Will Work For Food

Check Your Resume Verbs

2006-11-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

Liven up your resume by making it as active as possible. Instead of such phrases as "responsible for . . ." or "performed the duties of . . ." use active verbs: wrote, sold, answered, operated, filled, cut, folded, styled, assembled, organized - whatever actually describes what you did. If you have trouble finding the right verbs, use a thesaurus (there is one on all word processing programs). Instead of trying to write a stiff, overly formal document, describe your duties as you might if a new acquaintance asked about your job.

Would you really tell a friend "As the manager of the department, I'm responsible for budgeting, supervision, and productivity"? You'd be much more likely to say "I have my fingers in everything. I balance the books, run the machines when we get behind, keep the boss happy, and review the work my staff does to make sure that it's accurate and mistake-proof."

You know your industry and the work you performed so list out the active verbs that describe that work and make sure that you strew them liberally throughout your resume - and then see how much livelier and human you appear.

Is the Internet a viable alternative to a job?

2006-09-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

We have all heard about those who quit their jobs and are now making a fortune working at home on their computers. After reading the seemingly endless marketing messages, one reaches the conclusion that millions can be made with only a few hours of effort a week.

If you have nothing to sell, become an affiliate, we're told, and market someone else's product for a percentage of the profit. But do you realize that more than 90% of affiliates never make a single sale?

While there are undoubtedly some individuals doing very well, they tend to be either talented and experienced salesmen, have invented something unique and in demand, or have a large social circle to involve in their sales campaigns.

Before you invest any money in "get rich" schemes, or get excited about how much you can earn from home, get yourself a "throw-away" address on Yahoo or Hot Mail and join a few groups and safelists. Your bulk inbox (tabbed as spam by your Internet host) will soon be bursting with thousands of emails all promising that this opportunity is the one that can't fail.

As you empty the bulk mail without bothering to read it, remember that everyone else is doing the same thing! Millions of enthusiastic email writers disappear into the electronic ether without even a poof of smoke.

If you're convinced that you're different and have what it takes - go for it, as an adjunct to looking for real work. And watch the expenses that can devastate an already restricted budget.

Ask For Feedback

2006-08-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Often, after an interview is over, we spend days mulling over what the interviewer may have liked or disliked about our background and how well our skills stacked up against the competition. We remember all the details we forgot to bring up and wonder if that was the decisive factor in our not getting an offer (if we got the job, who cares about the interview?)

At the end of any interview, you are likely to be asked if you have any further questions. So go ahead and ask how you did!

You might try something along the lines of: "I believe that my skills and experience fit the position you have open but I would really appreciate some feedback from you regarding how you see my strengths and weaknesses and if there is some skill or specialized knowledge I need to acquire to be really competitive in this field."

After the initial surprise (applicants rarely ask such a question), the interview will tell you what they liked and also any concerns they may have about some deficiencies. This gives you the opportunity to add some information to overcome those concerns, if you can. Then, if you are not offered the position, you have the chance to figure out how to address those perceived deficiencies before your next interview.

Follow Instructions

2006-08-14T05:56:00.000-07:00

No employer wants to hire someone who can't take the time to read directions. Even if a position requires management or leadership qualities, duties are still performed within set company procedures and a defined corporate culture. Show your abilities throughout the application process by reading the fine print before jumping in.

If you are applying on line, study exactly how the company would like your information submitted. Some prefer that you cut and paste your resume into their form. Others prefer that you enter basic demographic information and then use your resume as an attachment. If the instructions request plain text, be sure to remove any bolding or bullets before your resume is attached.

If you are filling out an application, read over each section before you start to enter information. Too often, we wade right in and then realize we have put the wrong information in the little boxes and end up with a messy-looking document with words crossed out and arrows drawn from line to line.

If follow up directions are given ("You'll hear from us within 5 business days"), abide by them. If no specific information is given ("Mr. Smith will review your application and will call you if you fit our needs"), try to establish a guideline: "May I call you in 3 days to find out if I'm going to be considered?" Then follow the timeframe given by the company.

Stay Physically Active

2006-07-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

We all know that unemployment and job search are depressing and energy-devouring. With all that worry about the future and the intense mental activity centered on finding work, we tend to neglect physical activity.

It has been proven, in several different studies, that exercise is every bit as effective as medication in alleviating depression and related mood problems. Maintain regular physical activity to ward off that depression before it has time to descend on you to smother your enthusiasm and optimistic outlook.

