Job Search Statistics

This week I learned an astonishing fact about the amount of time NJ job seekers spend on their personal job search activities. As a whole, people in NJ spend 70 minutes a day looking for work. I’m sure that 70 minutes is time spent doing what may feel like productive activities such as applying for positions on line or applying directly to a company website. I’m also thinking that once this is done, the person feels a sense of accomplishment. But really, 70 minutes? What happens during the rest of the day? The study goes on to say that job seekers spend a larger amount of time eating and watching television. What can a job seeker, especially a long-term job seeker do to be more productive?

I read an article in Women’s World magazine recently that stated that while hiring managers are more understanding of employment gaps, they would prefer to see the job seeker fill the gap with other activities including:

Temporary Jobs (79%)
Taking a class (61%)
Volunteering (60%)
Starting a Business (28%)

I know that it is comfortable to look for work using the internet. It’s not really as effective as networking though. According to the 10th Annual Sources of Hire (SOH) Study conducted by CareerXRoads:

Nearly 65% of all openings are filled through internal movement and referrals.
Job boards are not dead. Collectively, companies attribute 24.9% of external hires to job boards.
Social media’s impact is growing

So what do all of these statistics mean in to the daily 70 minutes that the average job seeker in NJ spends on his or her job search? I’m not a statistician but I’d say that getting out of the house volunteering, taking a temporary job and networking will up your odds of finding a job.

What Happens During an Interview

I've been doing a lot of interviewing coaching and training lately so this is so timely. These pictorials are excellent! Click the picture to make it larger. If that doesn't help. here is the link to the site where I found it (Career Geek).

The credits are listed on the bottom of the poster.

Chase Grant

I entered the CHASE Mission Small Business contest so that I can offer free job search training to NJ’s many unemployed and underemployed.

If I get 250 votes by June 25th, I will be in the running for the contest. Please follow the below instructions to vote for Blackbird Learning Associates by:

1) Go to: www.missionsmallbusiness.com
2) Go to "Log in with Facebook to support your community." (The link is in the middle of the page on the right side.)
3) Enter Business Name: Blackbird Learning Associates, to vote.

Thank you.

Reinvention at Amore Journey

In his book The 11th Hour, James Patterson writes, “These days, no one left work early. Everyone wanted to be sure of a chair if the music stopped." That's a perfect statement about the way things are these days.

Many times when we lose our "chairs", we regroup and consider our options. One woman who has done that so well is Claudia Drummond, owner of Amore Journey (amorejourney) whose purpose is "celebrating reinvention and rejuvenation every day".

Claudia recently featured me in her blog. Please take a look at my story and those of the other women who are reinventing and rejuvenating. The stories are pretty amazing.

Blackbird Learning Associates: Who We Are and What We Do

Nancy Range Anderson is the President and CEO of Blackbird Learning Associates, LLC a learning and development consulting company located in Somerset County, NJ. Ms. Anderson primarily presents job search training and coaching to individuals and organizations throughout New Jersey. Her courses include, Career Assessment, Writing a Winning Resume and Cover Letter, Interviewing for Success, Networking to Get Hired, Job Search for the Age 40+ Job Seeker, Job Search for Moms, Job Search for Teens, and Identifying Your Purposeful Career. All classes are interactive, lively and participative and each participant leaves with a defined action plan of the steps needed to accomplish his or her job search mission. Nancy is also a highly sought after resume writer. Her clients have said:

“I am really inspired by your focus and support of others.”

“Thank you, Nancy, for an insightful seminar. Your coming out to volunteer and assist the unemployed is probably one that struck me as the most meaningful of all matters discussed in the 2-hour long seminar. None of the many how-to and self-help books on job search would have communicated it any better. ”

“Nancy, your workshop last night was extremely worthwhile. I appreciate your sharing of knowledge, your down-to-earth delivery, your generosity and this wonderful follow-up email.”

“I am now a Nancy Anderson groupie!”

“The resume is a piece of art!!! I went from a stick figure drawing resume to artwork from Picasso!”

“Thank you Nancy. If it weren’t for you practicing the STAR questions with me, I don’t think I would have gotten that job.”

With over twenty five years of experience in learning and development, human resources, and organization development, Ms. Anderson conveys a well rounded view of the pharmaceutical, consumer and financial organizations in all of her training initiatives. Her professional experience includes employment with a number of Fortune 500 companies including Johnson & Johnson, The Bank of NY, The CIT Group and The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. Ms. Anderson has won numerous awards in training design and facilitation skills and is the author of the book, Job Search for Moms. She is writing a second book and expects a fall, 2012 release.

Telephone: 732 309-2795

Website: http://blackbirdlearningassociates.com/

Blog: http://blackbirdlearningassociates.blogspot.com/

How Can the Employed Help the Unemployed?

As you know our nation's employment numbers are in the dumps. Today’s job report again shows no improvement and this not only adds to the discouragement of the long termed unemployed but it is also causing the stock market to tumble. For the 40th consecutive month the unemployment number has been at 8+%. This is the longest streak since 1948.

Of course American business needs to step up to the plate but is there anything that you as an individual can do? Yes, there is. If you hear of an opening in your company or place of business, please pass it along to one of your unemployed friends. If you’re comfortable with it, let them know that they can use your name too. It’s as simple as that.

More than 85% of jobs are found through networking and as every job seeker knows, it’s awkward to ask for help; especially for the older job seeker. They were brought up to figure things out on their own. All the unemployed folks that I’ve trained or coached know that it’s not always WHAT you know but WHO you know. They’re trying; they just need some help.