Saturday, July 31, 2010

The Shout Heard `Round the World

Congratulations to a couple of people who got angry at some unscrupulous hiring practices. Patricia Nixon and Marc Johnson, LinkedIn members, read the recent CNN.com article stating that several companies have stated that they will not hire any people who are not currently employed. Patricia and Marc started a petition to bring this information out into the open and to get our elected officials to listen. Both Marc and Patricia were interviewed for an article about the petition, the CNN article and the global responses they have received since starting their crusade.
It is hard enough for the many qualified unemployed to find meaningful work in our economy but for some companies to honestly think the unemployed should be overlooked is simply ridiculous. I meet wonderful, intelligent, motivated unemployed people at every job search session I give. They would be an asset to any organization.
I continue to be amazed by the elitist, ignorant perceptions of some of our major corporations.

Here's the petition and I encourage you to sign it whether you have a job or not.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Personal Branding

Personal branding is a technique borrowed from sales and marketing that has become popular in allowing job seekers to stand out from the crowd of similarly skilled applicants. With the potential of six people applying for one job it is critical to showcase your skills, competencies and attributes. In my book, Job Search for Moms I write about personal branding as a strategy to help get you noticed. Here’s an excerpt.

“Personal branding is defined as standing out from a similarly skilled pool of job searchers by offering a unique value-added service. It is focused on selling your unique brand; your skills, achievements and performance that would benefit a potential employer.

Since personal branding is about unique, value added propositions, it is necessary to identify one or two of your exceptional characteristics. By focusing on your top two competencies or particular skills you have begun to create your personal brand. Your next step is to create a listing of your achievements within those defined areas. Are you an excellent problem solver? How? Why? Is research and analysis your brand? Why? What have you done to support that?

Since the cover letter is the first impression a recruiter or hiring manager has of you, it is vital in these days of job insecurity that you identify what makes you a specialist, expert or a leader in your field.

There are a number of ways to format your personal brand in a cover letter. You can summarize your unique skill set in a paragraph by explaining how your background and experience can fill the open needs identified by the company. Another method is to create a bulleted summary statement emphasizing your particular strengths and achievements. Another helpful cover letter to advance your personal brand is the T-format cover letter. In the T-format, the first paragraph contains the Introduction; the job you are interested in, any networking information and a powerful statement tied into the organization’s business needs. The second paragraph contains the “T”. Rather than writing a Qualifications Summary, you can create a column that matches the job skills needed by the employer with your skills and experience.”

Examples of the tools, cover letters and resume personal branding statements can be found in my book. It also defines how to identify those skills, attributes and competencies that create your brand. To purchase a copy of Job Search for Moms, please visit my website.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Article About the Overqualified, Older Job Seeker

I will get back to my own blog writing soon. I had a bit of surgery and it seems to have zapped some of my energy. In the meantime, I thought this article from the 7/25/10 Newark Star Ledger aligns nicely with some of the tips for the older job seeker that we've talked about in the past. It was written by Lee Miller.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Asbury Park Press Article - Unemployed Can't Find Jobs

I was interviewed for this piece on unemployment for the Asbury Park Press. No matter what part of the country you are from, the feelings, frustrations and financial hardships are the same.
It is especially difficult for the mature, older, over age 40 job seeker.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Staying Positive During the Job Search

What do you do to stay motivated while looking for work? Studies show that after a certain amount of time, many people just give up on the search and let fate take over. It is easy to feel that way, especially since the June 2010 unemployment numbers showed that the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) was unchanged at 6.8 million or 45.5 % of unemployed persons.
Regardless of this report, after months of sending in resumes and networking, if nothing seems to pan out, what can you do to maintain your sense of direction? How do you wade through the emotions and keep a positive attitude? There are many suggestions that can help your physically and emotional well-being. Here are a few I came up with:
1. Maintain Normalcy: Follow the same routine that you did as when working. Get up at the same time and go to bed at the same time. Follow a schedule and focus it for the job search. Set up a work area with all the necessities such as folders, resumes, cover letters, pc, writing tools, calendar, phone, etc.
2. Exercise: Take a walk, use the Wii™ that you may have purchased a few years ago, blow the dust from the yoga or Pilates DVD’s. While you are at it, make sure you are eating and resting properly.
3. Socialize: Meet friends, talk on the phone and continue to socialize. Let your family and friends know of your job search and ask for their help.
4. Volunteer: Find something that you like and are good at and get out there.
5. Set Goals: Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) goals that focus on job related activities. This may include planning and making telephone calls or emails, follow up, revising your resume to each job description, researching companies, preparing anticipated interviewing questions and questions to ask potential employers, blogging, setting up social networking sites, learning new skills, etc.
6. Stay Positive: Try to maintain a positive attitude by focusing on your positive traits and skills.
7. Network with family, friends, acquaintances.
8. Attend networking events and meetings: Attend networking functions in your area of expertise or professional group(s). It is also helpful to attend networking events offered to the unemployed. There are many other unemployed professionals attending and each one is a potential friend and networking contact.
I’d love to hear what you do to keep your spirits up.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The Resume Filter

I've written a lot about resumes, particularly about matching your job skills and competencies with those listed in the job description. It really is a tough job to modify your resume to each and every job but if you want to get noticed, it is something that has to be done.
The other day someone emailed me and asked if he should apply to those positions that require a college degree even if he doesn't have one. I told him that if the position states that a college degree is required, then the resume key word filters will reject his resume no matter how great it is. I have talked to various hiring managers who concur. These days when there is an abundance of applicants for one or two positions, they will be swamped with resumes and will screen out those applicants who don't have the stated requirements.
How can you get around this? That is a tough call. There are a couple things you can do:

1. Look for the words, "highly desirable" or "equivalent experience" when it comes to skills, education or certifications. These words are not the same as “mandatory” or “required”.

2. Look for positions that state the responsibilities but make no mention of degree or certification. There are some listings from reputable companies that do not state educational requirements, especially in some of the technical positions.

3. Network. Go through your list of physical or social networking contacts and see if there is someone who can work with you to get you in the door. Once someone interviews you they may see that your experience and skill set far outweigh the need for a degree. Another networking suggestion is to join a professional group and volunteer to make a presentation or lead a team. This helps make you more visible.

4. Consider returning to school. There are many schools who will count work, experience and other skill set factors towards credits. If you are interested, it may be in your best interest to speak with a college placement office representative.

I am sure that some of you have other suggestions, please feel free to talk about them.

Friday, July 2, 2010

June 2010 Jobless Numbers

Unemployment is 9.5%. It sounds a little bit better but is it really? What do you think?
Also, what do you think about extending unemployment benefits?

Please Visit a Dermatologist

Today I had surgery for a Stage 0 Melanoma. It was discovered about a month ago when I went to my dermatologist for my annual skin screening...