Walt's Joblog

Fear of Rejection

2011-10-31T05:38:00.000-07:00

In the movie Alexander, he proclaimed "Conquer your fears and you conquer death."

Well, we need not be so melodramatic, although it is Halloween Day after all.

But successful job seekers do overcome their fears and do what needs to be done.

Repeatedly I have been told that rejection is the greatest fear when applying for jobs.

Do not make the mistake of premature rejection.

Are you not applying for jobs because you are afraid your application or resume will be rejected?

Have you repeatedly had no responses and assumed your resume, your cover letter, your application was not good enough -- that you were rejected because you were not good enough?

Really?

The truth, the reality, is that your application, your resume, is under water in the overwhelming tsunami of applications flooding employers every day.

The odds that some person has seen your application/resume even just to do a ten second quick screen is less than 2%.

This is the first myth of rejection. You have not been rejected because no one has seen your stuff.

Here is another myth of rejection.

You did not get a response because you are too old, too young, too educated, not educated enough, bad attitude, too much information, not enough information, or you have bad hair.

Please pay attention to the first myth again. NO ONE HAS READ YOUR RESUME!

You do not get rejected by total strangers. You may be ignored, but that is not the same as rejection.

Rejection implies a yes or no choice. How can there be a choice when someone does not know about you?

If you think you have been rejected, most likely one or more of the following have occurred.

You are in contact with the wrong person.

They had a bad day.

Your timing was off.

They did not have a choice.

They have insufficient information about you.

They a

The Lucky 13 -- Websites for Job Finders

2011-10-11T10:35:00.001-07:00

Here is a quick list of helpful websites for job search and job acquisition. Actually, you really do not need to do much more on the Internet outside of these Lucky 13.

1. www.google.com – Search the Internet and much more

2. www.jvsdet.org – main website for JVS

3. www.parnossahworksdetroit.org
JVS job posting site and click on the Seminars/Events tab to find and register for upcoming job seeker activities

4. www.michworks.org – the Michigan Talent Bank; the State of Michigan employment office’s online job and resume banks; also click on Career Portal under the menu item Career Resources to access much more career and job resources

5. www.careerinfonet.org – the CareerOneStop for the US; anything and everything related to jobs, careers, employment

6. www.indeed.com – a gatherer of job leads from other job boards and company websites. Gathers job leads and ideas for other companies to contact from just about everywhere on the Internet which frees you up from wasting countless hours online applying over and over and over again when you should be making those leads into personal contacts using resources like

7. www.linkedin.com – social media for business and jobs; create your online profile and more, connect with others in your target areas and with companies of interest, find the right people and, in turn, be found by them

8. www.facebook.com – the world’s largest online social community

9. www.twitter.com – texting the world, listening in on what other people and companies of interest to you are saying including available jobs

10. www.socialnomics.net – the wellspring of all things social media

11. www.wikipedia.org – encyclopedia of the Internet

12. www.jobhuntersbible.com – a relaxing place to learn about job search, resources, etc.; the website of Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?

Lucky 13. Use your local library website to access ReferenceUSA to learn more about companies and find key people within. One way to find the website of your local library in Southeast Michigan is through The Library Network at www.tln.lib.mi.us.

Consider limiting your online hours to less than four per day.

Every online contact represents the potential for real life connections that need to be forged.

Get out there! Jobs have never gone door to door. You have to do that.

And we at JVS can help you get it done. Visit our websites listed above for more information and to connect.

And you can always contact me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Let's get started!

Walt

Ten Smart Interviewing Tips

2011-09-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

1. Prepare for the interview
Over two thirds of employers surveyed say that the number one reason a job applicant lost the interview was evident lack of preparation.

2. Dress appropriately for the special occasion that is an interview.
When you put your best foot forward, make sure your shoes are shined.

3. Listen to be heard.
If you are not listening, neither are they.

4. Wear a smile.
Never leave home without it.

5. Show interest to be interesting.
Lean in and reflect on, talk about, what they are saying.

6. Express enthusiasm and excitement.
Anxiety and nervousness leave when positive energy shows up.

7. Create a conversation with good questions.
An interrogation is one sided; an interview should be a win-win.

8. Lead and keep returning to your strengths.
Your assets, and how they can help the interviewer/company succeed, are all that matter.

9. Act as if...
Your behavior drowns out your words.

10. Take the responsibilty for follow up.
Show that you care by staying in touch.

Today, and every month, I conduct an interviewing seminar with these tips and many more plus a chance for you to practice interviewing. And come join me on September 28 I will be at the J Seekers group meeting, Oak Park JCC, 9:30am, sharing more interviewing tips and tricks.

For a private interviewing session, email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Walt

Choosing the Right Job or Career

2011-09-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

Very often I am assisting job seekers who are having a difficult time deciding which career direction to take or which jobs to target. And most often the consequence of that struggle is inactivity, passivity and paralysis.

Without deciding upon a goal, an objective or just a direction, movement becomes more difficult, perhaps even close to impossible.

A job search has to be active and in motion most of all. Waiting and hoping for something to happen without taking action sows seeds of discouragement, disappointment and depression.

Not taking action because you have not yet come to the best decision about how to proceed can, and often does, lead you nowhere.

Taking steps, taking action, regardless of whether or not those steps are the best to take is far better than doing nothing.

To paraphrase George S. Patton, "A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

Inactivity leads nowhere. Activity of any kind at least has a chance of being productive. And as long as you are active, you are on the go. And you need to be going in order to get to where you want to be. You won't get there by waiting for something to happen.

JVS offers career counseling services to help you make career decisions. Armed with good information about yourself, and your options, will increase greatly your job and career success. However, exploration and implementation both require you take action in order to be successful.

Start by acting on, heading toward, one of your choices, without it having to be a sure bet. There are too many unknowns in the world of work and careers to be able to proceed with absolute certainty.

Once you have made a choice, once you are in motion, once you are active, it will become much easier to change course, to improve on the decisions you make. Your car can't turn if it isn't moving.

So start with making a choice, a good choice, but it does not have to be the best choice. It is not all about making the right choice to start, but it is all about making a move.

Once you are in motion, those who can help you, your navigators, will be able to help you much better. Navigators help you steer, but you are the pilot. And you need to help one another to reach your destination.

Let JVS help you make your career choices and navigate your way to job search success. Contact us at 248.559.5000 or www.jvsdet.org.

You can reach me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Walt

Staying Happy During Your Job Search

2011-09-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

"Remember happiness doesn't depend on who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think." Dale Carnegie

Colleen Oakley, www.colleenoakley.com, had a quiz, Sunny Side Up, in the July 31st issue of Parade magazine about being happy.

I would like to share her ten points, with an additional comment from me, which may be of help in keeping that happy face while you look for that dream job.

1. Cheerful people generally don't give happiness much thought. My thought is that happiness happens most when you are not looking for it. Remember the old axiom "ignorance is bliss."

2. Research shows that vacation-goers feel happiest a month before they take off for their destination. Nothing beats the fun of anticipation. Use the positive power of visualization to keep your spirits up.

3. How happy you are is 50% genetic, 40% influenced by how you think and act every day and only 10% influenced by life circumstances. Happy people tend to be happy even when life would seem ready to get them down.

4. To get the most enjoyment out of your work life, you should make friends with your coworkers. And to get the most productivity out of your job search, make friends with your fellow job seekers.

5. If you're sad, reading a novel is more likely to cheer you up than watching reruns of your favorite sitcom or tuning in to the news. Reading works your mind in a way that watching TV never can. An active mind is more likely to be a happy mind.

6. If you have a little free time, the activity which will bring you the most pleasure is spending time with nature outdoors. Physical activity outside has continually been shown to have positive effects, even biochemically.

7. Optimists are not necessarily happier than pessimists. Realistic expectations may prove to keep disappointment at bay.

8. Music, any kind of music, is an instant mood booster. Enough said...

9. Taking fish oil every day can actually help battle depression. Proper diet and daily exercise are essential basic steps toward success and well being.

10. Disney's Peter Pan was right in saying "think happy thoughts." And back to Dale at the top.

Share your tips for keeping positive with me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org and help us help you by visiting www.jvsdet.org and www.parnossahworksdetroit.org.

Walt

Best Interview Advice

2011-08-17T07:09:00.000-07:00

A common, possibly tough, interview question often asked, in one way or another, is

"Can you describe how you handled a difficult problem?"

How would you rate the following answers? Which answer do you think is the best?

Answer #1
"As a member of research team, after we had conducted thousands of experiments on a certain project without solving the problem, one of my associates, after we had conducted the crowning experiment and it had proved a failure, expressed discouragement and disgust over our having failed to find out anything. I cheerily assured him that we had learned something. For we had learned for a certainty that the thing couldn't be done that way, and that we would have to try some other way. He was encouraged by my attitude and went back to work with renewed enthusiasm. Ultimately we discovered the best material to use and increased the longevity of the product from 13 hours to over 1200 hours."

Answer #2
"Once I had to work as part of a research team. The other members of the team did not seem to know what they were doing and kept on asking me questions. They complained a lot and were not very helpful. I kept on trying different things to see what would work best, but everyone else, including my bosses, were not very supportive. After I put in a lot of long hours, I got the project done okay."

Answer #3
"We had to make this thing. It was hard, and took a lot of time, and a lot of work, but we did a really, really good job of it."

Answer #4
"As an inventor, I and my co-workers created many products and devices that involved extensive experimentation and often did not have easy solutions. And my over twenty years of that kind of experience makes me ideally qualified, the best candidate and a perfect fit for your open position. I am confident that I can handle any difficult situation that might occur."

My money is on Answer #1.

Because it is not so much what story you tell, but all about HOW you tell it. The words you use and how you deliver the story are most important.

If you disagree, I want to know. Please comment below and/or email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

By the way, I wrote all four answers with Thomas Edison's invention of the light bulb in mind. And most of Answer #1 is directly quoted from Edison himself.

The Best Way to Hunt for a Job

2011-08-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

According to the 2012 edition of Richard Bolles' What Color Is Your Parachute?, the best way to hunt for a job is Doing An Inventory of Yourself.

