers. Many managers give subtle non-verbal signals to employees that their performance is below expected levels. Smart employees seek feed back on their performance when they become aware of them. These include no time for informal chats, slowness in responding to emails, not including them in meetings, becoming distant and not having time for impromptu meetings with the employee during the work day.

So, if you think it may be time to update YOUR resume', contact us today for a free consultation!

(c)2008 Resume Source, all rights reserved. www.resume-source.com

Read more...

'Tis The Season To Look For A New Job!

Should I look for a job between Thanksgiving and Christmas?
Absolutely!

At first glance, you may think that hiring managers are too busy for interviews amidst the fast-paced run-up to the holidays. But take a closer look: The end of the year could be one of the best times to get your résumé into the right hands at many companies.

Here’s why:

For companies and individuals alike, a new year means fresh opportunities. Many companies are angling to hire promising employees to help turn their expansion plans and innovative ideas into money-making realities.

Start-up ventures or firms that haven’t yet filled key positions may decide to start the new year with a full crew ready to work on January 1. Managers often need to spend unused portions of their budgets before the end of a calendar year, and hiring is a good way to ensure continued outlays in the upcoming budgetary process.

Professionals who have been thinking about a job change often quit right before the holidays to take an extra-long vacation before starting on a new job.

CPAs are gearing up for the tax season. They need to get good teams in place and up to speed before the April 15 rush.

National, divisional and regional sales teams analyze the success of their representatives at the end of the year. Their need to replace underperformers is your opportunity to flaunt your sales successes and become part of the team.

For many companies, the holidays are just like any other season: it’s business as usual in the human resources department. Those managers are going to fill their positions as quickly as the best candidate walks through their doors.

By some accounts, retail stores earn up to 70% of their annual sales and profits between October and December. But more sales mean a greater need for more sales associates, more customer service and call center representatives, more stockers, cashiers and even gift wrappers.

Bars, restaurants, and clubs host scores of office parties, gatherings with friends, and family celebrations. Mail centers need more staff to handle cards, packages and letters to Santa, while some seasonal stores, like tree farms and specialty holiday retailers, count on the Christmas season for a year’s worth of income.

Temporary agencies and offices need extra hands to fill in for their receptionists and secretaries on vacation. And even though seasonal jobs may be billed as temporary positions, hard work and reliability could pay off in a permanent job offer after the holiday rush is over.

It’s true, holiday hiring often begins before Thanksgiving, and retailers are reportedly hiring fewer seasonal workers this year. But plenty of jobs are still out there for the taking. With the national unemployment rate at a low 4.7% in October, reliable, quality workers are scarce. Companies may need to replace recent hires even before the season is over.

All of that holiday spending could mean lines at the banks for cash and loans. But bank hiring managers are doing all they can to have enough tellers, customer service representatives and other banking staff available to provide better service to customers.

Jobs may suddenly open up between Thanksgiving and the new year as family dynamics over the holidays provide the nudge needed for someone to leave a dead-end or unfulfilling job. Intimate conversations with relatives often emphasize desires to move back --or farther away-- from home, just as they can generate innovative ideas about career paths, job searches, and possibilities for the future.

A new year can mean management opportunities in the highly volatile restaurant and food service industry. Kitchen managers, front-of-the-house managers and chefs, after ensuring their employers’ survival during the busy holidays, often look for a change in the new year. Are you targeting a management position at a particular restaurant or fast food chain? Try filling in with a lesser role over the holidays. When a management position opens up, you’ll be well placed to apply for the job.

The bottom line when you’re thinking about beginning your job search at any time of the year is this: A company that didn’t have a position open yesterday might have an opening today. A good company is always on the lookout for good people.

So Thanksgiving is over, and Christmas is just around the corner. Pick your company, spruce up your résumé, and start looking for a new job!

For more information, contact Vicki at vickihidde@resume-source.com

Read more...