If you don't play games or workout, make sure you walk, walk, walk - everyday. It will keep you more alert and focused than coffee or cigarettes or however else you self-medicate (and it's free!)

Initial Voice Impressions

2006-06-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

Often the first contact you have with a potential employer is by telephone. How you project yourself in those first few minutes can be critical in creating a receptive mind set in the employer.

If you are initiating the call, try to watch a short television comedy first or quickly read some funny comics or cartoons. After a burst of good laughter, your voice is upbeat and relaxed. When you talk on the telephone, always stand and move around as much as possible, even if only in small circles. Your voice will be clearer and the energy level projected will increase, vital in demonstrating that you are the positive, enthusiastic worker that every employer seeks.

If you receive a call from an employer, make sure that your organizer* is close at hand so you can quickly find which job is being discussed and any details about it that can make your responses pertinent to the specific skills and experience sought.

* See "The Job Search Organizer" at http://www.virginiabola.com/freetips.php

Defusing The Anger

2006-04-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Along with the fear and internal humiliation of losing your job, there is always a degree of anger: anger at fate for dealing you a lousy hand; anger at a company that took your long hours and hard work and threw them away without a second thought; anger at coworkers who played the political game more deftly and kept their positions while yours was eliminated.

Some of us are so angry that we get stuck in our emotions and become almost paralyzed, unable to move on with any degree of enthusiasm or energy.

Recognize that anger is a natural reaction to being marginalized and devalued. Give yourself some alone time to lick your wounds. Pound a punching bag, cry for hours, run for miles, or clean the house from top to bottom - whatever best works for you to burn off that adrenaline pouring through your system.

Take at least a few days to wallow in the injustice of it all. Let your jumbled emotions wear themselves out until you feel drained and empty. It is only when the fires of anger have died down that you can start to think rationally about the future and the opportunities that may arise out of being forced to change your life's direction.

Learn from interview questions

2006-04-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

Review the debriefing notes you should ideally be making
immediately after every interview. Try to identify questions
that caused you trouble and practice new responses with a
friend or a tape recorder.

Were there specific skills that employers are seeking which
you don't currently possess? Can you beef up such skills by
reading or online research? Can you sign up for a course at
an adult school that will show you are making an effort to
round out your knowledge?

Were there particular areas of probing that made you feel
uncomfortable? Consult friends, family, or a former coworker
who may help you develop new responses that strengthen your
presentation.

Call-backs To Employers

2006-03-21T02:37:00.000-08:00

There is a very fine line between being enthusiastic and being intrusive. You want to call an employer after an interview to show how interested you really are, but you definitely don't want to become a pest.

Unless the interviewer was very specific about when the hiring decision was to be made, send your immediate "Thank you" letter and then allow a few days. When you do call, you will find that either someone else has been selected or the decision is still pending.

If someone else did get the job, remind the employer that you are still interested in the company and that you would welcome a call if a new opening should occur. Like plane crashes, staff turnover seems to occur in clusters. If you are cordial and unceasingly enthusiastic, even in your disappointment, you may get called about a new opening to save the employer the time and expense of another round of interviews.

If the decision has not yet been made, ask if you can call back in a couple of weeks. Frequently you will be told that it shouldn't take that long, so you are asked to call back in a week and can schedule yourself accordingly.

Time For Me

2006-03-12T06:27:00.000-08:00

So much to do, so little time, is a constant refrain heard from those seeking work. Everyone gives lots of advice (including me): send out resumes, apply on the Internet, read the Classified, go to job fairs, and network, network, network. Some of us become so overwhelmed with all that we need to do that we can't figure out where to start so end up doing nothing at all.

Assuming that you have established some kind of a schedule that allows you to prioritize your activities on any given day, you are probably humming along, carefully pursuing the actions that are likely to lead to a job offer.

Because you are the one in the family who isn't working, additional demands are placed on the limited time you have available. It is you who starts the dinner, goes to the store, takes the kids to their games, and handles chores around the house. What little time you have left is spent in worrying over your situation and catastrophizing in your mind over what will happen when your benefits expire or obsessing about the possibility of your spouse also experiencing a lay off.

Make time for yourself: positive, valuable, self-affirming time. Even if only for a half hour a day, banish the gloom and speculation from your aching head. Take a break to concentrate on the positives in your life and in yourself.