That way is successful about 86% of the time!

Another way to put it is if 100 job seekers used this approach, 86 of them would find their next job.

This inventory of yourself is thinking about WHAT you enjoy doing most, WHERE you would enjoy doing what you enjoy doing most and HOW to get there.

First, find the particular jobs that fit this bill.

Second, find the specific places where you can do those jobs.

Third, find the person(s) who have the power or influence over hiring.

This way works because, accordingly to Bolles, you more precisely identify your true target(s); you can help others help you with clear, direct and doable requests; you are better prepared than the competition because you can present to an employer your unique features and benefits.

However, one factor about this approach discourages most job seekers.

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work" Thomas A. Edison

Having to think about who you are, what you want, where you want to go and how you plan to get there takes some effort. Most job seekers just want the job and do not see the need to do the work.

Another reason why this method has an 86% success rate is probably because those who choose to do it are, by definition, hard workers.

"The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work." Harry Golden

Helping hands to make this hard work doable and success possible are here at JVS.

Visit us at www.jvsdet.org.

And you can always email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Walt

What's the Problem?

2011-08-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

How you behave in your job search often is seen by others as an indicator of how you will behave on the job.

For example, how someone deals with problems during unemployment or a job change might indicate how that person handles problems at work.

Of course, employers do not want to hire people who create problems. But what about people who may not create the problem, but make problems into bigger problems? Or people who dwell on the problem without offering any help in solving it?

Companies seek employees who minimize or eliminate problems. Problem solving is a highly valued skill in the work world.

How would you rate your problem solving skills?

Do you appreciate, maybe even seek out, problems or challenges as opportunities to apply your problem solving skills?

Do you approach problems as experiences to learn new ways of doing things?

If you get frustrated or angry with a problem, maybe even quit trying, is that how you are going to handle problems on the job?

Do you fixate, obsess about the problem without moving forward, without seeking a solution? Do you complain about the problem repeatedly to anyone and everyone you meet?

Does the problem become so much a part of you that others start to see you as the problem?

"We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems." John W. Gardner

If you show that you can deal with, can seek solutions to the problems that come with unemployment and job change, you send a message to prospective employers about how you will handle problems on the job before you make them the employer's problems.

And that's a good thing.

We at JVS can help you with your problems.

Check us out at www.jvsdet.org.

And you can email me with your problems, questions, concerns and needs at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Walt

What Kind of a Job Getter Are You?

2011-07-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

Are you a Job Seeker?

Or a Job Hunter?

How about a Job Developer?

Or are you a Job Settler, maybe even homebound?

If you are a Job Hunter, do you know your target? Know how to find your target, know how it thinks, and how to capture it. Are you properly equipped? Know how to attract your target, how to lure it to you. Is your resume, your application, your bait, appealing? And when your target is in range, are you equipped to spring the trap? Do you have a winning interview as one of your primary weapons? Are you prepared to camp out as long as it takes to make the capture?

If you are a Job Seeker, are you making contact with the right guides, those who can help you find your way? Are you setting up your scouts who are familiar with the natives within the uncharted territory of the companies where you want to work? Are you asking for directions? Are you open to exploring companies and opportunities without necessarily arriving at your job destination? Keep your eyes, ears and mind open to possibilities along the way to reveal new hidden treasure.

If you are a Job Developer, have you created mutually beneficial relationships with others? Are you making contacts first and foremost to offer your assets, your talents, your resources, your time and effort to be of help? Take care of your relationships to develop opportunities. Make it all about how you can be seen as a creator and connector. Plant seeds, nurture the relationships you have with others and tend to their growth. Your harvest will be much more fruitful.

Or are you a Job Settler waiting for the phone to ring with an offer for a job, any job? Are you willing to settle for whatever comes your way? Unfortunately, for Job Settlers, there is no home delivery for job offers. You have to go outside to get your next job. Once you get your job is the time for settling in. First you need to locate your employer and build your office home before you can settle in.

If you need help to be prepared for the job hunt, information about how and where to search for jobs, connections to develop job opportunities, contact us at JVS.

And you can always email me, call me or find me on LinkedIn.

Don't just settle, make it happen!

Walt

Why You Do Not Get Responses to Your Applications

2011-07-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

There are numerous factors that affect whether or not you get a response to your application/resume.

The most likely affecting factors, by far, are which filter keywords the screener uses and the number of applications/resumes submitted.

When dealing with large numbers of applications/resumes, savvy screeners will load the filters with numerous distinguishing and unique keywords to limit the results.

At the very least, applicants must have core keywords in their resumes or they will surely be passed over and get no responses to their applications.

On average, even with the right keywords and in the best of circumstances, you have less than a 20% chance of getting a response.

That means, if you do nothing other than submit an application/resume to a posted job opening, the very best response rate you can expect is one response out of five applications.

Usually, the response rate is more like 1% or 2%, one or two out of a hundred!

And response means nothing more than an overture, a request, for next contact or more information, not necessarily an offer for an interview.

Considering the odds, it is in your best interest to include as many of the right keywords as possible in your application/resume.

The first indication of which keywords are the right keywords is in the wording of the posting.

Identify words in the ad that are descriptors like job titles, equipment, specialized knowledge like software, credentials such as college degree or certifications, and particular industry or product or service experience. Try to include as many of those exact words in your application/resume.

So if they are asking for a Special Events Coordinator and you performed those duties under the title of Operations and Registration Manager, you do not have to change your previous job title. However, do make certain you put the words “special events” and “coordinator” somewhere in your application/resume, such as an objective or summary at the beginning of your information.

Secondly, you can discover keywords by browsing www.Indeed.com for the job titles and keywords of postings which you have already found to uncover additional like openings. Try putting those keywords into the Indeed search field without specifying a job location. That will open up the possibilities and give you many more keyword choices.

Also, you can visit www.careerinfonet.org, click on Occupation Information, then select Occupation Profile, and using your job title create a profile which includes knowledge, skills, abilities, job tasks, equipment used and more. Again, more keyword possibilities.

A list of 25 keywords usually is sufficient to penetrate the screen and get a response.

All this relates to the “automated” process of screening applications/resumes. And “automated” does mean a computer scan, but can also mean human eyes very quickly scanning for keywords.

Those responses you receive from a one step application process mean you got through the screen and usually little else.

Once you get a response, you should have feedback and more information about your chances for the interview, but before that it is nothing more than keywords.

If you are being told that you are over-qualified for the job, in their minds, you are. And over-qualified means you feel entitled to lots of money. And if you do not get lots of money, you will leave the first chance you get. And it does not matter if you argue this, their minds are made up. By the way, they are right most of the time.

Regarding openings for which you might be perceived as over-qualified, one tactic might be to state your qualifications and experience in terms that are more in line, a better fit, with the requirements of the job. If they require three to five years of experience, report just five years of those ten years of experience you have and nothing more. If they require a coordinator, do not present that you were an Operations and Registration Manager, but simply Operations and Registration without the Manager.

But, above all, make certain you are including the keywords that they are presenting in the posting.

Again, this is all about getting to the interview. Once you are in the interview, you may be directed, or elect, to open up more about specific experiences that would work to your advantage. But that’s a discussion for another time.

Let us help you find your keywords. Visit us at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org, click on Seminars/Events and sign up for one of our weekly meetings.

As always, you can reach me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org or 248.233.4231.

A Rule

2011-07-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

Make it easy for others to help you.

Yep, that's it.

Nothing more.

If you are unemployed and need to find another job, you need other people to help you in a countless variety of ways.

Searching for your next employer is a team sport.

So you need to assemble your team. But your team needs to know what to do and have the right equipment, knowledge and skills to help you succeed.

You have to give others direction, the more precise, the more detailed, the better.

You have to share your goal, your objectives, your plan, your progress with your team. Share with them what you have done and what you plan on doing on a regular basis. Let them know where you have applied, where you plan to apply and with whom you would like to connect.

All these pieces are what will equip your team to be able to help you. And your activity, your efforts and your initiative will motivate them to keep on helping until you reach your goal.

If you wait for something to happen, you will keep your team waiting and they will not wait for very long, if at all.

If you depend entirely on your team to make it happen, then you are showing them that you are not ready, not willing or even able to help them help you.

When you do not share with others what you have been doing in your job search, to them it is the same as doing nothing.

Even if you are very active, without keeping your team informed, naturally they will assume you are doing nothing. And then they will do nothing in return.

And do not ask of others what you can do yourself. The more you do yourself, along with the more detailed direction you can provide, the easier you can make it for others to help and the more likely you will get the help you need.

And do not forget to offer and give help to those who help you.

By the way, if you limit the information you give to employers about your qualifications, experience and education to just applications and resumes, then you make it harder for employers to learn about you. And chances are they will be in contact with other applicants -- not you.

Make it easier for them to select you for the interview. Make other and more direct contacts like in person visits and referrals from your connections. LinkedIn and Facebook are used by 95% of employers because those sources are quick and easy ways for companies to learn more about applicants of interest.

If you are not using these online resources, what else are you doing to help the employer learn more about you?

Make it easy for others to help you.

Make it easy for JVS to help and take the first step.
Visit our website, www.jvsdet.org for more information.

And you can always contact me, Walt Tarrow, via email, wtarrow@jvsdet.org, on LinkedIn, and by phone at 248.233.4231.

Storms Make Oaks Take Deeper Root

2011-06-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

So says George Herbert...

Leaving a job is often a very traumatic experience even when the choice to leave is yours.

After years of being a member of a work group, being an important and accepted part of a work family, you are leaving home.

If you have been told to leave, the hurt can go very deep. No matter how unavoidable the layoff, no matter if the company had to close its doors, or no matter how generous and gentle the severance package, it still is painful.

BUT just because you have left a job, it does not mean you have lost all, or even any, of what you have gained, of what you have become.

You acquired experience, knowledge, skills and more in the time you spent with the company. You changed and developed talents and gifts that will be yours to keep forever.

