Tag Archives: job search

Smarter than the Disciples

Are we smarter than the Disciples from the Bible? Faith and career transition go hand in hand. Realize that God cares about this season of your life. Faith, hope, provision, care, encouragement, job search, transition, Jesus, doubt, disciples
Photo by Caulton Morris

I don’t think I’ve yet mentioned why this blog sways spiritual. Losing your job is one of the most significant negative events you can experience. To say the time between then and landing your next job is a challenge, is an understatement. Since most of us draw the majority of our identity from our work, a season of job searching can break you down to the core of who you are since you don’t have a traditional job. (I can’t say you don’t have a job since looking for your next position is quite a job!)

This time will cause you to question yourself. You will have your fair share of pity parties and may experience depression. Career transition–even if you DO have a job now and are seeking another–is rarely easy. I always say it’s a season that can turn you to God. Not to bash anyone, but I don’t know how those who don’t have a personal relationship with God (and have him to turn to) make it through the process. Scripture, my friends, the literature I read, and being able to be real, raw, honest with, and dependant on God give me strength during these periods of career transition.

Recently I visited Crosspoint Church here in Nashville. The pastor’s sermon that day made me think of one of those “Ah ha!” moments I had during grad school. My Sunday School teacher, Brent Funderburke, was amazing. I even had him as a professor for a watercolor class one semester.

One Sunday our topic was how Jesus fed five thousand people who came to hear him speak. Mark 6:30-44 talks about how the disciples were incredulous as to how they were to accomplish Jesus’ directive to “give them something to eat.”

I thought, “Pfff, these guys! Just a few chapters back, they watched Jesus calm a massive storm on the sea, heal a demon-possessed man, and raise a girl from the dead! Here they are worried about some food, and they can’t even think outside the box to ask Jesus to use his power to help them.

Then it dawned on me…don’t we do the same thing?! We can look back now at the times He provided (sometimes not like we expected or wanted), pulled us through, healed, encouraged, etc. but still allow exactly the same kind fear or myopia to settle in.

The morning I visited Crosspoint, Pete, the pastor there, told the story of how God brought he and his pastor friend to listen to and encourage a woman on the beach in the Dominican Republic. (You can read his story at this page of his blog.)

Tears welled up in my eyes when Pete drew it all together and made his point. Even though there are, have been, and will be millions of human beings on this earth and even though sometimes we feel like He has turned a deaf ear to our plight, the God of the universe notices, hears, cares, and acts. Yes, even all the way down to you and your situation.

So, be encouraged. Don’t forget. Stay connected—if you have a church home, don’t neglect attending during this time so He can encourage you. Read the book He gave us.

A great book I’m reading, broken out into daily sections, is Rick Pritikin’s Why Did I Lose My Job If God Loves Me? His writing is transparent and uplifting, drawn from his own experience. I appreciate the stories he includes from his difficult season of career transition. You can click on the image below to check it out at Amazon.

Blessings to you in your search. Keep up the hard but good work. Use your time wisely. Keep a positive attitude—it will show! Be thankful about the good things and what you have, and press on.

A friend sent me this prayer he ran across, author unknown, so I wanted to share it in closing…

God, our Father, I turn to you seeking your divine help and guidance as I look for suitable employment. I need your wisdom to guide my footsteps along the right path, and to lead me to find the proper things to say and do in this quest. I wish to use the gifts and talents you have given me, but I need the opportunity to do so with gainful employment. Do not abandon me, dear Father, in this search, but rather grant me this favor I seek so that I may return to you with praise and thanksgiving for your gracious assistance. Grant this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Preparing for a first interview

Interview
Photo by voguemarie2010, flickr Creative Commons

33% of hiring managers surveyed said they can tell in the first 90 seconds of having met you whether they’d hire you! I’ll talk more thoroughly in my book about many aspects of preparing that will help you have the best interview possible, but what a great bite-size read! Sarah Chang’s recent article at themuse.com will cover:

  • Common nonverbal mistakes to avoid
  • What factors influence a hiring manager’s first impressions of you
  • Interview mistakes to avoid
  • 4 most common questions to anticipate
  • 4 most important interview tips

Check it out here.

What other tips or advice can you offer? What are some additional questions you think others should be prepare to answer during a first interview?

MUCHO MONDAYS – Gold In The Desert: An 18-Point Sample Action Plan

action plan, planning, plan, action, forethought, priorities, job search, preparation, mucho Mondays, action items, goals
Photo by Mark85306 at flickr.com

The most important thing for any job seeker at this point is to craft an Action Plan. I’ve carefully crafted and sequenced the sample below, but you can modify it as you see fit. Replace the example info in the Plan section with your own; then begin to accomplish the Action Items as a part of your daily activities.