If you have been keeping a job search journal, read over it and congratulate yourself on what actions you have taken. Read over your resume and any list of personal attributes and characteristics you have developed. Think about your significant other and your family and identify some small way you might show your gratitude for their loyalty and support.

Check out some self-help books from the library, or surf the Internet to find some inspiring ideas or simply words of comfort. Read some poetry or study your Bible to comprehend the big picture of life and history that relegates your present problems to a small hiccough in the vastness of the human universe.

Stroke yourself mentally for the good humor and fortitude with which you are facing enormous obstacles, and remind yourself that "This too, shall pass."

Loss of Power, Loss of Meaning

2006-02-19T06:53:00.000-08:00

General Motors just announced a plan to close plants throughout the country and to lay off 30,000 workers. Alcoa is going to lay off most of their workforce, and probably close its plant in Maryland. GM blames the high cost of union wages and the expense of health and retirement benefits; Alcoa cites the cost of electricity and intends to offshore its new plants where energy costs are lower.

Heartened by corporate decisions to improve their bottom line, the stock market responded with an increase in share prices. Big business just loves lay-offs and the increased profitability they promise.

And the business of America is, make no mistake about it, business. And the rest of the world seems to be heading in that direction. With a token nod to human rights, the administration lauds the emergence of China's economy as a miracle, ignoring how it is bleeding the western world in the most unbalanced trade exchange ever witnessed.

Who puts the face on the victims of lay off? Who recognizes the anguish of those who feel useless in a world that worships the useful? The army of the unemployed, still some 7 million of us even at the trumpeted recent 5% unemployment rate, need to find a means of empowerment.

The Unions of the 1930 poured workers into the streets to demand accountability and relief. But the Union movement is only a shell of its former self, relegated to the sidelines of petty negotiations.

We need to seek leaders who are willing to face reality and stand up for the people in the face of overwhelming corporate control, power, and unrelenting greed. We need our man on horseback. Does anyone know if he's out there?

Reframe your interview approach

2006-02-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

The emotional stress of a job interview is widely recognized. No matter how much self-confidence you try to project, the reality is that it is an occasion where you have little power and where you are being personally scrutinized and judged. It is awkward, uncomfortable, and anxiety-provoking.

Approach an interview bearing a mental tape that keeps repeating "I have to get this job . . . I have to present myself perfectly . . ." and the stress level rises to the point of immobility. You can't think clearly or creatively because of the panic gnawing at the back of your brain. You mumble, fall over your words, and forget what you intended to say because your nerves have overwhelmed your carefully prepared presentation.

If at all possible, approach your next interview as just one more opportunity for practice. Try to convince yourself that this is not the job of your dreams but an expenditure of time to allow you to watch yourself to learn for future interviews when you really want to receive an offer.

Look back at your own history and see how often you were offered positions you didn't really want and, conversely, failed to make the grade for jobs you found exciting and tempting. You may have assumed, as most of us do, that you weren't quite good enough for a prime job and were simply offered positions that no one else wanted.

Then consider whether the difference might have been how you presented yourself, often most effectively when your internal pressure to perform is less intense.

No Show Apology

2006-02-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

Sorry, everyone. I have not been to my blog in a month,
courtesy of the IRS who pulled a field audit on me and
caused me to lose all sense of focus for a while.

I'll be back shortly.

"We'll be making our decision in the next two weeks . . ."

2006-01-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

That's hard to hear at an interview because you know you will not sleep well until you know, one way or another, whether you are going to be offered the position. Until the decision is made, you feel at loose ends, unable to concentrate on other tasks and activities. It seems like a waste of time to spend a lot of energy on continued job search when this might be the last week or two of spare time you'll have for months, time to get all those long-ignored chores done.

This is a real danger zone. If you don't receive an offer, you'll not only be terribly disappointed, you'll come down really hard on yourself emotionally for wasting precious job search time.

The secret is to continue your efforts with the same fervor as before. There are several possible outcomes. You may receive the offer and all you have lost is the time and effort expended on the additional job search. You may not get the job and will at least have the satisfaction of knowing that your efforts are continuing and may bear fruit in the near future. Or, you may find another position. It is not unusual, even after a long and failing job search, to suddenly have two opportunities available, as if everything has finally come together for you and is starting to pay off.