You may have left a company, but you have not lost who you are and what value you can add to another company. You now have the opportunity to find your next workplace home -- a workplace that will appreciate what you have to offer and reward you with new relationships, new opportunities and greater possibilities for your new future.

First and foremost, you have not become just another job seeker.

To many employers, you are a highly valued resource provider.

Start with identifying the talents, the special gifts, you have that represent high value to the employer market. What can you do, and do well, that is most desired?

Learn how to communicate and present yourself as a value proposition to your next workplace home. How can you act best to send the right messages? Who do you know that can help you get out those words about you?

We can help with that at JVS.

Go to www.jvsdet.org for more info or contact me.

Walt Tarrow
wtarrow@jvsdet.org
248.233.4231

The Lonely Resume

2011-06-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

Is your resume without any friends?

Do you send out or post resume after resume and get no responses?

When employers are having their hiring party, is your resume, your application, standing all alone in the corner? Or maybe you could not even get in the door...

Take a closer look at your resume.

Better yet, take a really close look at the people at the hiring party.

What did they ask for on the invitation? What types of people did they invite to the party?

What type of person did they describe in the job posting?

Does your RSVP to the party, your response to the posting, your resume, your application, read like, sound like, look like the kind of person they described in the invitation, the posting?

Or are you just anybody, just anybody looking for a party, any party, to crash?

If you do not present, communicate, that you are one of the invitees, one of the persons who meets their basic qualifications for a welcome party goer, why would they let you in, let alone want to party with you, or even talk to you?

Anyone who is looking for anything, any type of job, is a party crasher. Even if you have the potential to be a productive, successful and valuable employee, without making that clear up front, you are likely to be ignored. Employers will not spend the time with a stranger outside the door trying to figure out if it is okay to let you in.

If you think you would spend the time with that stranger, keep that in mind the next time a door to door salesman visits your home. At least that salesman has a pitch that might be of interest. Do you have anything of interest to say to anyone at the employer's hiring party?

At the least, match your resume as much as possible with the same keywords and related experience and education as stated in the job posting. If you don't show even that much interest in, that much consideration for, the employer, your resume will always be kept outside and never allowed into the party.

A resume in search of anything, any job, is a lonely resume.

Don't let your resume be that resume.

Get in touch and stay in touch with us at JVS and let us help you join the party.

Our main website is www.jvsdet.org.

Our job posting site is www.parnossahworksdetroit.org.

And you can reach me by email at wtarrow@jvsdet.org

Get Real and Get Noticed!

Lookin' For a Job Ain't What It Used To Be

2011-05-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

"Everybody is for progress, but nobody wants change." Will Rogers

It seems that looking for a job has become so very, very hard and so very, very discouraging.

This "tough economy" has high unemployment and fewer jobs.

But I just searched on Indeed.com for jobs near my office and came up with 2,680 job leads for the city of Southfield, MI alone.

No doubt the economy has affected job search; but what is really at work here and now?

First and, by far, foremost, the process and mechanics of the job search have changed ginormously.

The use of computers and the Internet as primary, if not exclusive, tools for employers and recruiters looking for qualified candidates has had the greatest impact on the job search of today.

And very often not in a good way.

It has become very quick and easy for job seekers to apply to many jobs. Just a click of the mouse and you can send out thousands of resumes. And all from the convenience of your home or your local library.

One study revealed that 97% of applicants to a variety of positions did not meet the minimum requirements for the job!

That means the employer has to dig through the haystack of all those applications and resumes to find the needle of 3%.

No wonder, on many occasions, employers will opt out of the resume mountain in favor of the personal, word of mouth, molehill.

More and more businesses are paying their employees bonuses for personal applicant referrals. In some cases, bonuses of several thousand dollars.

And that's the good news.

If you can make the personal connection with an insider or key person within the company, you increase your chances of a job offer immensely.

Maybe your job search starts in cyberspace, but it really works when you are face to face.

If you need help in making those up close and personal connections, get in touch with me and the employment services at JVS.

Walt Tarrow, wtarrow@jvsdet.org
www.jvsdet.org
JVS Job Posting Site at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org

Fools Rush In...

2011-04-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

I get asked these questions many times. "Is this the right thing to do?" Or "is it okay for me to ...?" Or "should I try this?"

Much more often than not, the question is being asked because the people asking do not want to take certain steps. They are afraid they will get into trouble, be seen as pestering, inappropriate, or that they will fail. Maybe they fear that they will appear foolish.

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." Alexander Pope

But history has shown us time and time again that many who have rushed in have achieved success. Success was theirs only because they had the courage to try some things even if those attempts were foolish. Even when those attempts failed. And many of these attempts were at the risk of putting everything, everything they had, everything they treasured, on the line.

"Fortune favors the bold." Virgil

Famous Failures Video

A good example of a successful person who first was thought of as a "fool" is Robert Goddard who today is hailed for his research and experimentation with liquid-fueled rockets, but during his lifetime his ideas were often rejected and mocked by his scientific peers who thought they were outrageous and impossible. Today rockets and space travel don't seem far-fetched at all, due largely in part to the work of this scientist who worked against the feelings of the time.

Click on this link for an article on 50 Famously Successful People Who Failed At First which includes Goddard.

So, why not be foolish, why not try something different, why not go out on a limb?

What have you got to lose?

Maybe you even will have to face your greatest fear...success!

If you are still afraid to take the next step, I am here to help.

Contact me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org, or on LinkedIn, and be sure to visit JVS at www.jvsdet.org.

Happy April Fools Day!!

Wishing You Good Will

2011-03-17T08:14:00.000-07:00

"May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and the road downhill all the way to your door." Irish saying

Are you making the first steps in your job search about how you can be of help to others?

What skills, experience, education and knowledge, successes can you use to help your next boss, your next co-workers, your next company?

Have you identified what you have of value and appeal to your employer market?

Make that your first step.

Identify how you can help potential employers be successful.

How can you put a smile on their faces, joy in their hearts and money in their pockets?

And how can you do the same for your fellow job seekers?

How can you be of help to those who are ready, willing and able to help you?

Do you have "warm words" for them on those "cold evenings" during this tough economy?

Do you bring the light of hope, the "full moon," when it is hard for all to see that during "dark nights?"

Do you help make the road easier, "downhill all the way to their door?"

Start by thinking first and always foremost about how you can spread good will and be of help to your next employer and to those who already care about you.

We at JVS want to help.

Visit us at www.jvsdet.org.

Attend any or all of our events, meetings, and seminars as shown on our calendars at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org and our main website.

Join me and my groups on LinkedIn.

"May good fortune be yours. May your joys never end."

Take Action

2011-03-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

"Be bold. If you're going to make an error, make a doozy, and don't be afraid to hit the ball." Billie Jean King

One sure way to achieve your goals, to realize your dreams, is to get started!

Get your job search house in order.

Visualize your desired, your ideal, job and worklife. Identify what aspects of that job are important to you and picture the actual work place. If you have a difficult time imagining any of this, consider working with a career counselor. JVS offers career counseling services. To learn more, go to www.jvsdet.org or contact me directly at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Learn how to ride your job search emotional roller coaster. The ups and downs are, and will, certainly be there. So find ways to survive, maybe even enjoy (and even get a picture afterward...:-)), the ride. Seek out support and use your personal network. If you are having a hard time and need help in finding support, please contact me by email or call me at 248.233.4231. I can also provide you with a list of area job seeker support and networking groups.

Prepare your marketing materials. Again, if you need help with your resume, your cover letters, your personal card, portfolio and the like, get in touch with me.

Have a plan and put it into motion. Assemble your job search team, use any and all resources at your disposal. And, regardless of how and where you are stuck, contact me to help get you unstuck.

"Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action." Benjamin Disraeli

Beware the Ides of March

2011-03-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

What is holding you back from your job search?

Are you afraid, anxious or worried about what may happen if you take action?

Is it difficult for you to take steps because you are not certain of the outcome?

"Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically, make you a far happier and more productive person." Dr. David M. Burns

Do your steps have to be perfect before you make a move?

"If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin." Ivan Turgenev

What is it that is blocking you from taking steps in your job search?

If you are unsure, confused, not certain of what to do, where to start or how to keeping going, help is out there.

You can start with us at JVS and go from there. Visit our website at www.jvsdet.org and take advantage of our Online Job Search link and plan on attending a weekly job seeker support group meeting or job search seminars listed on our monthly calendar.

Contact me by email at wtarrow@jvsdet.org or call me at 248.233.4231

Don't let this quote be where you are and where you are stuck.

"Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed." Michael Pritchard

Flattery will get you everywhere...

2011-02-21T12:46:00.000-08:00

A thank you goes out to Claudia Mills, claudia.mills@homeinstead.com, of Home Instead Senior Care, www.homeinstead.com/283, for her invaluable advice about recommendations on LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com.
At our JVS Employer Forum event last Tuesday, February 15, Claudia suggested to get recommendations on LinkedIn, first you should give recommendations.
What a wonderfully wise idea!
First seek out others who have qualities, or experience, or situations you admire. People who are working, or have worked, where you would like to work. Others who have the background, the education or training, or skill sets you find of interest. Fellow professionals or workers who are where you want to be; who have taken the journey you may need to take to get where you want to be.
Include those who have connections to those people with whom you most closely want to identify.
Then read their profiles and invite them to join your network if you already know them or have a connection in common.
Get to know them to learn what you admire, appreciate, the most about them.
And, most importantly, compose a recommendation and send it to them.
By taking these steps, you also learn about yourself.
You learn about what is important to you, what interests you and what you admire.
By finding it in others, you gain a better understanding of what strengths you have already and what strengths you need to develop.
And you take action to enlist the aid of others who have developed those strengths to show you the way.
If you need help with your recommendations or in learning about and navigating LinkedIn, attend my LinkedIn series the first week in March. Go to www.parnossahworksdetroit.org and click on the Seminars/Events tab for more information and to register.
You can also follow me and JVS on LinkedIn, the JVS website at www.jvsdet.org, and JVS Detroit on Facebook.
Or email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
Recommend us to your friends and connections, especially anyone who is looking for help in finding employment or changing careers.

