Job Fairs Serve Their Own Purpose, Not Yours.

After about a solid year in workforce development, my view of Job Fairs changed drastically.  I, like most job seekers, viewed job fairs as an oasis of employers endowed with jobs that are available to those equally qualified.  My observation is that this expectation drives thousands of hungry candidates to convention center doors throughout the nation.  I encourage all job seekers to attend them, but I help understand the importance of job fairs from an employer perspective.  I would not attend a job fair with the expectation that I am going to get an interview; you will leave disappointed.  I attend job fairs to network with other job seekers and employers, to learn about the companies represented.  After learning about the company and its product/service offering, I then determine if there is a need for someone with my experience.  For example, I might say, "I am an administrative assistant with 4 years of experience coordinating and scheduling administrative priorities for mid to large manufacturing entities.  I would like to know if you have a need for someone with my experience."  The employer will say yes or no.  If he or she says yes, then ask for additional information about the position, a job description.  I will probably not give the employer representative my resume, especially if that person is not going to be making the hiring decision.  If there is a job description, I will ask the company representative if I can send him or her a resume via email.  This give me time to craft a product (resume) that closely resembles what the employer is looking for.  It is tailor made for the position, which gives me a better chance of being called in for the interview.  If the employer says that there are no positions that require my skill set, I will then ask if the representative know someone (in his network) that is in need of administrative help.  In the next few days, I will follow with more details on this strategy.  Again, I want to encourage you to attend every job fair you hear about. 

Another Quality Free Training Resource: GCFLearnFree.org

Several years ago, I found the GCFLearnFree.org site while working in San Diego.  When I discovered it, after looking through its many tutorials, I sent it out to most of the customers I worked with at that time.  As of late, I have been on a mission to find low cost/free online training resources for my customers, those that cannot attend training due to the necessity of finding employment.  I rediscovered this resource and immediately noticed its technological evolution.  GFCLearnFree.org comprise several tutorials (over 750) including Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint.  This site is sponsored by the GCF Community Foundation, supporting Goodwill Industries of Eastern NC.  My limited review of the Microsoft Office tutorials was satisfactory.  As a free (donor funded) resource, it holds it's own as a pretty solid site.  Please stop by and try it for yourself. 

How Are You Spending Your Time Job Searching?

Time allocation is critical to running a successful job search.  How are you spending your time, your money is crucial and makes a huge difference in determining how long you will be unemployed.  Several years ago, I made the several observations.  Job seekers spent a lot of time using the computer for their job search.  Prior to the age of the internet, the job market was a direct contact sport.  You'd find a job posting in the newspaper, then you'd respond via mail or you will show up and fill out an application.

I have heard stories from my older colleagues that described a time when job seekers would go the the unemployment office and be referred directly to employers that were looking to hire candidates.  Unfortunately, those times have passed as employers have sought cover online.  In spite of all the technological changes that have shaped new job market, employers still hire the old fashion way, and while some prefer not to be contacted directly, the old way of job searching should not be discounted.Where should job seekers spend their time?  Spend your time in areas that are proven to get you noticed and hired.  I have provided a breakdown of the best ways and the worse ways of finding employment.  Surprisingly, using the internet is not a very effective way of landing an interview:

BEST WAYS TO SPEND YOUR TIME

Networking                                    85%
Cold-calling Employers                 60%

WORST WAYS TO SPEND YOUR TIME

Internet                                         4-10%
Staffing Agencies/Recruiters        25%
Job Fairs                                       2-10%

"Keven, are you saying that I should only spend my time networking and cold calling employers?"  Absolutely not!  I would spend time using all of these methods; on the other hand, I will spend just a bit more time contacting employers than perusing the internet.

Hooked on Khan Academy

While driving home several weeks ago, I learned about a site that helps students increase their math skills.  I got home and went online to learn more about the site and to my surprise, I found that there are hundreds of tutorials on subjects ranging from math, to banking.  There is a video of Salman Khan, the site's creator and Bill Gates, an avid supporter at TED 2011.  My kids spent the entire summer on the site learning higher levels of math.  Khan Academy remains a supplement to what my kids are learning in school.  It is a site for children and adults; I have an account!  Please visit www.khanacademy.com to sign up today.

Following Up With Employers

If you are waiting for a response to your winning resume good luck; there's a high probability that call will not come.  There are thousands of job seekers out there competing for the same job you are competing for.  Several months ago, I heard that a local employer received over three hundred resumes for one job.  That is a lot of people for one job.  The truth of the matter is that employer will not look at three hundred resumes; he or she will not even look at one hundred.  Worse yet, once the employer has narrowed down his selection, he will interview about 10 candidates.  In spite of these stats, you can land an interview.  It will take more than you sending your resume and waiting.

I will encourage you to develop one skill that millions of job seekers lack - follow up skills.  I want to know whether the employer received my resume.  Most importantly, I want to get a timeline on when the employer is going to be inviting candidates in to interview.  I stress the need to follow up with the employer because it helps to get your resume out of the stack.  About three months ago, I had a customer state that he was able to get an interview when he called the employer to follow up on their receipt of his application.  Having a good resume is not the silver bullet anymore.  I can get crowded out the more job seekers resume the employer receives.