Save your catch-up tasks for after you receive the offer -you will be so excited then that you'll get everything done in half the time it would take you now.

Job Layoffs: Are We The Problem?

2005-12-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

Good morning job seekers. How's it going? Getting hired in December is pretty tough, so use the holidays to relax, renew your energy and drive, and try to have a happy Christmas even under the present circumstances.

Here's some food for thought as you prepare for the New Year.

Are We The Problem?

You know, we all talk a good game about keeping job positions in America and stemming the tide of illegal immigrants who pour through our borders at an alarming rate. But are we really willing to change our lifestyle, to put our money where our mouth is?

We love bargains so we buy the lowest priced goods from clothes, to electronics, to household furnishings. We have tags on everything we own: "Made in China," or "Assembled in Mexico." We could insist on only purchasing items manufactured in the United States but then we would have to pay more, a lot more.

For Americans to be willing to take the jobs that go to illegal immigrants, pay rates would need to be substantially increased. If a living, above-the-poverty-line, wage was paid for such work as restaurant helper, motel maid, farmhand, day laborer, swamper, furniture assembler, airplane ramp crew, custodian, and fast food worker, all of our goods and services would cost more, meaning that we'd have to give up many of the things we take for granted.

Companies have to maintain a robust bottom line to stay in business. They adjust their prices according to the cost of the goods produced. It may not be very philanthropic or humane, but it is plain, basic economics.

When decent jobs are hard to come by, it is very tempting to blame employers for sending their jobs overseas. It is much more difficult to look at ourselves and admit that our own consumption habits and needs are the driving force.

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Need more organization and preparation help? Try my free monthly newsletter, The Worker's Edge, or get the book that helps you put it all together: http://www.unemploymentblues.com

The Little Catastrophes That Hit Us All

2005-12-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

Unemployment can be devastating to our nerves, our families, and any sense of personal worth. Here's an article from my newsletter - let me know if you find it helpful.

Life Changing Events.

If we are unlucky enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, we experience a personal tsunami - a misfortune of devastating proportions that sweeps away our routine lifestyle and forever changes the world we know.

Yet despite the frequency of such events - the tidal waves of Asia, the hurricanes of the Gulf Coast, the loss of life in the Middle East, the wildfires and mudslides of California - most of us are only indirectly affected. We bleed for those who have lost everything, give what we can out of our pocketbooks and our hearts, but our world is essentially unchanged and we move along in our personal life journey relatively unscathed.

The vast majority of us will never undergo the wrenching jolt of a major disaster, natural or man-made. The sheer size of the human race insulates millions of us from the floods, the bombs, and the mayhem. For us, the life-changing events we experience never hit the front page. Personal, quiet disasters - divorce, death, bankruptcy, or unemployment - change our lives forever but remain unnoticed by all but our closest friends and family. We pick up the pieces and try to get it together without government or private succor and support.

It is the isolation of personal loss that is so emotional destructive. We struggle alone to try to make sense of what went wrong and how we can recover our equilibrium.

Others are sympathetic and wish us well but there is an abyss between those who have a job and those who cannot find one. The longer we are out of work, the more alienated we become. Even those who love us start to worry that there's something wrong with us. They start to suspect that we're not as motivated as we say we are. Everyone has plenty of glib advice: "Have you tried . . . ?" Of course we have -many times and always without success. We become more disheartened as we analyze everything we've done and realize we have tried every trick in the book and still cannot find anything suitable.

Some of us get stuck in depression, anger, or paralyzing anxiety. Our energy drains away and even the smallest action becomes more and more difficult. As frustration and financial pressures mount, we wallow in the unfairness of it all and reminisce about how perfect everything was when we had a job and a future and hope, wondering why all this had to happen.

As with hurricanes and tsunamis and terrorism, the victims are not responsible for the catastrophe they face. Life-changing events do just that - change our lives, sometimes forever. Change can be negative, fear-provoking, and desperately uncomfortable. But, if we look closer, we'll see it also has a positive face. Without change, our modern world wouldn't exist. We would be living the way our ancestors did. And while olden times may sound attractive in their pristine simplicity, such times were filled with disease, inequality and a raw brutality we could not stomach today. We need to embrace change and, despite the turmoil it brings, look for the silver lining hidden within the storm clouds.

Although you now remember your job with nostalgic affection, there were undoubtedly times that you wished you could quit. Even if you loved what you were doing, any single job position only taps into a small part of your potential. Being forced to make a change allows you to develop other domains of your personal character.