Be a Source of Good Feelings

2011-01-31T17:27:00.000-08:00

Why would anyone want to take your phone call or read and answer your email?

If you are looking for a job and the extent of your contacts is limited to sending resumes and completing applications, then you are no different than any other job seeker.

How can you make yourself special?

You certainly have to apply for jobs, especially those that are not being advertised, the hidden job market, but what else are you doing to be memorable?

How about adding good feelings to the equation?

Success in your job search has as much to do with fostering good feelings as with being qualified for the job.

You have to be positive, professional and patiently persistent, but also consider being the bearer of good news, good thoughts, good wishes.

A counselor friend of mine built her business by creating a Good News newsletter that she mailed to several dozen CEOs of major corporations. Several of those supposedly unapproachable executives contacted her personally to thank her for bringing some good feelings to their otherwise stressful day.

How about sharing a good natured, inspirational quotation with some of the hiring managers with whom you are trying to connect? Nothing more than a gesture of good will.

No resume, no application, just good feelings.

That might make all the difference in being remembered when that hiring decision is being made.

For ideas for motivational quotations, send me an email, contact me on LinkedIn, or follow JVSDetroit on Twitter.

Walt Tarrow
wtarrow@jvsdet.org

Why is no one responding to my resume?

2010-12-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

Is there something wrong with your resume that you are not getting any responses?

I was asked this question today by a frustrated job seeker who wanted help in fixing her resume.

My response follows:

I would be more than willing to look at your resume and offer suggestions, BUT it is essential that you share with me the job titles and company names of the openings to which you have applied.

Without knowing to what and where you have submitted your resume, I have little clue as to what should be in your resume.

Your resume is only as good as the specific keywords it contains as they match with the keywords of the job posting or description.

Also, most importantly, your qualifications have very little to do with whether or not you get any response to your resume.

The resume gatherers, the people to whom you send your resume, are screeners. Their job is to scan quickly resumes for keywords and send on those that have all, or at least a majority, of their target keywords.

They only have seconds to review a resume or applications and don't have time to read much of anything let alone think about what they see. In fact, in many cases, they have computer software scanning and finding the keywords for them.

The overwhelming, 90% of the time, reason why you don’t get responses is simply that resumes get lost in the heavy volume of them, in many cases 1000s, that are sent by desperate job seekers.

Your odds of ever getting any response to your resume or application, regardless of your qualifications, without following up repeatedly, is less than one in one thousand or .1%.

So playing the odds by just sending in your resume and/or submitting your application and waiting for a response means you would have to send in a resume or apply to at least 1000 openings to get one response!

You’ve got 900 more to go.

And, better still, you have one hundred with which you need to follow up.

Discover and determine the contact information for the company holding the job opening. Knowing specific contact people within the company, especially the hiring decision maker(s), makes all the difference in getting noticed. And without getting noticed, you probably won’t get a response.

If the company is not clearly identified, then do some detective work based on clues in the job posting like an email address or the type of business and location.

Then follow up with additional information like faxing another version of your resume or emailing your Facebook or LinkedIn link or dropping off your resume in person.

Repeated follow up has now become a requirement in making contact after you have sent your resume or applied for the job.

Let’s stay in touch,

Walt

And stay in touch with me and JVS at www.jvsdet.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The Four Basic Steps to a Successful Job Search - Step 2

2010-11-29T11:59:00.000-08:00

As stated in Step 1 - Make Contacts, a job search is really very simple.

And this bears repeating.

No secrets, no magic, no special skills or hidden markets...just four simple steps.
BUT you do need to take action. You do need to make the effort. And you do need to keep at it, to stay the course. It is your responsibility, and your responsibility alone, to start and to stop.

Step 2 is Follow Up.

"Success comes from taking the initiative and following up..." Anthony Robbins

Once you have started, initiated contacts, then you assume the responsibility to stay in touch. It is up to you to keep the contact going.

Not only is it very unlikely that the employer, recruiter, contact, with whom you are trying to connect will have the time or be able to make the effort to respond to your application, resume, email or phone call; but when you follow up you also take the opportunity to demonstrate your interest, seriousness, commitment, persistence and many other desirable qualities.

In fact, most employers await your follow up to see how you handle yourself. And the applicants that follow up are always more likely to get the employers attention.

Add to your follow up efforts by thinking of, and doing, things that add value to your application.

Share information of interest to the employer. Email a website, an article, or news that shows your deeper interest in the company and gives something of value to them.

But, above all, stay in touch. Even if it is a 30 second phone message or a brief email message that expresses your continued interest and availability, staying in touch is a requirement.

If you need help in following up and staying in touch, do so with us at JVS.
Visit us at www.jvsdet.org
Let us help.

Walt

Walt Tarrow, wtarrow@jvsdet.org, www.LinkedIn.com/in/walttarrow

The Four Basic Steps to a Successful Job Search - Step 1

2010-10-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

A job search is really very simple.
No secrets, no magic, no special skills or hidden markets...just four simple steps.
BUT you do need to take action. You do need to make the effort. And you do need to keep at it, to stay the course. If you stop, you are the one who quit.
Advisors and experts and coaches are creeping out of the woodwork promising you amazing results by sharing their secrets of how to get your dream job.
But the answer, the way, the method is very simple, very basic and really no mystery at all. And this truth does not get attention, does not sell books, does not fill seminars, does not put money in their pockets.
By the way, what kind of secret, magical method, is it if you tell anyone who is willing to pay the fee?
Step 1 is Make Contacts.
"The secret to getting ahead is getting started." Mark Twain
You get started by making contact.
Start with a website like www.indeed.com and search for jobs of interest. Use the titles and keywords of jobs which you have done, or believe you can do, and in which you have an interest. You can also search using the names of companies for which you would like to work.
Then apply according to the instructions -- online, submit a resume and a cover letter, email, fax, mail, in person, and/or phone.
Just make the contact! Don't delay by continuously reworking your resume, your cover letter. Capture the keywords from the posting, incorporate them into your application, resume, letter and send them on their way.
"If you keep thinking about what you want to do or what you hope will happen, you don't do it, and it won't happen." Joe Dimaggio
Then expand your contacts to any and all companies that are similar to the companies to which you have applied. Even if they are not hiring currently. Especially if they are not hiring currently.
Most jobs are filled before they are ever advertised. Get in before the flood of resumes.
The objective, your goal, in Step 1 of your job search is to make contact with, become known by, and, hopefully, impress, every employer who might sometime have a job for you.
How's that going for you? Are you working toward that goal? If not, then it's time to get to work.

If you need help in making those contacts, make contact with us at JVS.
Visit us at www.jvsdet.org
Let us help.

Walt

Walt Tarrow, wtarrow@jvsdet.org, www.LinkedIn.com/in/walttarrow

Are you wasting their time?

2010-10-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

When you are looking for a job you want to contact and connect with as many people as possible. The more connections you have, the more likely you will make the right connections.
BUT are you an asset or liability to those connections?
Do your emails, your phone calls, your visits add value to their days, their lives? OR, worse yet, are you wasting their time?
When you apply for a job online, by email, fax or mail, do you follow up with a phone call to verify they received your application, your resume, your cover letter?
You may be fortunate and connect to someone who takes some time from their busy schedule to talk with you. But have you added value to their day?
And after your application is in process, are you easily reachable?
Do you make it easy for employers to know what they need to know about you? Are your application and your resume complete and error free? Do you have additional information, such as references, a complete LinkedIn profile, diplomas, degrees and transcripts, and work samples, readily available?
Can employers get in touch with you quickly and easily? Is your voice mail set up properly and professionally? To be certain, maybe you should call yourself and listen to what they will hear.
Do you have an email address that is easy to understand and remember for employers? Does your email even work? To be certain, maybe you should email yourself and see what they will see.
And do you check your voice mail, your email throughout each day? Or, better yet, do you stay in close touch with them?
And are you an asset or a liability?
When you make your contact, what is your purpose? Is it all about what you want, what you need? Are you entitled to their time, their return call, their help? And that is according to whom, to what rule?
If you keep taking from them, wasting their time, giving nothing in return, you are a liability. And you are even more of a liability if you make being in touch with you difficult for them.
Approach all of your contacts keeping in mind how you can be of value to them and how you can minimize their effort in getting back, and staying in touch, with you. If you keep withdrawing from any shared account you might have without contributing, very soon you will be overdrawn and have no credit with them at all. They will have no reason to stay in touch with you. They may even close the account, stop all contact with you, and feel you owe them big.
Stop wasting their time.
Respect all your contacts. Be considerate of their time, their effort and their value to you.
Be clear, complete, quick and concise in your emails and phone calls. Short and sweet is the way.
Hopefully, you will find ways to add value for them. But, at the very least, don't be wasting their time.

Make effective use of your time by using the job search resources at JVS. Visit www.jvsdet.org for calendars of upcoming events, weekly meetings and seminars, for links to JVS on Facebook and Twitter, for our online job bank, and more.

As always, you can reach me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org and on LinkedIn.

Now go out there and make some contact happy,

Walt

Some more observations on what means overqualified

2010-08-31T07:15:00.000-07:00

Are you told you are overqualified?

Is your resume presenting you as overqualified?

If you are not getting interviews, your resume might be overshooting the "profile" of the job. Your resume might not be matching the duties, responsibilities and/or requirements for the job.

It is all about the match. And a mismatch can go both ways - under and overqualified.

If you get interviews, your resume obviously is working.

But overqualified means much more than just the mismatch.

Employers use interviews to get to know the candidate, the potential employee, better – who you are, what motivates you, what makes you tick. They are a chance to demonstrate that you have the right stuff. Think of them as sales calls. After all, when it comes to interviews, are we not all in sales?

"Overqualified” translates for them to mean you, based on your length of experience and past compensation, expect, and feel entitled to, a higher level of pay. And that you don’t have to justify why you deserve it since you have professional “seniority.” They are afraid that you will leave your position and the company as soon as a better offer comes along because you deserve more money, better benefits, and a better opportunity.

