Long Term Unemployed? Don’t Give Up!
Posted: January 19, 2014 Filed under: Job Search | Tags: Encouragement, Job Search, Long Term Unemployment, Networking 1 CommentLong term unemployment insurance is in the news. While Congress grapples with how to fund it, real people are still out looking for jobs and wondering about how to pay their bills.
Recently I’ve met with several friends who have been unemployed for over 6 months. They’ve faced the concerns about unemployment insurance expiring and renewing, they’ve worried about making house payments and college tuition payments, and they’ve faced the psychological pressure of “what’s wrong with me that no one will hire me?”
Nothing is wrong with them – it’s the economy. The rule of thumb these days is that it takes an average of 1 month of job search for every $10k in annual salary. So, if you make $50,000 you should plan on being unemployed for 5 months. That’s just a guideline, but it’s the best guideline I have. The bad part about that is, for every $50k job seeker that finds a job in 1 month there is another that won’t find one for 10 months. That’s why it’s called an average. And, with the slow rebound of the labor market, the average is growing.
So, you’ve been unemployed for 6 months or more. You’ve got a great looking resume, you’re applying to jobs online, you’ve networked with everyone you can find, you go to job clubs and you’re just plain tired of the whole process. Now what!?! Here are a few ideas:
1 – Don’t stop. As frustrating as it is, you’ve got to keep at it. You have to keep networking, keep applying, and keep telling your story. The next job will come and if opportunity knocks while you’re sitting on the couch watching soap operas and feeling sorry for yourself, you’ll miss it. Get off the couch and spend some time every day actively looking for a job.
2 – Broaden your search. If you’re not already doing so, look outside of your logical career path. Think about different careers where you have transferrable skills. If nothing else this will expose you to new network contacts. Look under some different rocks and you may be surprised what you’ll find.
3 – Consider internships or part-time work. Particularly if you are an experienced professional, think about offering yourself to a small company on a pro bono or inexpensive contract basis. You won’t earn enough to threaten your unemployment, you’ll get to stay active in your field, you’ll make some new contacts, and you’ll have a great story to tell on your next interview.
4 – Take a part-time entry level job. Look for an entry level job in retail or food service. Sign up with some temp agencies. Sure, you may be working below your skill level, but you’ll be working. In addition to getting a paycheck (however small) you’ll get your confidence back.
5 – Do some volunteer work. Spend some time working at a local soup kitchen, or animal shelter, or thrift shop, or reading to children, or where ever your passion is. Again, this will get you out of the house, doing positive things and you’ll meet people who might be able to help you. If you find joy in serving others you’ll never have a better opportunity to do so, than when you’re unemployed.
The adage still holds true, you have to plan the work and then work the plan. Keep at it, keep your attitude positive and your energy high. You will find another job. Believe.
New Year’s Resolutions …
Posted: January 1, 2014 Filed under: Networking | Tags: Job Search, Networking, Resolutions, Resume, Target List Leave a commentHappy New Year!
New Year’s Day is about putting last year behind us and making plans for a new beginning. While it may be a bit corny, New Year’s Day is about making resolutions. If you lost your job in 2013 and you want to start a new one ASAP, here are some resolutions you might consider…
In 2014 I resolve to …
- Make a target list of at least 25 companies that I might like to work for and update it weekly with new information I learn
- Identify and reach out to at least 10 new contacts every week so I can tell them my story and ask if they know anyone I can network with
- Have a human resources professional critique my resume and cover letter for content and appearance
- Write a list of at least 10 accomplishments from my career that I can mix-and-match on my resume based on the job I am applying for
- Identify job clubs in my neighborhood and attend at least two meetings per month
- Ask a friend (or professional) with good typing/page-layout skills to help freshen up my resume and cover letter
- Work as hard at finding a job as I am willing to work at my new job
- Search the Internet for lists of interview questions, then write out my answers to those questions and practice saying those answers out loud
- Keep myself healthy so I can interview more effectively and be a better worker once I land that job
- Stay positive – I will find a job this year that utilizes my skills and helps me to provide for myself and my family
Clearly there is a theme here. Finding a job is hard work – but it is work that is proven to have rewards. The economy is improving. January is traditionally a good hiring month. Let’s work together and get you back to work.
Best wishes for a fantastic 2014!
How long will this take …
Posted: December 26, 2013 Filed under: Networking, Support | Tags: Emotions, Job Search, Networking, Patience Leave a commentI get it. You just lost your job. You have bills to pay. You’re ready to go back to work. The question you ask is “how long will it take to find a new job.” You better be sitting down, because you may not like my answer.