Try to analyze your interests and preferences and identify things you would like to do which have not been utilized by your prior jobs. Can you think of an industry or a particular job title that might allow you to move in a new direction? Think about, and complete some preliminary research on, jobs in new industries that you might be able to do. You may not have directly related experience but there are common themes that permeate every kind of work: the ability to communicate, to work as part of a team, to learn rapidly, to be aware of details, to organize and prioritize. If you pick an area of genuine personal interest, you enthusiasm will clearly and naturally emerge and that is something all employers seek.

The job hunting you have been doing may, without your realizing it, have become routine and uninspired. The experience of failure and the frustration of never receiving positive feedback may have led to your merely "going through the motions," already convinced, in your own mind, of the futility of your efforts.

Taking a new direction can open up your job search tunnel. Instead of beating your head against the wall and revisiting every technique and lead you've tried before, moving into a different environment may give you a new sense of purpose and appreciation of your own potential. That is when the positive effects of forced change can become a new source of pleasure and satisfaction.

P. S. If you liked this, you can sign up for my free e-zine, The Worker's Edge, at mailto:jobsearchezine@aweber.com or go whole hog on turning your life and attitude around at http://www.unemploymentblues.com

Prepare questions for the interview.

2005-12-01T06:03:00.000-08:00

An interview almost invariably closes with the potential employer asking if you have any questions. Often an applicant will ask for clarification on benefits -insurance, vacation time, etc. While these are obviously important for you to know, they plant a seed in the interviewer's mind that maybe you are more interested in what the job can do for you than in how you can help the employer.

Try to have three or four questions ready to ask that demonstrate your interest in the company and your desire to be a problem-solver. If you have been able to do some research, trot out a question or two that came to mind. If you have been able to identify some trends or problems in the industry, ask how that is going to affect the company and what they are doing to deal with it. If some current challenges have been brought up earlier in the interview, ask for clarification and more detail.

The more the interviewer interacts with you as if your concerns are mutual, the more you will be seen as a valuable future member of his team.

Make Yourself An Application Cheat Sheet

2005-11-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

It is so easy to sit down to complete an application and suddenly your mind blanks. You can't remember dates or names or telephone numbers. If you have a varied work history, you can't recall which job came first. If you have worked for the same employer for years, you forget when your duties changed or when you received a promotion.

Do your research on work-related paperwork at home and make up a list of everything you might need. List every job for the past 10 years including the company name, address, telephone number and the contact person to call, usually your immediate supervisor. Have a list of education, both formal college and any special courses, seminars, or in-house trainings you completed, with dates. Have a list of five personal references with names, addresses and telephone numbers.

Carry the sheet with you so you are prepared at all times. Not only will it make completing applications a breeze but it will ensure that the information you provide is accurate and consistent. That will avoid the embarrassment and negative reaction in an interview when you realize there are errors on the application the interviewer is using as a guide and you have to make quick verbal corrections.

Talk To Yourself.

2005-11-16T06:39:00.000-08:00

There is always a debate about whether daily affirmations work - the kind of uplifting statements you repeat to yourself in the mirror each morning.

I find a more effective way to improve your mood and self-esteem is to create your own positive scripts for regular re-reading and study. On those days when you're really down on yourself and think that you're a failure, immersing yourself in a book crammed with notes about your qualities and accomplishments can restore your balance, brighten your spirits, and re-energize you for the rigors of the job hunt.

Keep a notebook close by and jot down every little success you've ever had. List your personal characteristics, work and non-work successes, little things you've done that made you feel proud. Record what other people have said to you as compliments or in gratitude. Note any awards or trophies you've ever won.

Describe your accomplishments, big and small: completing a difficult class, learning how to bowl or play a decent round of golf, teaching your teenager how to drive a stick shift, losing that last 10 pounds. No one reaches adulthood without a long string of successes along the way but we tend to discount them because our emotions are engaged by our failures, the "ones who got away."

Keep adding to your book of positives as you think of more and more accomplishments (the list will grow, the more you think about it). On the days when you think your value to the world is zero, take out your book to remind yourself of your own worth. The world is a better place due to all of our collective efforts so give yourself an emotional pat on the back.

Job Interview Stage Fright.