Be prepared with enthusiasm and even excitement to tell them why you want to work for them and how you will eliminate problems and add value. Without presenting solid and passionate evidence about how you will deliver each and every day, you are in danger of being seen as resting on your assumed laurels and coming across as arrogant.

Just because you have experience, perhaps even extensive expert experience, does not make you invulnerable to the pitfalls and problems of everyday work life. Even if you are the best of the best of the best, you still need to be doing your best always. Overqualified means you are presenting yourself as above it all and that very likely you will not try to do a better job of it because nobody does it better than you. And again you deserve top pay just because you are you.

As it’s been said in the circles of sales professionals, “you are only as good as your last sale.” You have to prove your worth. Be prepared to do so when you have that face to face meeting, that interview, that sales call.

Listen to their needs and tell them, show them, how you will deliver.

If you need to practice that interview, contact me.

Walt Tarrow
wtarrow@jvsdet.org

And check out JVS at www.jvsdet.org for job postings, seminars, events and more.

Join me and NextJobs~JVS Detroit on LinkedIn.

Some recommendations about recommendations

2010-08-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Regarding recommendations on LinkedIn or anywhere else for that matter.

Who is/are the target audience that you want to see, and be impressed by, your recommendations?
What do you want people to say about you that sends the right messages to, creates the right images for, your target audience?
Who can best represent, and speak to, your various work, education, and other experiences?
Who, and from where, are the people who are most relevant to your target audience?

Once you have answered the questions above, contact the people you want to recommend you on LinkedIn (they have to be members of LinkedIn to give you a recommendation). Provide them with a recommendation you scripted for them and ask them to review, edit if they want to, and send to you to be posted on your LinkedIn profile.

Offer to do the same for them.

LinkedIn prompts and directs you about recommendations under your experience and education on your profile.

Any performance review or evaluation you received at your workplaces from your immediate supervisors can provide an excellent source of recommendations. If you do not have copies of performance reviews, contact the company and ask for a copy of your personnel records.

Remember that the most preferred recommendations come from previous supervisors and other work associates including customers who can testify to your work performance.

You can also provide evidence of your "soft skills" such as interpersonal, communication, organization, leadership and the like with recommendations from non-work contacts who have been witness to related behaviours. Also, fellow workers and other contacts of yours can speak to personal characteristics of yours such as trustworthiness, reliability, honesty and professionalism.

Recommendations are simply testimony provided by others to verify and support your claims about your different sets of skills, work performance and achievements.

Your skills, work, and achievements easily could fill a book, but without the right "recommendations" on the jacket, that book may never be bought.

For help with crafting your recommendations, feel free to contact me.

And follow me and JVS at www.jvsdet.org and check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. Job postings are at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org as well as the calendar of upcoming seminars and events.

Walt
wtarrow@jvsdet.org

Interviewing Questions

2010-08-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

So many questions, so few answers...

There are hundreds of job search books containing thousands of interview questions with suggested answers to help you prepare for your interview. Yet every interview you have seems to add at least one question you never heard before.

Here is a list of ten questions that a helpful job seeker emailed to me just today. The company provided him with these questions to help him prepare for his interview for a logistics/warehouse position.

1. How does our position fit in with your career goals and objectives?

2. What separates you from the rest of the candidates? In other words, why should we hire YOU?

3. How would your previous Supervisors and Co-workers describe your ability to be dependable?

4. Please give us examples in one of your previous positions that addresses your productivity level while still maintaining a high level of accuracy and quality?

5. Tell me about one of your previous positions that you enjoyed? Why did you enjoy working for that company? What are some things you would have liked to see change?

6. Please describe how you would handle the following situation: At 9:00 am the Warehouse Supervisor gives you several shipments that need to go out by 10:00 am. By (9:45 am you realize you will not be able to accomplish this and your Supervisor is nowhere in sight).. How do you think you might handle this?

7. There are times when we work without close supervision or support to get the job done. Tell us about a time when you found yourself in such a situation and how did things turn out.

8. When we talk about customer service, we often think about external customers or the people who are not part of our organization. Tell me about a time you were confronted by a frustrated ‘customer’? What did you do to resolve the situation?

9. Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead on a project at work?

10. Listening is an important part of providing good customer service. Describe good listening skills. Please give us an example of a time when you’ve demonstrated good listening skills?

Question #2 is one of the two basic questions that are asked, in a great variety of ways, ultimately by all interviewers.

Those two essential questions are:
Why should we hire you?
Why do you want to work for us?

The number one reason that applicants lose interviews is lack of preparation.

And having, and practicing, good answers to basic interview questions is essential interview preparation.

What answers do you have?

What messages do you need to deliver at your interview to be a winner?

Be prepared to be a winner.

If you have any tough interview questions you would like to have some help with creating good answers, please contact me.

Walt Tarrow
wtarrow@jvsdet.org
www.linkedin.com/in/walttarrow
www.jvsdet.org

Follow me and JVS on Facebook and Twitter.

Is Your Job Search Out of Control? - Part 3 of 5

2010-08-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Plato

Whose job is it?

Whose responsibilty is it?

If it is not your job, why is it theirs?

Why should you/it matter to them?

And if it does not matter to them, is it not time for you to take matters into your own hands?

Is it not time for you to take responsibility for your own actions? Your own behavior?

What is the good, what is the benefit, what is your gain, if you criticize their behaviors?

What do you hope to accomplish? Are you on a mission to make everyone behave your way? Is that time well spent on your job search? What do you have to gain?

Or are you better served by doing what you need to do to make it worth their while...instead of expecting them to behave your way and getting upset when they do not?

Being critical and getting upset over others not doing what you expect them to do for you, in many cases a complete stranger, is childish, self-centered, non-productive and a waste of time.

And if you express your impatience, frustration, even anger at their "rude" and "unprofessional" behavior, are you presenting as an employee with whom they would want to work?

Did you ever think about taking the time to consider why that person is being rude and not professional? Maybe they have way, way too much work to do.

The most recent measure shows a drop in productivity in the US. That is an indication that workers are having to do more with less and not being able to do it. That may be called overwork in some circles. So you label the overworked employee who did not respond to you in a prompt and obedient way as rude and not professional. Thanks a lot, buddy!

Why not take this great opportunity to show them that you are the right person for the job, the person who handles unpleasant people, difficult situations, disappointment with a positive attitude and a smile!

Expressing your indignation with their actions only brings you down to their level and excuses your own lack of responsibility. Be responsible for your own behavior and only your behavior. Conduct your job search in a considerate, professional, and responsible fashion.

It may not be natural. It requires you to be thoughful, mindful and patiently persistent.

So take the high road. It will put you in control. And it will get you there much easier, faster and take away a whole lot of stress.

Stay in touch with me and JVS.

We are here to help.

Walt Tarrow
wtarrow@jvsdet.org

Visit us at www.jvsdet.org, be a fan of JVS Detroit on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and look for jobs and events at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org.

And find me and our group NextJobs~JVS Detroit on LinkedIn.

Thirteen Lucky Tips for the "Networking Challenged"

2010-07-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Karen Gutman, Employment Specialist at JVS Detroit...thanks, Karen!

1. Remember why you are networking – We network to make connections and broaden our knowledge base. Whether we are in sales or job searching, we do not approach our network to make sales (or get a job), but to gather information and seek referrals of others to meet. Embracing this thought takes the pressure off and allows us to enjoy meeting new people.

2. Dress for Success – Dress professionally in business attire. Be sure your clothes are clean and neat. Do a quick check in a mirror before entering the room. Wear a suit or sport jacket with pockets for business cards. You can keep your cards in the pocket on one side and those you collect in the other.

3. Be prepared to network – We are more comfortable if we know we have everything we need to network. One should never be without business cards! As a job seeker, your cards should include your name, your contact information, and your job goal as a profession. For example, “Inside Sales Professional”, “Executive Administrative Assistant”, or “Licensed Auto Mechanic”. Know your elevator speech! You don’t want to fumble or ramble on when asked the “what do you do” question. Your speech should include they type of people you are looking to connect with.

4. Plan your strategy – Pause for a few minutes at the door to see who you would like to approach. Look for someone standing alone, as they will be eager to engage with you. If you have specific people you want to meet, approach them or join in their conversation. If you put it off, they just might leave before you get your chance! Set a realistic goal for how many people you plan to talk to at the event. It’s ok to start small. Once you get more comfortable, you’ll set higher goals. But push yourself to meet your goal!

5. Plan your approach – Rehearse your approach. Extend your hand, “Hello, my name is _______”. Then have your first question ready. Good openers are: “What do you do?”, “Is this your first time here?”, “How did you hear about this event?” “What other networking meetings do you attend?” Then ask follow up questions and use their name often. It will help you remember and personalize your conversation.

6. Ask a lot of questions. You can find out what the person does, how they got into the field, and what other networking events they attend. People love to talk about themselves and it will put you both at ease. If they ask about you, answer with what you do – such as the title on your business card. Give your elevator speech and let them know with whom you are looking to connect.

7. Do not ask for a job! You didn’t attend to find a job; you are networking to make contacts. It’s ok to mention you are looking for a new position, but DO NOT make that the focus of the conversation. Don’t hand out your resume, that’s what your business card is for. If you are asked for your resume, you can always email it.

8. Know when it is time to move on. The purpose of a networking event is to connect with people you want to get to know better. It is not the time for a lengthy conversation. Once you have determined that this is someone you want to have more conversation with, say something like, “I would like to talk more with you, but I am sure you want to meet others. Would you be interested in meeting sometime for coffee so we can continue this discussion?” If they are interested, make sure you follow up! If the conversation isn’t worth pursuing further, just say, “I will let you go” or simply, “It’s been great meeting you”.

9. But before you move on… shake hands and be sure to ask for a business card. Don’t flaunt your card or hand it out unless it is asked for. No one likes the person who walks around an event handing out their cards and calling it “networking”!

10. Be confident; don’t apologize for taking time or asking for a contact – that’s why everyone is there!

11. Take note! Make notes on the back of business cards to remind yourself what you talked about and what follow up you need to do. You can do this when you are “moving on” or when you return to your car.