The rule of thumb that I use is that you should be prepared for your job search to take one month for every $10k of salary you want to earn. So, a $30,000 annual salary job could take 3 months and an $80,000 job could take 8 months. I’ve been fired/laid off/RIFed/what-have-you six times. The fastest I’ve ever found a job was 2 weeks (and actually I had some advance notice so it was really about 4 weeks) and the longest was 13 months. That is not completely true because one time after about 4 months I decided to open my own consulting business and stopped looking. After about 2 years that consulting business led me to my next job.
This does not mean it will take that long. Some people are in the right place at the right time. Also, if you already have a strong and well-maintained network, you may be able to speed up the process.
Likewise, this does not mean that it will only take that long. For the 1-month rule to be a rule, it has to be an average. For many of you it will take longer – but hopefully not much longer.
What this means is that you need to be patient and you need to be prepared. If you think you are at risk for losing your job, evaluate your assets. If you have no other source of income and will rely on unemployment and savings, how long will they last? If you don’t have enough money for the rule of thumb it will change your search process. You may be forced to settle for a lower paying job just to get some income flowing. You might have to lower your standards, or look in another geographic area. You just need to be prepared.
If, like me, you have a loving spouse with a good job and you can get by, be patient and work the process. Know that it probably won’t happen overnight, but it won’t happen on its own either. You have to do the work, build the network, and get the system to work for you.
Patience may be a virtue, but when it comes to finding a new job, impatience often is just as important.
Holiday Giving …
Posted: December 18, 2013 Filed under: Networking, Support | Tags: Friends, Gifts, Job Search, Networking, Thankfulness Leave a commentIn about a week many of us will be sitting down with family and friends to celebrate the holidays and exchange gifts. What gift can you give a job seeker? Here are some of the items that have been on my wish lists over the years:
Resume Support – not all job seekers are equally gifted with grammar, writing or word processing skills. If you have those skills offer to help the job seeker with their resume and cover letters. Help with the phrasing, proofreading and layout so the resume presents the job seeker in the best possible light.
Networking – actively work to help the job seeker expand their network. Just because you don’t know anybody that you know is seeking to hire someone with the job seeker’s background, does not mean that you don’t know someone. Introduce the job seeker to the people you know and let the network take care of itself.
Time – job seekers are often unemployed and may need support like day care or transportation so that they can go on networking meetings and interviews. They may need someone to run some errands so they can focus on meeting an application deadline. Give them some of your time, so they can spend their time focused on the job search.
Financial Support – while many won’t want to ask for help, being unemployed can be financially draining. Financial support, no matter how small, can be incredibly uplifting. Offer to pay a phone bill or water bill, buy some groceries, or whatever you can.
Emotional Support – more than anything, job seekers need your emotional support. Most job seekers didn’t plan to be job seekers. They lost their job, and while often that was not their fault, that does not mean that they don’t see the loss of a job as their failure – their inability to provide for their family. Often, they don’t need advice as much as they just need to someone to be there, to listen, to encourage and just be a positive and affirming presence in their life.
Holiday giving isn’t about the dollar value of the gift; it is about the thoughtful act of giving. Give your job seeker a hug, tell them that you believe in them, and you’ll support them during their job search.
Happy holidays!
On Giving Thanks …
Posted: November 28, 2013 Filed under: Networking | Tags: Friends, Job Search, Networking, Thankfulness Leave a commentOn Thanksgiving afternoon, after too much turkey, potatoes, veggies and pie, it seems a perfect time to write a post about thankfulness. But rather than thanks for all the blessings I’ve been given, I’d like to reflect on those blessings I’ve received from repeated job searches.
I’m thankful for Michael Shirley and Leigh Branham. They were my first job coaches when I went through outplacement after my second reduction in force. Together they taught me, really for the first time, how to write a resume, how to use a target list, and probably most importantly, how to network. My time with these guys plays heavily into I’m Fired?!? and Leigh graciously wrote the Forward.
I’m thankful for all the people I’ve met along the way. Some have become close friends while others I’d rather not speak to again, but all of them helped to shape who I am. I’ve learned to ask for help when I needed and graciously accept it when it’s offered. I’ve learned to be more objective about business decisions and not take personally those that affect me adversely.