2005-11-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

Job interviews are frequently emotionally taxing, especially if you've been out of work for a prolonged period and the pressure to find a position is weighing heavily on your nerves.

Relieve the tension by being as prepared as possible. Practice interview questions with family, friends, or a tape recorder. Learn as much about the company as you can so you can focus on the employer's needs and problems and how you might address them. Focus on the employer takes the focus off you and will help you to relax.

Use the old tricks of professional speakers to put yourself at ease: move when you can, slow down your speech patterns, and, if you can, write something down occasionally. Avoid taking something to calm you down before going into the interview - it will make you sluggish and flat.

The natural anxiety that such a formal and judgmental atmosphere triggers is what will keep you alert, in focus, and able to project enthusiasm, the quality employers desperately seek.

Providing A Service or Exploitation?

2005-10-30T07:05:00.000-08:00

I had a recent exchange of e-mails with someone who wrote: "39 dollars for a book that proclaims itself to be a way out of depression and feelings of worthlessness for unemployed people?

Tell me: what does a PsyD know about unemployment and low-self-worth?

This price tag is atrocious.

You are victimizing the unemployed, the societal outsider, and I do not appreciate it."

After my initial response, he wrote back: "I can't say I expected any less than what you've given... a total dismissal of my opinion. Do you see no injustice in the "Catch 22" of expensive "ways out" of financial difficulty?"

The gentleman raises a very interesting question. Is there something inherently exploitative about selling a product or a service to individuals who are in a place of great need and few resources?

There is a common expression in marketing: "Don't try selling boxes to the homeless." Why? Because they obviously have no money, that's why they are homeless. Sales need to be geared to a more lucrative market and demographic distribution charts are developed that pinpoint geographic locations, professions, age levels, and ethnic distributions where household incomes are higher and purchasing is more likely.

Where does that leave the homeless, or anyone else who is in a difficult situation where help is needed but money to pay for it is unavailable or severely limited?

There is the government for starters. At all levels, our public agencies exist to provide the help and services citizens need, that is the purpose of paying taxes. In fact, they do provide those services to a greater or lesser extent, depending upon how well developed is that particular sector.

When the services fall short of what is needed, the private sector steps in. Apart from true charity organizations or companies contracted with some level of government, private services require regular income or will shortly vanish from the scene.

If public colleges don't provide the classes you need, on a schedule convenient to you, you pay to attend a private vocational school that costs thousands of dollars more than a community college but gives you what you need, when you need it.

If the State Consumer Credit office can't help you with your bills and creditors are driving you crazy, you pay a private credit company to work out some sort of financial survival plan.

If the unemployment office has not been able to help you find work, you may pay a private job coaching service to redo your resume, give you interviewing skills practice, and perform research in your field.

Are these agencies exploiting your predicament or meeting your needs?

If they give you what you paid for, they are providing a service. Obtaining solid vocational skills that lead to a good job, working out a manageable repayment schedule that allows you to live without the hounding of collectors, or transforming your self-presentation to allow successful competition for a good position, are all examples of worthwhile pay-for-results exchanges.

It becomes exploitative when a school takes thousands of dollars, provides training of questionable quality, and leaves you unemployed with huge student loans to repay. It is exploitative when a company takes money to reestablish your credit and fails to follow through, leaving you still battling collectors with even more depleted assets. It is exploitative when an employment-assistance agency charges you hundred (or thousands) of dollars and fails to produce the results they promised.

In the end, it comes down to what we need and whether we are willing to pay for a service we see as better than those publicly funded. It also means that we have a responsibility to ourselves to thoroughly research any company, or group, or author, before we hand over our money, to make sure that the services offered will be useful, that the source will deliver what has been promised, and what recourse we have if premature withdrawal is necessary.

P.S. I cut the price of the book in half, anyway.
You can find it at: http://www.UnemploymentBlues.com

Stepping Back to Entry Level Work.

2005-10-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

One of my newsletter readers wrote:

"I've been out of work for more than a year and I'm getting desperate. I tried to get one of your "survival" jobs but even got turned down by McDonald's and Walmart. Help!"

My response:

You would think that an employer would jump at the chance to hire you compared with typical applicants for entry-level jobs who often have no work experience, questionable customer service skills, a minimal work ethic, and limited communication abilities.

However, look at it from an employer's point of view.