12. Follow up... make LinkedIn connections with your new contacts. Follow up with meetings or information. Look for information or articles to pass along to your new contacts in areas of interest that you discussed.

13. It gets easier every time. It’s ok if you feel nervous before you go in. Many people get uncomfortable in new situations. Take a few deep breaths, let the oxygen circulate, and feel confident because you know you are totally prepared!

Prepared by Karen Gutman
Employment Specialist at JVS Detroit
kgutman@jvsdet.org
248.233.4248
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karengutman
http://twitter.com/karenegutman

Karen is just one of the helpful professional staff at JVS Detroit.

Visit us at www.jvsdet.org, search our job bank at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org, join our group NextJobs~JVS Detroit on LinkedIn.com and follow JVS Detroit on Twitter and be a fan of JVS Detroit on Facebook.

Is Your Job Search Out of Control? - Part 2 of 5

2010-07-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I advised not looking for "anything" and having a focus in your job search.

But what if your focused job search is coming up empty, no leads, nobody hiring someone like you?

The hidden secret, known for the past several decades and probably for all time, the majority, as much as 80%, of all jobs NEVER GET ADVERTISED.

Most job openings are filled BEFORE they can ever go public.

And most employers would rather their job openings not go public because when jobs are advertised, made known to the public, then the mad rush, the spammers, the tsunami of job seekers all storm the gates.

Keep your focus, keep your eye on the prize and stop stampeding with the crowd.

Contact all those companies of interest even if they are not advertising any openings.

Use a letter of inquiry or introduction, ask for advice from key people, phone the switchboard and ask general questions like to whom should you speak to learn more about the company or how they go about hiring when they have the need, create marketing pieces and campaigns to promote your strengths, assests and value to the company.

But do not limit your job search only to those companies advertising openings.

If you need help in creating and putting into action your marketing and prospecting plan, get in touch with me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Be sure to come back for Part 3.

And don't forget to check out what's happening at www.JVSDet.org.

Is Your Job Search Out of Control?!? - Part 1 of 5

2010-07-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Is your job search out of control?

How can that be when you are you looking for anything, just any job, to get back to work?

I just searched on Indeed for all, any, jobs in the metro Detroit area posted since yesterday and came up with 1,585! Now I have to narrow that list down somehow and review all that might be of interest. Being open to anything, it may be a challenge. BUT if I can get the list down to only 5% of the original total, I will have only 80 to look at.

Giving myself no more than three minutes per posting, I would need about four hours to look at only 5% of today's new postings. That's, on average, four hours EVERY day!

Just to look at the postings. And that does not even consider the time it would take for me to apply to the ones that look promising.

And forget about following up on any of those applications.

And no way will I have the time to go in person to any of them or to visit any other companies in the neighborhood. Or open up the phone book and call any of them.

After all, you are willing to take anything. How can it take so much time, so much effort, to find "anything?"

But what if you start my search with some job targets, some choice keywords that match my talents, my experience, my education/training, my strengths?

After all, are you really willing to take "anything?"

If you start out asking for anything, you set yourself up to get something you would never want or nothing at all.

But most important of all, no employer wants to hire anyone who is looking for anything.

With at least a general idea of what you want and what you know you are good at doing, you tell employers what they need to know to offer you the job.

Otherwise, you are nobody special who will take anything and just does not care.

Not someone to be hired.

But what if your search with all the right keywords, for your job match, your job fit, keeps coming up empty? What then?

Be sure to come back for Part 2.

In the meanwhile, you can keep on top of all the events, activities, resources and more at JVS by visiting our main website, http://www.jvsdet.org/, or search for jobs at http://www.parnossahworksdetroit.org/, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Walt

What's the use of resume keywords?

2010-06-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

When jobs are posted, incoming resumes and applictions are screened to create a subset of applicants that are somewhat, in general, qualified.

The Good Enough category is necessary to get to the Choice Candidate category.

The overwhelming method of screening is based on determining a list of screener, or key, words. These keywords are used to filter IN resumes and applications that are to be moved along in the process, and screen OUT, eliminate, those that do not have at least a predetermined minimum of these words.

For example, someone with the job title of "secretary" on their resume, although they might be fully capable of performing, and experienced with, the duties of a receptionist, would be screened OUT and not included with the resumes moved along in the recruiting process. Without the keyword "receptionist" on their resume, they would be eliminated from consideration.

Your resume and application must have a majority, if not close to 100%, of those keywords to be included with those not eliminated during the initial screen.

I advised a job seeker about this and he took my advice word for word. He copied and pasted the actual job posting at the top of his resume under his contact information, titled the pasted ad "Summary of Skills" and emailed his resume as such to the company. He did not even delete the phrase "Equal Employment Opportunity Employer" from what he copied onto his resume.

He was called in for an interview within a couple days and offered the job!

Also, if you have an overwhelming number of other keywords not related to the position, you might also be excluded. Since the majority of your experience appears to be in something else or elsewhere, you will likely not fit the profile of a qualified candidate.

Whether or not the process is automated, computerized or manual, it is basically the same.

A job description is created formally or informally and a posting may come from that or be cobbled together on its own.

But, regardless of how this process goes, keywords are the filters, the criteria upon which the search for qualified candidates is based. Especially given the ginormous number of resumes and applications submitted nowadays.

First, foremost and exclusively, the lesson here is to use keywords in your resumes and applications that are not just synonymous but are exactly the same as the keywords in the job descriptions and postings to which you apply. And limit or exclude keywords that are not related to the positions for which you wish to be considered.

Unlike vampires, you must present a personal image which mirrors the image of the target job in order to survive the screen.

And if you think that this process of screening using keywords does not make sense for an employer considering huge numbers of applicants, consider this quote.

"If you think the products don't match what you want from a product, don't buy it." Donald Norman

If you want your resume pre-screened for keywords, please email BOTH your resume and the posting to which you are applying. My email address is wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

And be sure to check out our calendars of upcoming group meetings, seminars and events at http://www.jvsdet.org/ along with our job postings at http://www.parnossahworksdetroit.org/.

Remember, keywords are the key to get you past security and in the front door.

You Can't Get a Job Because of Your Age

2010-04-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Do you think your age is an issue in your job search?

Are you not getting any responses to your applications, your resumes, your phone calls because of your age?

Is your age keeping you from the interview?

Are you being discriminated against because of your age?

If you believe your age is an issue, that your age is keeping you from being considered as a candidate, is keeping you from being seen as qualified, and is keeping you from being interviewed, first ask yourself why you believe this is true.

What evidence, what proof do you have to support your belief that the employer has an issue with your age?

How does the employer, the recipient of your application, your resume, your cover letter know how old you are?

Are you giving them information that tells your age? Do you have to provide that information? Is that information required by the application? If information is not required, why provide it?

Even if you are required to provide certain information that reveals your age, how do you know that your age is the reason why you did not get a response or an interview? Is it possible that there are other reasons you have not heard from them?

Was your application, your resume one of hundreds, thousands? Did it get buried in the pile, the folder, lost in the electronic black hole in cyberspace? Did you do anything else, anything special, anything different to get noticed? How do you know it was your age?

Did you have all the keywords they were searching for? Did you write your resume to penetrate the screen, to get through the filters, to give them exactly what they wanted to see? How do you know it was your age?

Did you take the opportunity to present your value proposition, to present how you have and will deliver the ultimate result, to present how you can meet and exceed their bottom line? How do you know it was your age?

Did you follow up, stay in touch, continue to express through any and every means of communication your interest, your enthusiasm, your desire to make it happen FOR THEM, for their success? Or did you pester them without mercy because YOU NEED a job? How do you know it was your age?

Before you believe that age discrimination is keeping you from the interview, ask yourself if you have done any and every thing that you could to get noticed. And are you getting noticed in the most positive and appealing way?

We will discuss any possible issue with age as it relates to the interview itself in my next blog.

Over 50? Having a difficult time finding a job?
"Get a Job" workshops for Job Seekers Over 50 are being offered April 27 through April 30 at the JVS Southfield office. For details and to register, go to the workshop calendar at www.jvsdet.org, the Seminars/Events tab at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org, or follow me on LinkedIn and our LinkedIn group NextJobs~JVS Detroit. Oh, yeah, and don't forget to follow JVS Detroit on Twitter.

"The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes." Frank Lloyd Wright

Goal Setting - GIVE what you WANT

2010-04-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

On your journey to achieving your goals, this one shift in your mindset can radically change how the world around you responds to and receives you.

The process of goal setting can make you very myopic, very nearsighted, and "ME-focused."

If we really want to get what we want, we have to remember one of the oldest success principles. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Or as Zig Ziglar puts it, "You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."

What if that is true?

What if you knew for sure that everything you gave you would receive back tenfold?

How much would you give? What would you give? How fast would you give it?

What do you wnat? What attributes do you need to accomplish your goals?

Do you need more courage? Who can you encourage?

Do you need more strength? Who can you help strengthen?

Do you need more belief? Who can you believe in?

Do you need more confidence? Who can you instill confidence in?

Do you need more love? Who can you love?

This is how.

Give what you need and give what you want. What you give to others, you give to yourself. And the added bonus is somehow it multiplies itself back to you.

You need to decide what key attributes you need to accomplish your big, hairy and audacious goals, then figure out how you can go about giving that very thing away to others.

When you look at the world with an eye toward how you can give, instead of simply focusing on what you can get, the thing you desire will beat a path to your door.

Join others helping others finding jobs and new opportunities in the NextJobs~JVS Detroit group on LinkedIn.com.

And check out many more helpful resources at http://www.jvsdet.org/.

Email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Walt

Are you job seeker paparazzi?

2010-03-10T06:27:00.000-08:00

You keep applying for jobs. You keep chasing the employer, the job, the photo opportunity. You are ruthless in your pursuit.

You apply online. You apply through Indeed.com and Monster and CareerBuilder and Dice.com and the Michigan Talent Bank and company websites and your school/community college/college/university/alumni association and other associations and LinkedIn and Facebook and many, many more cyberspaces.