I’m thankful for the different bosses that I’ve had. Some have been great coaches, mentors and teachers who have taught me about business and helped me refine my craft. Some have been complete jerks who in their own way taught me valuable lessons of patience and discretion.
I’m thankful for the twists and turns in my career path (at least most of them). I’ve experienced more industries and types of businesses than anyone I know. I think this gives me a great appreciation for diversity and flexibility and limits my ability to say “we’ve always done it this way.”
Most importantly, I’ m thankful for my wife, children and parents. They have supported me and encouraged me time and again as I’ve gone through the job search process. They have never blamed me; never been angry with me, and never doubted that I would find another job. Their constant love and support gave me the encouragement to continue to work the process, even when it seemed like there were no jobs to find.
I encourage you to sit back and reflect on your blessings. Your career may not be heading in the direction you’d planned, but don’t be surprised if there is good news just around the corner. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.
On Being Fired …
Posted: November 22, 2013 Filed under: Support | Tags: Emotions, Fired, Grieving, Networking 1 CommentIn 1969 Elisabeth Kubler-Ross published a book called On Death and Dying that changed the entire way that we looked at the grieving process. In the book Kubler-Ross identified five stages in the process: Denial – this isn’t happening to me, Anger – it’s not fair, Bargaining – please God, I’ll do better, Depression – what does it matter anyway, and finally, Acceptance – we had a great run now let’s look forward to the next phase.
With some perspective one can apply these same five stages to many of life’s challenges and they definitely apply to being fired.
Denial – no, there must be some mistake – they can’t fire me I’m a good person and a hard worker.
Anger – it’s not fair! I do way more work than Joe, fire him! This is discrimination!
Bargaining – there has to be another way. How about if I take a cut in pay? Could I work part-time for awhile? Maybe if I get some more training?
Depression – whatever – I’ve seen this coming – there is nothing I could have done – I probably deserved it – I should have left when Bob quit.
Acceptance – Okay, what’s done is done – time to move on and find that next job.
We all grieve at different speeds. I’ve worked with hundreds of terminated people and I almost always see these same 5 steps. Some people take months, others can fly through the range of emotions in minutes.
The deal is though, that you will not be effective in looking for a new job until you get to stage 5. While this may sound harsh, you just need to get over it and move on. You might have been discriminated against; there might have been a chance for you to take a cut in pay; maybe there was a mistake; but at the end of it all, you’re sitting at home on the couch watching Judge Judy when you should be out looking for a new job. No pitty-party, no woe is me. Get up, brush off your resume, start networking, and get to it.
Looking for a new job is a full time job. If you let your anger at your former employer come out in your interviews, no one is going to hire you. If you pout and whine during a networking meeting, no one is going to refer you to their friends. If you can’t get off the couch and make some phone calls, your network isn’t going to grow.
It’s hard, but it’s life. I’ve been there. I’ve seen many other people do it. You can too. Now get up and get to work and find that next job.
Who Are You Targeting?
Posted: November 16, 2013 Filed under: Networking | Tags: Job Search, Networking, Target List 3 CommentsI often am asked to network with job seekers. Having been in their shoes six times I usually agree and freely give out advice and contacts as appropriate. Most job seekers are much more adept at the search process than I was when I first went through this it my first time. They have good looking resumes; they know how to network; and they are getting better at being prepared and doing their research. But most still have not prepared one of the most important job search documents.
If you are job seeker you need a target list. This is a list of 20-25 organizations where you think you might want to work. These organizations may not have job openings, but they’re place who might be a fit for you due to their size, industry, location, reputation, what-have-you.
Inevitably, during a networking meeting you ask, “So, do you know anyone that I should talk to?” All too often your host says “No, I can’t think of anyone.” The prepared job seeker then pulls out the Target List and says “Here is a list of organizations that I’d like to know more about. Do you know anyone who works at any of these?” Now the conversation can begin anew.
That list of companies will spark some potential contacts, “Oh, my next door neighbor works for XYZ Company.” You may also hear, “You don’t want to work for that company; they’re a sweat shop.” Whatever the feedback, you’ll have more information that you did at the beginning of the conversation and that’s what networking is all about.
Target Lists should be updated continually, adding new companies and removing those that aren’t the fit you’d hoped they were. Format the list to look like your resume – same headers, fonts, paper, etc. You want this to be a professional looking document that has the same feel as your other search related papers.
So, if your networking is not yielding the success you need, add a Target List into the mix. It is guaranteed to make your networking sessions more productive and speed you on to that next career adventure.
I'm Fired?!? 
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