"No (one) is an island..." John Donne
Job search is a team sport.
The first and biggest mistake most make when searching for a job is to go it alone.
And when you do connect with others, and you must do so right up front, you need to engage them as members of your job search team.
Approaching your network of contacts asking them to help you find a job without helping them understand how they can help you specifically guarantees you last place in the standings.
Get in the game by scouting, then recruiting, first and continually, your job search team.
Start with your existing network by asking for advice, direction and guidance regarding your job search. Share with them what you plan on doing, what you have been doing, to find a job. Those who want to be on your team will be helpful. And that is how you know who to keep on your team.
Expand your team by scouting for people who are working in the types of jobs and within the companies where you want to work.
Use resources like Indeed and LinkedIn to find the right people.
You are on your way to winning your next job once you go beyond just looking for leads and start looking for people in the places you want to be.
Set out to assemble a team of about twenty. Research has proven that around twenty connections are sufficient to start the network that can put you in contact with just about anyone. Also, you can manage to stay up close and personal with twenty.
Ask your core job search management team to help introduce you to those right people that you have identified in your research.
My next post will begin with your job search team's training camp.
"Players win games; teams win championships." Bill Taylor
JVS and I want to be on your team.
Visit www.jvsdet.org for job postings and upcoming events.
And contact me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
Showing posts with label employment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label employment. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Choosing the Right Job or Career
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
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
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The Best Way to Hunt for a Job
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
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
Friday, July 22, 2011
What Kind of a Job Getter Are You?
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
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
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Why You Do Not Get Responses to Your Applications
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.
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.
Friday, July 8, 2011
A Rule
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.
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.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Storms Make Oaks Take Deeper Root
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
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
Monday, July 12, 2010
Is Your Job Search Out of Control?!? - Part 1 of 5
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
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
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Goal Setting - GIVE what you WANT
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
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
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Should You Pay To Get a Job?
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!
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!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
What's the hold up?
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.
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
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
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