In a sense - all jobs are temporary

The Contingent Workforce

One labor market trend that continues to gain momentum is the use of “contingent” or temporary workers by many companies. If you are having difficulty finding a new position in the workforce after a layoff, you may want to consider the “contingent” avenue as the path to your next job.

According to Wikipedia: “A contingent workforce is a provisional group of workers who work for an organization on a non-permanent basis, also known as freelancers, independent professionals, temporary contract workers, independent contractors or consultants.”

The temporary help industry has been around for many years. After companies downsize, they often rely on temp workers since they can use them as they need them without any guarantees. Many companies use temporary workers to manage the number of full-time permanent employees, or to meet specific demands during a growth stage. Other companies use temp help firms as part of their human resources strategy to find and test candidates for permanent positions. Temp agencies are well known for supplying clerical help or general labor, but they also represent technical or professional personnel, supervisors, and managers.

There are firms in all major cities that place professional, managerial, or technical personnel in companies on a contract basis. Contracts may last as longer than a year and the successful contract workers may end up being offered a permanent position.

There are several important advantages if you are considering such employment:

·         You will gain experience and exposure, and in some cases, job-related training.

• You will have a chance to deepen your learning about a job or occupation so that you can be sure it is the right fit for your career.
• You will be introduced to a variety of businesses where you can form valuable networking relationships.
• If you prove your value, you may be well-positioned to be converted to a permanent position.
• It beats job searching and unemployment!

Downside for employees:

• Lack of Health Insurance is the major objection. As a temp you are most likely not covered by employer health insurance. The Affordable Care Act should relieve some of this since it is now possible in many states to purchase more reasonably priced health insurance.
• Lack of pension benefits. 401-k plans were originally meant as a supplement to corporate pension plans, but companies quickly jumped on these plans as a substitute rather than a supplement. So, since the era of Reaganomics, pension programs have been eroded. As an independent contractor you will have to plan carefully for your retirement.
• Being an outsider. As a “temp” you may be treated differently than permanent employees. If being a solid part of a team is one of your strong values, this may be harder to satisfy as a temp.
• No paid vacation or sick leave. Psychologically, it is harder to take a day off when you are not being paid.
• Uncertain income. Since the work is temporary, it is hard to predict exactly how much you will make in a given year. This is unsettling to some people.

Temp Agencies in the Twin Cities include:

Twin City Staffing

www.twincitystaffing.com
1955 University Ave W #210
St Paul, MN
(651) 994-4298

TempForce

www.tempforce.com
7101 York Ave S #240
Edina, MN
(952) 920-9119

Right Staff

www.therightstaff.com
7550 France Ave S
Edina, MN
(952) 546-1100

Synico

www.synico.com
3033 Excelsior Blvd
Minneapolis, MN
(612) 926-6000

Atlas Staffing

www.atlasstaffinginc.com
189 7th Pl E
St Paul, MN
(651) 222-5894

 

Robert Half® Minneapolis - RobertHalf.com‎

www.roberthalf.com/Minneapolis‎

(855) 848-8396

Adeccousa.com‎

www.adeccousa.com/Staffing-Solutions‎

Kelly Services

www.kellyservices.com

444 Cedar St

Ste 206

Saint Paul, MN 55101-2187

Aerotek

Bloomington Staffing Location

http://www.aerotek.com/locations/united-states/minnesota/bloomington.aspx

2001 Killebrew Dr., Suite 320

Bloomington,   Minnesota 55425

Phone: (952)853-9899

How to be the ideal candidate for a job

Everyone knows it is best to customize your resume when applying for a job opening, (although not everyone does). But most don't think of how to customize their job interview. Most job seekers prepare for an interview with the usual steps by planning their responses to the typical list of  questions that an interviewer will ask. And that is certainly necessary, but it is not enough.

Most interview questions focus on the past, your education, previous job experience, "tell me about a time when you had to deal with something (in the past)." Some interviewers do better by asking how you would deal with certain situations in your new job. Some even ask for a plan of your course of action in the first 30, 60, or 90 days on the new job. You can expect that the more responsibility the position carries, the more they will want to hear about your plan of attack. 