ACTION PLAN

Planning:

  • Goals: Secure a full time marketing management, creative services, or project management job in the greater Denver area with a stable industry, working with internal customers—not the public at a for-profit company not in healthcare or music business with <15% travel., $45k+/yr. + benefits, within to 5 miles from my home by [date.]
  • Relocate: no
  • Job Titles: Project Manager, Marketing Manager, Creative Services Manager
  • Direction: Seeking the ideal job (for the first 5 months) until [date]; then after [date], seek B or C jobs at ($35k+/yr. offers.) Get up daily at 8:00am. Job search/network: 9:30am-3:00pm. Read 3:00-3:30pm, & gym 3:30-4:30pm M-Thur.)
  • Focus: Doing the action items below to achieve your Goals. Take a few minutes out of your day to find positivity, and you will find yourself having less stress and an open mind towards your job hunt. Think of this job transition as an adventure & about all those that are supporting me. Be thankful as opportunities arise and things go well.
  • 4-5 Strengths/Unique Selling Points on Me:
  • B & C Level Job Options:

Action Items:

1) Watch or read The Secret. Consider doing a career assessment.
2) Set up regular reminders in your calendar such as:
Daily – Reading
Weekly – Certify for unemployment pay.
Weekly – Apply for 3 jobs (or whatever the minimum is for your state). See WEEKLY REMINDER* example below.
Weekly – Post something helpful to your LinkedIn wall—for example, events, articles, or job openings.
Monthly – Decide which networking mixers to attend during the next month.
Every other month on a Friday – Post reminder about job search on your Facebook and LinkedIn walls. If you’re a Twitter user, tweet this as well. Samples:
a. “Hope everyone is having a good week. Just an update on my job transition. I’m still seeking a full time marketing or graphic design job in the greater Denver area in case you hear of any openings. Thank you.”
b. (Alternate): “Happy Friday! The job hunt is going well–I’m finding and have applied for some good positions and am networking like crazy. Just a reminder, I’m still seeking introductions to recruiters and opportunities in marketing or graphic design in the greater Denver area. Any referrals would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!”
One Off Dates – Log the dates you need to reevaluate and possibly move to your next alternate choice for positions from your Action Plan above into your Calendar.

*WEEKLY REMINDER:
Every MONDAY:
– Login & manually run a fresh search at www.creativegroup.com to see what jobs they have.
– Check Craiglist (http://nashville.craigslist.org/search/mar?query=+ AND http://nashville.craigslist.org/search/jjj?is_parttime=part-time) AND Monster.com for job postings.
– 2nd & 4th MONDAYS, see AAF (American Advertising Federation) board – www.aafnashville.com/jobs AND these 3: http://part-time.jobs.net | nashvillechamber.com | https://beta.governmentjobs.com
– 1st & 3rd MONDAYS, manually check Career Transition Group’s LinkedIn Group – http://www.linkedin.com/groups?jobs=&gid=881437&trk=anet_ug_jobs AND Vanderbilt’s site – https://vanderbilt.taleo.net/careersection/.vu_cs/mysearches.ftl
– Daily, as usual, see emails from those where alerts are set up to email me: LI (LinkedIn) groups, Indeed, professional associations, beyond.com.

Other job postings:
– www.simplyhired.com
– http://www.jobalot.com
– Surf my target co’s web sites.

READ:
MarketingNews magazine
underconsideration.com/brandnew
sethgodin.typepad.com
prdaily.com

3) Take an online free webinar such as http://premium.linkedin.com/jobsearch/webcasts.html to familiarize yourself with how LinkedIn currently works.
4) Establish a relationship with a Career Coach at your local Department of Labor or a recommended life coach.
5) Update: Elevator Speech, Exit Statement, Resume’, html Resume’, LinkedIn Profile & status, interviewing SARs (Situation/Action/Result), Strengths/Questions/Tell Me About Yourself sheet, References page
6) Set up folders on your computer. Create (or update), and assemble all templates, scripts, etc.
7) Print some resume’s (run 10 copies to keep on hand and use as needed) and business cards (start with 150).
8) Change your “LinkedIn Headline,” and check your LI Preferences.
9) Make your Target Company List.
11) Get recommendations; then request meetings to get set up with 2-3 headhunters (independent recruiters.)
12) Create, then start using 2 Excel documents (Job Search Log and Networking List) and your scripts/templates to start networking and tracking daily action items.
13) Set up, reactivate (or turn off filters that automatically trash) regular job posting alerts from indeed.com, and a few top sites like beyond.com or glassdoor.com/Job/jobs.htm.
If your city has a career transition group (for example: http://tinyurl.com/nashcareer) with regular job postings email blasts–be it through their LinkedIn group, yahoo groups, or just email messages–sign up for those.
14) Update your online resume’ at indeed.com, careerbuilder.com, your outplacement service’s site (for example RightEverywhere.com) if you have one, and while you’re there, update your profile. Post your resume’ at any association sites.
15) Regularly check job postings at professional organizations’ sites. Or even better, set up a job filter at those sites so you get an alert by email.
16) Invite some of your closest colleagues to lunch. Start the Targeted Networking process (which we’ll discuss in a later post). Use Facebook or email to individually (as much as possible) alert your friends of your job search. Google around, and compile a list of regular networking events.
17) Stay abreast of news in your industry.
18) Volunteer:
a. With an association in your field.
b. Occasionally with events that have to do with your field (ex.: Podcamp, Barcamp).
c. If you have time, volunteer a couple of times a month or so with a local organization of your choice. See volunteermatch.org.

Just a reminder, if you have family, friends, or colleagues that are on the job hunt, please share this blog with them. Don’t miss the next topic in this series.