You show up everywhere...at job fairs, open houses, career fairs, pink slip parties, networking events and association meetings.

Resumes and application stuff jammed in your pockets, you seek out and pursue wherever and whenever employers appear in public. You push past the other job seeker paparazzi and the bodyguards to get to the employer celebrity.

You have sent out dozens, hundreds, even thousands of resumes and applied everywhere.

But then you wait. You wait for them to review your application, your resume, your cover letter, your portfolio, your references, your LinkedIn profile and all of your documentation, your stuff. And you wait for them to deem you worthy. You wait for them to decide if you are good enough.

Why would someone call you in for an interview? What makes you special or at least different from all the others clammering for the job?

Your resume, your application is identical to, or very much like, every other resume and application. Maybe the words are a little bit different, but all that documentation looks pretty much the same.

How can you separate yourself from the crowd? How can you stand out from everyone else? How can you get their attention, interest, appreciation and respect?

The answer is in what you do next, what you do AFTER you apply.

What are you doing AFTER you apply? Are you acting like the ideal candidate who is active, patiently persistent, taking initiative, creative, interested and enthusiastic?

Or are you passive, annoying, impatient, a problem not a solution, tedious and boring, angry and hostile, demanding and a time waster?

What are you doing AFTER you apply?

For help in learning and putting into practice ways to speed up your job search success, visit JVS at www.jvsdet.org, join our LinkedIn group NextJobs~JVS Detroit, follow JVS Detroit on Twitter and/or email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Ten Job Hunting Myths

2010-02-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

THE MYTHS:

Without an excellent resume and cover letter, you'll never beat the competition and get the interview.
The best way to find a job is by using the Internet.
Resumes are screened to find the best qualified candidates.
If you are qualified and you apply, you deserve an interview. If you don't get the interview or even any response, you are not qualified for that job opening.
If you ask everyone you know to help you find a job, someone will find one for you.
It's not what you know, it's who you know.
If you follow up with an employer more than three times, you are being a pest. And pests don't get jobs.
If someone says "No" to you about a job, they mean "No."
To win the interview, you have to sell yourself by telling them how wonderful you are.
I can't find a job because of the economy. It stinks and the best jobs are going overseas.

LET'S GET REAL!

Most interviews come from initial contacts without a resume or cover letter.
The best way to find current leads is by using the Internet. The best way to find a job is by developing other leads.
Resumes are screened to find keywords and potential problems.
Being qualified is not enough. First you need to get noticed.
If you ask and expect everyone you know to help you find a job, you'll lose a lot of friends.
It's not who you know, but who knows and appreciates YOU.
Following up the right way is persistence. Following up the wrong way is pestering. And most leads become interviews after a minimum of 7-10 follow ups.
If someone says "No" to you after an interview, they very likely mean "Not now."
To win the interview, you have to ask questions, listen to the answers and tell them what they want to hear. Most people can't sell. They talk too much about themselves and don't listen to their customers.
There are always jobs for people who develop the right contacts, get involved in the business, and show employers how they can improve the bottom line.

Learn the right way and find the resources you need for your job search success at www.jvsdet.org and www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org. Join us at NextJobs~JVS Detroit on www.LinkedIn.com.

You can reach me, Walt Tarrow, at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Posting Your Resume Online

2010-01-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I just learned of a website for posting your resume online.

And it turns out that Emurse.com has been on the Net for over three years! And that was even before Globalpitch.com came on the scene.

If you know of other websites where you can post your resume online, please share.

But with so many websites and so much information, how do you choose what's best for you?

You could spend every hour of every day searching for good info, good advice, and find endless amounts of helpful, useful stuff.

What should you consider when using a website, a service, a tool for posting your resume online?

The top consideration has to be if your resume is going to be found and read by the right people.

So, who are the right people? At the very least, the right people should be those who can influence, directly or indirectly, hiring decision makers. Or put you in touch with, connect you with, those with influence.

Or the right people could be the decision makers themselves.

Are they going to visit the depository where your resume is being stored?

I've been told by a number of those decision makers that they don't have the time or the inclination to search for resumes because they already have too many resumes coming after them. Resumes sent to them have overloaded their personal resume banks and folders.

So why bother posting your resume online?

Well, if it doesn't cost you anything, why not?

But, if it does cost you, then you might want to rethink that value proposition.

Posting your resume online on websites like Emurse.com or Globalpitch.com for free might be worth the investment of the time and effort it takes to construct your resume, but don't count on much of any response from the employers out there.

That's up to chance.

Good Luck!

Job Search Experts - Whom Can You Trust?

2009-12-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

Thousands and thousands of job search experts everywhere.

Search online and there is no shortage of job search wisdom.

But whom can you trust?

A job seeker forwarded an article to me entitled "Debunking 5 (Un)employment Myths" and asked for my thoughts.

Here are the five myths as presented by the writer:
Myth #1-The greater your qualifications, the better.
Myth #2-You should always "dress for success."
Myth #3-Most jobs are not advertised.
Myth #4-Send enough resumes and the phone will ring.
Myth #5-Once you have a job, it is best to "stay put."

The writer addresses each myth with a reality and a follow up strategy.

For a copy of the full article, please contact me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

As for my thoughts, I disagreed with most of his realities and questioned his strategies, BUT I appreciated how his advice provoked my thoughts and challenged my job search beliefs.

To decide if he was to be a trusted source, I looked for evidence of his credibility as an expert. An Internet search for the author resulted in finding copies of the article but nothing more about him.

And a website given for more information about the author, www.scatterseeds.com, remains "currently down for maintenance."

Soooo...the jury is still out.

As for job search advice, in general, ask questions of, and advice from, everyone. You never know who knows the right answer. And the right answer may not be the right answer for you, or the right answer at this time.

Take nothing as gospel, as the absolute truth. Try it out if you can, give it a chance, see if it works, and, if it does, or even if it doesn't, share your experiences with others.

So, whom do you trust?

Bottom line -- you start by trusting yourself.

The ABCs of Job Search - Part 1

2009-11-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

A is for Apply.

Apply to every job that you meet at least 1/2 of the requirements.
Apply to everywhere you want to work even if the company is not hiring; especially if the company is not hiring. They will be hiring some day and you will be at the front of the line; maybe there won't even be a line, just you.

B is for Build Connections.

Build connections to keep your application, your resume, you out of cold storage and moving on to the next step, to the interview and beyond.
Build new contacts and forge those contacts into connections to advise, to inform, to support and to refer you to other connections.

C is for Care.

Care about the job opening and act like it.
Care about the company and act like it.
Care about the people that work there and act like it.
Care about your network, your connections, your family, your friends and ACT like it.

Should You Pay To Get a Job?

2009-10-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

Simply put, NO!

You have two important factors to consider.

First, what exactly are you getting for your money?

Second, can you get it for less or perhaps even for free?

There are people out there in the wide, wide world who want your money, are not concerned about how they get it, and not interested in providing you anything of value, anything that would help you.

You may be confused. You may be discouraged. You might be desperate. You certainly are vulnerable. And there are predators who will take advantage of you.

What exactly are you getting for your money? Is it possible for someone to GIVE you a job? Of course, that is what employers/companies do. But why would some one or some company charge you for the job? They might charge you for expenses such as tools or licenses but be clear about the employment arrangement or contract before agreeing to anything.

Recently, an alledged employment service advertised immediate hiring for delivery and customer service jobs for anyone. Anyone who showed up at their office and paid $30 for a "uniform" which happened to be an oversized T-shirt with their company name on it. The job was delivering the same flyers that brought the people in to pay the $30 in the first place!! And many of these new employees never earned a penny.

Other employment services claim to provide jobs or leads for a fee, but none of these jobs or leads are exclusive to them. You can find these leads advertised all over the Internet or by simply contacting the companies directly.

What exactly are you paying for?

There are employment and career services that will teach you how to create a resume or create one for you for a fee. Even if they create one for you, you still have to provide all your background information. What exactly are you paying for?

And can you get these things for less or for free?

There are many ways to get a resume and look for jobs that cost only the time and effort you put into it. No fee.

Just get in touch with me and JVS at wtarrow@jvsdet.org, on LinkedIn, at 248.233.4231 or check out our job bank at www.parnossahworksdetroit.org.

And it's free!

Is Time Off Really Time Off?

2009-10-15T05:59:00.000-07:00

Taking it easy can be really, really hard!

I just returned to the office after a two week vacation.

My outgoing voice mail message said I was out of the office and although I extended the option to leave a message, I also directed callers to contact the main office number for immediate assistance.

I had three messages left over the two week period.

BUT, even though I had set my Outlook Out of the Office Assistant to say I was not available for two weeks, and not counting blocked spam messages, I had 897 emails in my inbox...

A friend has said that you really pay for your vacation with way more work once you return to your job.

How much time and effort are you investing in your job search right now?

Every day that you take time off when you could be working on finding leads, following up and through with your applications and resumes, and making contacts and forging connections is time added to your job search.

Little bits of work every day are solid investments in your job and career future.

Schedule regular daily tasks that are simple and doable instead of saving them up for big frantic flurries of activity.

When it comes to job search success, slow and steady does win the race.

Meet and mix with hundreds of business contacts! Join us at the JVS Business Connnections event on Wednesday, October 21st. Register by clicking on the event flyer at http://www.jvsdet.org/pdf%20files/business%20connections%20flyer.pdf.

Being the Ideal Candidate, part 2

2009-09-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

Seven good tips about successful job seeker and worker behaviors.

Focus on accomplishment. Be known as the person who gets things done. Solve problems, don't dwell on them. Help other job seekers. Provide Answers on LinkedIn to be recognized as an expert.
Develop a reputation to be proud of. Keep an eye on your image. Be someone YOU would admire.
Be trustworthy. Be the person who can keep a secret, isn't a gossip, and can be counted on in all situations. Pay attention when you listen and behave like you are paying attention. Empathize with others and show your empathy.
When you give your word, keep it. Underpromise and overdeliver.
Be on time. Be where you are supposed to be when you are expected to be there. Respect the schedules of others. Let them know you know how busy they are and how precious is their time.
Don't complain. No one cares, and they have problems of their own. Solve problems, don't dwell on them. Share good news with everyone and be selective with whom you burden with the bad news.
Don't brag. It's obnoxious and it alienates others. Arrogance is the number one reason why people get fired or don't get hired. Trying to manipulate or influence others without considering them is the first step to failure.