In addition to the basics however, there is something you can do to make yourself an irresistible candidate. And that is to find out in advance where the pain points are in the organization and the job you are applying for, and explain how you will add your value to those challenges.

For example, when I was interviewing to hire career counselors, there were two important aspects of the job that need to be done well. The first is obviously career counseling, meaning listening, assessment, evaluation of training needs, goal-setting, etc. Nearly every candidate did a good job selling themselves on that one. For most this is the most rewarding and fun part of the job.

But none ever addressed the other side of the job which is the paperwork. Enrollment forms, eligibility forms, and case notes and termination forms are actually a big part of the job, and as a manager it is the part that I had to make sure are compliant with state requirements, because each grant is monitored by the state. It is a nightmare for a manager to have to audit and force counselors to be compliant with keeping up to date on the paperwork involved in case management.

If a candidate had said to me, "I understand that there are two key parts to this job: counseling and case management. And I can assure you that I am an excellent counselor as you can see by my experience and my references. But I also am an excellent case manager because I am organized, detail oriented, and I like to be on top of things and get things done."

They would have had me panting to hire them, because it exactly fits what I am truly looking for. It is rare that a person is good at both aspects because the counseling involves social/creative work, while the case management involves routine, detail-oriented focus.  You rarely get both skills at a high level in the same person.

What candidates should have done is research the position enough to know that a manager would care about both of these skills. Or during the interview they could have asked me, "what keeps you up at night about this job?" I would have told them and then they could have addressed my need and concern.

So, if you are a job seeker, take the time to research the pain points of the organization or hiring manager, and make sure you address them and put them to rest during the interview. This will not only distinguish you as a candidate, but it will shift the balance of power in the hiring process, so that the hiring manager will want you hire you so badly the will negotiate more to get you.

Join LinkedIn even if you don't like social media!

When I teach the LinkedIn Overview workshop, I encounter quite a few job seekers who are on the fence. They have heard about LinkedIn, they want to learn more before joining, but their leaning is definitely anti-computer, anti-web, anti-social media, anti-facebook.

I have always approached them with some empathy, because I know this is difficult for the over 50 job seeker, who is not interested in computers and have never developed the skills. But over the years I have become firmer in my conviction that they need to sign up if they want to be serious about getting a job in the shortest amount of time.

It is an ongoing problem. When I began teaching job search skills to dislocated workers in 2002, I still encountered some people who had never had a resume and certainly did not have an email address. Those hurdles have gone away. The new hurdle is Social Media.

So, here are my key reasons for signing up for LinkedIn (and perhaps Twitter, Facebook and a blog).

1. If you are not on LinkedIn, recruiters will question whether your attitude and skills are too old fashioned. They will not look further, and will not give you a chance to voice all of your well thought-out objections to social networking. They will simply move on to the next name on the list of applicants.
2. The very process of creating a LinkedIn profile will strengthen your readiness to market yourself in a very competitive labor market. You will have to articulate your brand, your experience, your skills and the value you are presenting.
3. The ability to expand and manage your network is greatly simplified through LinkedIn. It is easy to locate former colleagues, friends, alumni and others with whom you may have lost touch.
4. Your presence and posts on LinkedIn will keep you visible to your network, so they will pass along suggestions, job leads and other good stuff.
5. You will have access to "influencers" who write great articles about job search topics. This helps you stay current on the latest thoughts about resumes, interviews, and trends in your industry or occupation.

Let me know the reasons you think LinkedIn is worth joining!

Online video interviews - the coming thing?

A participant in a recent workshop told me about his experience applying for a job with United Health Group. He said "It was the weirdest thing ever!" He received emailed instructions to go to a specific website and login from a computer or tablet with a webcam. Once logged in he was presented with a series of questions to answer verbally by speaking into the camera within a fixed amount of time, I believe it was 3 minutes per question.

To make it even more stressful, up in the right corner he could see the timer clicking down from three minutes for each question. He said it was a horrible experience and in retrospect he wishes he would have just withdrawn and refused to do this impersonal version of an interview.