I have seen job posting that ask that you not contact the employer.  In such case, do as the employer request.  Do not make an attempt to contact the employer.  I, however, will see if I can locate someone within the organization that I can find out at least when the employer will be interviewing.  If you are not successful with trying to gain access through networking, you have to rely on the strength of your resume.  Is your resume a tight fit, based on the job requirements?    

Great Resume Writing is Hard Work: It’s Doable.

Last week confirmed what I did not want to admit when it comes to resume development.   I taught a resume development workshop and a resume lab.  Unlike a resume workshop, a resume lab is geared towards helping customers develop their resume with staff assistance.  I sat for about an hour with a screen and computer and illustrated my approach to two types of resumes (chronological and functional approaches), from top to bottom.  At the end of the lecture/demonstration, I had blank faces.  I realized that, with one exception, the workshop attendees had no clue of how to remotely do what I had accomplished on screen.  The truth of the matter is, like any skill you want to master, resume development takes more than practice.  It takes a lot of time thinking about what you have done and properly conveying those thoughts to paper.  There are tons of bad resumes out there, and sometimes bad resumes get noticed, but this is rare.   Don’t reduce your stock value in an employment market that is growing more crowed every day.  Your initial presentation has to be on point.  Invest the energy in making it the best it can be:

1.        Make sure you at least attend a resume workshop, even if you think your resume is the best ever. 

2.       Get someone to coach you through making your resume a winner.  Remember, everyone has an opinion on how you can improve your resume.  You may value your neighbors’ input, but he or she may not be the best person to provide resume guidance. 

3.       Once you have a final product, analyze how well it’s working for you.  For example, if you were to send your resume out to 10 employers, for positions you are well qualified for, keep track of the response rate.    

4.       Continue to refine your resume as your job search evolves.

Advance Your Job Search

Today marks the beginning of a many posts on building skills needed to be an effective job seeker. I am going to provide you with tools that have worked for me and my customers in the past, of which, I am confident will help you today in a tough job market.

To start, I am going to begin with the basics, a focus on you the job seeker himself, a part from any resume or letter you are planning on writing.  It is import for you to identify what is it you want to do. No one can decide that for you.  So often, I meet people that tell me, “Keven, I just want a job. I will do anything.” This is the sound of desperation.  My response is usually something like, “No, you won’t do just anything.” Immediately, I get a look as if I misheard what he or she told me.  If you are desperate for work, you feel as if you will do anything, but often after doing that job for some time, you quickly realize that that job wasn't for you.   You will soon tire of that job and will not do yourself or the employer any good. In most cases, the person either leaves the job on their own, or they are fired. That’s not where you want to be, especially if you are trying to build a career for yourself.

Starting tomorrow, we will begin our journey focusing on the initial phases of building a formidable job search. The tools I hope to equip you with will be vital to your career as long as you choose to stay in the workforce.  The best of luck to you.

Unemployment Uncertainty

Never before have I been hit with more questions regarding unemployment insurance (UI) benefits than in the last two years. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for me to meet a job seeker that has been out of work for 1 or 2 years. The job market is very tight, and there are millions in line for fewer jobs. High unemployment is going to be with us for some time, and I suspect that questions surrounding unemployment insurance will be common occurrence for me.
Know where you stand. If you are receiving UI benefits, make every attempt to contact your Employment Development Department and find out how long your benefits will last. This will help you plan for the immediate future; it gives you time to plan your job search strategy and or take advantage of a much needed training program.
During periods of low unemployment in California, for example, an unemployment claim was for 52 weeks. A claimant would receive 26 weeks of unemployment benefits and then any available training extension. Because of the recession, most job seekers have taken advantage of federal extensions, which has prolonged their UI benefits. President Obama signed the last federal extension into law on July 22, 2010. As of right now, there is no new legislation on the table for extending UI benefits.
If you have questions about your unemployment benefits please contact EDD personally.  Don't rely on the experiences of other job seekers with EDD, especially on matters regarding your UI benefits. Your neighbors' case may differ from yours, even if they seem quite similar. If you are unable reach your EDD representative by phone, please visit the nearest One-Stop Center nearest you.

The First Step

For the past eight years, I have met with thousands of people who have lost their jobs. It can be a very stressful time, depending on the amount of time the person has been out of work.  The pressure builds as the job seeker tries and figure out how they are going to keep a roof over their family's head, how they are going to keep food on the table or keep their car from being repossessed.  While most have resigned themselves to moving forward, it is amazing how many are still stuck, affected by what happened to them. How do you get beyond what happened to you, especially when you have so many responsibilities?  To be honest, there is no simple answer. I can, however,  tell you the quicker you get beyond this point, the sooner you can begin concentrating on what needs to occur next - the need to move on and find another career. In the days and weeks to come, I hope to map out a path forward to help you develop productive habits that will give you a competitive edge. If you are suffering from extreme levels of anxiety, or depression, that is causing you to isolate yourself, please seek out help through counseling. A good start may be sharing your feeling with a family member or a friend, your pastor, or even a therapist.