Adapted from "Larry's Employee Handbook" as written in It's Called Work for a Reason.

Are You the Ideal Candidate?

2009-09-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

"Who you ARE speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you are saying." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Are your actions as a job seeker telling employers what they want to hear?
Do you complain about no one returning your phone calls or emails? Or are you patient, but persistent?

How are you looking for a job?
Are you waiting around for something to happen? Or are you following up and finding ways to make and keep in contact with companies?

What actions are you taking to find employment?
Do you rely on others to do things for you? Or are you taking the initiative and doing as much as you can for yourself?

How are you behaving when and after you apply to a job opening?
When you get discouraged and frustrated, do you gripe or take it out on others? Or are you the kind of employee who handles pressure well?

Ask yourself if you are you doing the things that the perfect, the best, employee would do.
If you want the job, while you are looking, you must behave every day in every way possible like an employee they would want.

Do you know, do you understand, how the ideal candidate should behave?

Having all the required and preferred knowledge and experience to do a job means nothing if you don't act the part. If you don't behave like the right kind of person for the job, then you won't get the offer. Employers hire the right person, not necessarily the most qualified.

Learn about the job. Ask for a job description. Research the company. Talk to people who work for the company or people who have a similar job in another company.

Then make a behavioral profile of the ideal candidate. How would the best employee take on a project? What are the top personality characteristics of the successful worker in that position? How would the desired candidate handle problems like difficult customers?

Then make a list of at least five of those characteristics that you would want to demonstrate. And create opportunities in your job search process to show them who you are.

For example, if you have identified that politeness is a top quality for success in that job, then behave in a considerate and courteous way. Acknowledge busy schedules and heavy work loads. Ask when would they have a moment or two to spare. Make your schedule convenient for them. Speak precisely and slowly, and repeat your name and phone number so your voice mail messages can be understood clearly.

Bottom line:
Would you hire you?

The Red Button

2009-09-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

Help Wanted.
Red Button Pusher.
Must be ready, willing and able to push a red button.
Red button pushing experience preferred, but not required.

Hello, I am Bill. I am here to interview for the Red Button Pusher job.

Hello, Bill. I am Mary. Nice to meet you. Have you any experience pushing a red button? Red button experience is not required, but we would prefer if you had some experience with pushing a red button.

Well, Mary, I have a PhD in button design and technology. I have five years experience in the design, implementation, operation, maintenance, and quality evaluation of buttons. I have published several studies on the ergonomic application of buttons in a wide variety of industrial, military and medical applications. I have increased the effectiveness of button pushing for seven different businesses resulting in production improvements of an average of 47%. And after an analysis of your button pushing operation, I have determined that you will increase your profits by 17% if you change the color of the button from red to green.

That is very impressive, Bill. But you are way overqualified for the job. You probably want to be paid much more than we can afford and you would be bored very quickly with the red button pushing job. So thank you, Bill, but no thank you. Have a nice day.

But, Mary, wait, I really need this job! I am more than ready, willing and able to push the red button and I will work for nothing just to show you how hard working I am. Please! I just want a chance to get my foot in the door.

Sorry, Bill. Good luck.

So…was Bill being “honest” or maybe a little arrogant? If you tell them all about yourself without considering what they want or what is most important to them, then is it not all about you and not about them?

You be the judge.

No, wait, they already passed a verdict. You lost.

THE RULE
First and foremost, give them what THEY want…nothing more, nothing less.
You can always do more once you have landed the job.

Getting Started

2009-05-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

So something happened. So you lost your job. So now what?

You are tired. It hurt. It's scary. You don't want to think about it.

What about tomorrow?

Maybe it's time to take that break. That break you earned, you really deserve.

Okay, it's your choice. It's always your choice.

Maybe you didn't choose to leave your job, to change everything, to lose what you had. But you can choose what you do about it.

But taking that deserved time off would be a good thing, right?

Maybe...but you can't get too comfortable with that...you can't turn your break into an overextended denial vacation.

Maybe after a couple weeks or so it would be time to get back to work.

The work of finding your next job, making your next opportunity, getting back into the thick of things...back to the land of the living.

Start with open discussions with your family and your friends. Share your thoughts and your feelings and ask for their advice, their help. Make it okay for both you and your family to be open about how you all feel.

No blame, no wrongdoing, just healing and help...and all help is welcome...even if the help sounds less than helpful, it is someone trying to help...and we all need help.

Negative feelings are to be acknowledged, but not embraced. Positive feelings are to be celebrated and shared.

It's about taking action, about doing something, anything to keep moving, to find and go after that next chapter. It is more difficult to hold onto negative thoughts and feelings when you are active and involved.

Don't be a problem dweller. Be a problem solver.

Okay, start with that break, that time off. Maybe you already have. Maybe it's time to get back to work. Maybe you don't have a choice and you HAVE to get back to work. Well, get started!

Make a plan. What is your goal? What kind of job are you looking for? What are your objectives? Set up your daily schedule. What are your deadlines? Assemble your team -- your family and your friends. Identify your targets -- make a list of the companies you want to contact, to connect with. Start looking for those companies on the Internet -- in the job banks, on their websites, in the news. And look for contacts with those companies with the help of your family and your friends.

And get help wherever you can.

I will be creating a number of online groups over the next few weeks including a group on LinkedIn. Join me there and elsewhere.

And I and JVS are not alone in being there for you.

I will be posting names and info about groups and resources that can help you.

And please share your thoughts and concerns and questions with me and others through your comments on my posts.

The appearance and content of this blog will change from time to time as I try to find my/our voice. Your feedback is wanted.

Walt
wtarrow@jvsdet.org

What's the hold up?

2009-04-29T06:56:00.001-07:00

Why the delay?

It has been over three weeks since I started this blog and this is only the second entry.

What keeps us from doing what needs to be done?

What is keeping YOU from looking for your next job?

I got stuck because of two things.

Too many demands with too little time...many, many phone calls, emails, meetings and every caller, every emailer wants to be the most important.

And is what I blog good enough, important enough, for someone, anyone to pay attention?

How about you?

How are you managing your job search work, your job search time and all the other demands of life? What are your priorities? How did you handle all those demands when you were working the 40, 50 or more hours every week?

And why haven't you sent out your resume or set up that meeting yet? Is your resume not good enough? Are you not sure if you will make the best impression when you go to that meeting? Are you not prepared?

Well, forget all that.

"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week." George S. Patton

Do something, anything, now, every day, to keep moving. Something now is better than nothing now.

Take action. Your progress is measured by the number of mistakes you make.

"The man who makes no mistake does not usually make anything." Edward Phelps

By the way, even if you write the perfect resume, only as little as one out of twenty, that's 5%, of resumes ever get read by any real person. That's a 95% chance your perfect resume will go nowhere. That's the resume you worked so hard to perfect...perfect, but neglected and ignored.

Oh, yeah, the odds for your not-so-perfect, maybe even crappy, resume being read by a real person are at least as good as, if not better, than your perfect resume.

It's better to work on making good contacts, connections to the right people, than to work on making your resume perfect.

A construction foreman told me he hired a young man who came to the work site and handed him this resume.

I DO SIDDING

The young man's secret? He went to the work site. He made himself visable. He made the right impression with the right person.

Stop worrying about being perfect and get out there and meet people. Every day. Make at least that your priority.

And don't forget to come over here to JVS in Southfield any Monday evening at 6:30pm or Thursday afternoon at 1:30pm to meet and get help from even more people.

We will be looking out for you.

Walt
Email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org
Next post: Getting started...first steps

Something Happened

2009-04-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Something happened.

I did not really love my job, but some things about it I liked. And I got paid so I could have a family, a home, a car, and do fun things and buy stuff I enjoyed. And I was safe from really, really bad things happening.

Then something happened.

I was worried for a long time. Maybe not the kind of worry that you think about every day, but the kind that nags you when you aren't thinking about anything in particular. I was worried when I heard talk about other people losing their jobs. But I was happy it wasn't me. And then, for a little while, I wasn't as worried.

But then something happened.

I did not believe it at first. I had been working so very, very hard to keep my job. Harder than ever in my life. But they did not see, they did not care. It was just so unfair.

Something happened and I lost my job.

Give me a break.

At first I just wanted a break, to be left alone. I had been working so hard, worrying so hard, I needed time off. Time to think, time to recover, time to feel better. My family, my friends, everybody else needed to understand that. But they did not always understand. Sure, they did not want it to happen. I did not want it to happen. But it did.

I needed a break.

No need to worry. Things will be okay. I was a valued employee. I am a hard worker. I give 100%...and more. Some company will be lucky to have me work for them. When they get my application, see my resume, they will want to talk to me. They will want to offer me the job. But they did not offer me the job, the interview, or even the time of day.

I needed a break.

Just give me a chance. Let me talk to you. I will tell you what you need to hear. I know I am perfect for the job. You will see.

Where is my break?

I do not need your help. I just need a job.

But the people who have the jobs are not helping me. What is their problem? If they give me a job, I can help them. But they do not seem to want my help. What is wrong with them? Is there something wrong with me? Am I not good enough? It is just so unfair.

I became worried. Then I was scared. Then I felt confused...and lost...and helpless...

Then I thought that maybe I do need help. Maybe I could use some help. And when I did admit that, when I opened myself to help, I found help at JVS. And when I accepted help, any and all help given, accepted it with an open heart and mind, I found more help. And when I appreciated that help, when I was thankful for that help, I found even more help. And when I began to help others, I found help everywhere.

And then something happened.

I have begun to help myself and I am no longer helpless.

And good things are beginning to happen once again.

You can find help at: http://www.jvsdet.org

Walt

wtarrow@jvsdet.org