Are you going to fit in with the rest of the team? Do you speak the primary language of your coworkers? Do you anticipate quitting the job as soon as you find something better? Do you feel demeaned (and let it show) by work you consider beneath you? Do you put all of your experience and salary history on your applications? Are you much older than the other workers?

A potential employer can probably see your worth to the organization but regardless of your experience, you are going to need some basic training, and he is weighing whether it's worth the time (and cost) to train you when you might leave in a week or two.

Some suggestions: recognize what is going on in the employer's mind and confront it head on - but be truthful so you don't blow the opportunity for someone coming behind you. If you can see your way clear to committing for a certain period of time, it might be helpful in eliminating his fear that you won't be around long enough to make hiring you worthwhile.

Leave prior salary information off your application or write in "will discuss at interview." You then have a chance to talk to the employer on a personal level about your previous salary levels and why you are now willing to accept entry level wages. Be honest about your predicament and sell how even a few months of your knowledge and skills could help his business, increase sales or the level of customer service, and help build a smooth-functioning team.

Sell your ability to work with a wide variety of people and explain your interest in learning his business without any sense of the work being something less than you have done before. Sell him on your desire to work, to be productive, to practice and maintain your customer service skills. Explain that you are miserable being unemployed because you have always worked and you feel more pride in yourself when you are part of a successful organization, regardless of the type of industry it is in or the actual pay.

Reprinted from The Worker's Edge, available at:
http://www.UnemploymentBlues.com/NewsletterSignup.html

Job Interviews Require Shotgun Courtesy.

2005-10-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

You are undoubtedly extremely polite and amiable with any interviewer you encounter. You are on your "best behavior" knowing that your self-presentation and demeanor are keys to your being considered for a position. But how do you treat the "little people" on your way to the interview?

The front desk receptionist, the office staff who take your telephone calls, the secretary who greets you, the security guard who walks you through the plant, the potential co-worker who offers you coffee: all of these people, while not making the final hiring decision, have varying degrees of influence over your fate.

You may make a masterful presentation in the interview but if remarks are heard from staff about your curtness, lack of respect, or pushiness, your presentation may have been for naught. Exude courtesy and respect to everyone you encounter at a potential employer's business and the remarks made ("What a nice man he seemed" or "She was so pleasant and friendly") may dramatically increase your stock relative to competing applicants.

Beating The Union Stigma

2005-10-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

M. L. wrote to me recently:

"For years I worked in production as a loyal union member. There are no local jobs so I am trying to change to service work. When an employer sees that I worked for (Employer name deleted) for 15 years, they seem to tune me out. I can't lie about my work history so what should I do?"

You are encountering what is too common a situation, I'm afraid, M.L. Try to sit in the interviewer's chair for a moment and think of some assumptions you might make. Long-term union workers are often considered demanding, rigid, and entitled. In a large union shop, there are very defined work rules which an employer flouts at his peril. This was designed, of course, to protect employees: to avoid exploitation, to guarantee overtime pay, to ensure that older, higher-paid, workers are not discarded to make way for cheaper, entry-level youngsters. The system of shop stewards and grievance hearings allows for all employees to be fully heard and enjoy representation by their peers.

The fear of non-union employers is that your history will make it difficult for you to be flexible and cooperate with supervision and management rather than the union "Us versus Them" environment.

My motto is always to identify negative ideas the interviewer may be harboring and confront them directly. Tell the interviewer that you know that sometimes former union workers cause headaches for new employers. Now distance yourself from the stereotype. You performed union work because it was well-paid and readily available. But your key goal was to work, to be productive, to feel good about yourself, to provide for your family. Point out how worthless you feel when you are not productive. Stress your flexibility -- that you are open to what hours you will work, that you enjoy being part of a team, that you like to work closely with supervisors and management so that together you can achieve departmental and company goals.

Focus on your liking to work with people and your choice to treat everyone with courtesy and respect, whether they be customers, coworkers, or someone calling with a complaint. If there have been times in the past when you have been able to mediate between opposing parties, or times when you could have filed a grievance but elected not to because it was less important than doing your job, cite it now. Turn the interviewer's biases upside down and you will at least get a fair hearing and honest consideration.

Let Yourself Dream!

2005-10-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone -- I have been so busy pursuing other directions that I have been neglecting my blogs -- next week I'll be back on track.

To cheer you up, here is the link to an article on dream jobs -- no one can stop our daydreams, can they?

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/departments/elearning/default.aspx?article