A Few Words on Networking

The other night I gave a class on career assessment; I thought I’d tell you some of the things that I shared with the class participants on figuring out what you want to do. I realize that today, many people can’t be choosy and for now will take whatever job comes along just to pay the bills. I also know that there are others who are unhappy with their current careers and yearn for something more. So what do you do?
1. Take a few career assessments. Don’t just take one and think that the results are carved in stone. Take a few and then decide if they make sense. I have several free assessments on my website, Blackbird Learning Associates.

2. Weed out the career options that make absolutely no sense. If you are 62 years old and the assessment suggests you pursue a medical degree, think about what that will mean in terms of money, time and career opportunities. Ask yourself if there are other ways that you can seek out career opportunities in this area but in a different role.

3. Get feedback. Discuss career options with friends, family members and perhaps former co-workers. Is it something that they can see you doing and enjoying?

4. Visit a professional group or LinkedIn group and get some feedback on the role. Ask questions. Network.

5. Consider money, training, time and family considerations and make your decision. There are a number of other steps including assessing your skills, interests and values.

If you see a pattern in your skill set strengths and interests, perhaps it might be worth your while to consider investigating a certain career direction.

My Memory of September 11, 2001

Eleven years ago I was in Monmouth Medical Center in NJ looking out of my mother’s hospital room window at the sparkling ocean to the east and the billows of smoke to the north. There was a boat not far from the shore line and I remember wondering if the driver realized that the world we knew a mere thirty minutes ago would never,ever return.

My mother was just given her own death sentence. The day before she had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in her colon and was told she had 6 to 18 months to live. We were devastated as we watched the events of 9-11 unfold from her small hospital room television. As the towers imploded she said, “What I am going through is nothing compared to what is going on across the river.” The television quickly turned to the Pentagon and we watched the flames and horror in Washington D.C. Then, like so many others, we heard about the battle in the air over Shanksville, PA.

The hospital was cleared of all non-critical patients to make room for the victims of the terror attack. We were told that they would be arriving by ferry and then by ambulance. We bundled up my Mom and drove her home, all the while listening for the ambulances that would never arrive.

May God bless all the courageous souls that were lost that day and may God continue to bless our great country. May the Freedom Tower rise up to display to the world the continued strength, tenacity and resilience of the American people.

Unemployment Numbers for the Young Adult

Like anyone, the unemployment numbers worry me. I realize the financial complications that high numbers bring but I look at them as a job search instructor, coach and resume writer. I look at them with an eye towards the growing number of unemployed and underemployed citizens. No matter how great a resume or how prepared for the interviews, if there are no jobs, well, it just won’t matter.

Yesterday we took our son back to college to begin his sophomore year. This summer he heard me talk about the rising unemployment numbers for young people. We also spoke of about the college majors that don't have a very high rate of employment (psychology and communication). Today I wanted to take a look at the hard numbers for young adults. Here they are.

On August 21, 2012, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that from April to July 2012, the number of employed youth 16 to 24 years old rose 2.1 million to 19.5 million. This age represents teens through young adults in high school, college and the recent graduates.

The number of unemployed youth in July 2012 was 4.0 million, little changed from 4.1 million a year ago. While the national unemployment rate for July, 2012 was 8.3%, the youth unemployment rate was 17.1%. In July, 2012, the breakdown for youth was:
• The unemployment rate for men was 17.9 percent
• The unemployment rate for women was 16.2 percent
• The jobless rate for whites was 14.9 percent
• The jobless rates for blacks was 28.6%
• The jobless rate for Asians was 14.4%
• The jobless rate for Hispanics was 18.5%
• The national unemployment rate is 8.3%

As a mother I worry about my son finding work when he is finished with college in three more years. As a citizen I worry about people feeling as if they just need to find a job to pay the bills. I worry that the excitement of designing a career path may be a thing of the future. Does it worry you, too?

Back to Work Bootcamp

I am pleased to announce a collaboration between Carol Camerino of Looking for the On Ramp and me. We are presenting an exciting back to work bootcamp at the Rutgers Club, New Brunswick, NJ on October 4, 2012.
Please take a look at our extraordinary event and pass this note along to anyone that you may know in NJ who is unhappy with their job search. They will not be disappointed!

Sources of Work and Fun, Too!

I was about to go to the Events section of a NJ Patch newspaper to write about a 5K race coming up in September. I’m on the Board for the not for profit hosting the event and I volunteered to list it in the Patch. As I was entering all of the pertinent information I realized that this race is a job search opportunity disguised as fun. How’s that?

1. Common Passion: All of the major players in the 5K race have one thing in common; they are runners. Since they know many of the same people, are familiar with the local or tri-state races and the sites that promote the races, they share a special connection.

2. Networking Event: After the race as you and the other runners are enjoying the park and refreshments the talk may turn to the lousy unemployment rate. You don’t need to go into the details but you can bring up your job search.

3. Coordinated by Volunteers: A not for profit is holding this event and all ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giff the Board members are volunteers. Volunteering is a perfect way to sharpen your existing skills, learn new skills and again, network. Everyone has contacts.

If you have a passion for running, want to network and perhaps look for volunteer opportunities, come join Family & Community Services of Somerset County on September 15, 2015 at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater, NJ for the first annual 5K Run/Walk and Kid Sprint. Registration is at Compuscore.com.

Customizing Your Public LinkedIn Profile URL

Nothing says "rookie" more than a LinkedIn Profile that doesn't have a customized LinkedIn URL. How do you change your URL? Like this:

1. Go to your name on the LinkedIn Home or Profile page and click it. Your name is towards the top of the page and on the right side.

2. A drop down menu will show several options including Settings. Click this (Settings).

3. You'll probably be asked to enter your LinkedIn password.

4. At this page, look for "Edit Your Public Profile" in the "Helpful Links" section. Click this.

5. Your LinkedIn profile will display and to the right of it you will see a series of suggestions to customize your profile. Down towards the bottom of these suggestions it will say "Your Public Profile" and show you what it looks like to the public. Like this:
• Your current profile http://.........

6. It will say, "Customize your public profile URL . View your public profile." Click this and customize your profile with your name according to the stated directions.

That's all there is to getting a polished LinkedIn URL. Next time you "Google" yourself, you will see your professional, customized LinkedIn profile.

So, What Have You Been Doing These Past Few Years?

The other day a client called me and asked for some help with a job search issue. This particular man has been out of work for over two years and while he is getting calls for interviews, he can’t get past the “What have you been doing with yourself for these past two years?” question. Could you answer that question?

I read an article in Women’s World magazine recently that said hiring managers are more understanding of employment gaps these days but would prefer to see a job seeker fill the gap with an activity such as:
Finding a temporary job (79%)
Taking a class (61%)
Volunteering (60%)
Starting a Business (28%)

There is another statistic that states that the average job seeker in NJ spends only 70 minutes a day looking for work. If that’s true, what’s stopping them from filling the gap with one or more of those activities?

The benefits of temp work, starting a business or volunteering are off the charts. You are maintaining or developing new skills, getting out of the house and back into a routine and most importantly, you are networking. Taking a class speaks for itself and again, you are networking with the instructor and other class members. All in all, should you be asked what you’ve been doing while you were unemployed, you can speak confidently of your activities and increase your chances of being heard.