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?

I have heard of a number of larger companies using this technology to allow them to screen candidates without the expense of bringing them in for an interview. It is probably even cheaper than a phone-screening interview, because the online video version is saved, and can be reviewed off line at the convenience of the reviewer.

Face to face interviews are stressful enough, but at least it is mostly a known process. You don't always know the exact questions that will be ask, but when it is face to face you have a human to interact with and get immediate feedback from non-verbally. This new wrinkle requires a different kind of preparation. Let's look at the key differences and how to prepare.

1.  The cold eye of the lens. Not everyone feels comfortable in front of a camera lens. When it is a webcam, it can be even more intimidating. If you are not familiar with using a webcam, you will need to play around with the hardware by skypeing a few friends or relatives and getting comfortable with how it works. Learn to look at the camera lens rather than at all the other things going on the screen. This will look more like you are actually making eye contact with whomever is reviewing the recording later.

2. Comfortable private setting. Make sure you can find a quiet, well-lighted room with no distractions. You will want a plain background. When practicing skypeing, get feedback on how you look on camera. Some experts recommend being visible from the chest up and not just a headshot.

3. Speak conversationally. Practice speaking in a normal conversational tone of voice. Don't speak too loud, like some people do when they are on a cell phone, as if you don't think they can hear you. If you can, imagine you are speaking to someone who knows, likes and respects you. Some people even tape a photo next to the camera lens to make it seem like you are speaking to this friend.

4. Dress up. It is a good idea to dress up with a sport coat and tie to look professional, just as you would at a face-to-face interview.

5. Notes? It is ok to have some notes available as long as you won't over rely on them. You will seem less prepared if you are looking around for notes. Mock interviews and practice, practice, practice are still the name of this game.

6. Smile and relax. Keep your posture straight, lean slightly forward, and don't forget to smile at the camera as you would a person in front of you.

7. Close other applications on your computer. Before you login be sure to exit any other computer applications you may have running. You don't want your email program beeping that you have an incoming message.

Good luck and get used to it, because this technology will only become more popular in the future.

The balance of power

One of the worst feelings about the job search is when you feel that corporations have all the power, because they are making the decision about hiring you or not. The company is in the driver's seat, and they sometimes don't even respond to your application at all. So, you start to feel less confident and less significant. After all there are hundreds of applicants for a single job. And after a number of rejections it wears on you.

But don't let these distressing emotions derail you from believing in your own value. The reality is that the hiring process is a mutual decision. Just as an employer is evaluating you, you are also evaluating the company, the culture, the team and all the other aspects of the job posting. Let's face it, there are some positions or companies you would turn down if offered a job - right? Or perhaps you would never have even applied there in the first place.

There is an amazing diversity of occupations and jobs in our economy, and we need to believe that there is a place for each of us in the workforce, and that through persistence and positive expectation we will find it.

So, keep focused on what you can control and and on your own value. Good things will happen.

Decision strategies

I have been reading a book called "The Decision Book: Fifty Models for Strategic Thinking." The authors are Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler. I'm a big picture kind of guy, which means before I dig in to learn something, I like to understand the context and how it fits in with other things I am interested in. So, I love studying models that help me understand things.

One of the models in the book caught my eye because of how it can relate to job searchers. The model is called "The rubber band model: How to deal with a dilemma." A dilemma is usually a decision we have to make that seems evenly balanced for or against. The rubber band model shows how we are often pulled in two directions. Or more accurately, we are pulled toward something we want, but also held in place by other forces.

The resolution to this kind of dilemma is to identify what is pulling you (where do you want to go, what do you want to do), versus what is holding you back (fear, security, comfort zone). This is a little different from the usual list of pros and cons because it engages our emotions. 

Some of us are naturally motivated to pursue what attracts us. The clearer we become about what we want to move toward, the more excited we become. And this excitement allows us to overcome whatever holds us back. Others of us are motivated to avoid what appears risky, or scary or threatening, and this is what holds us back. 

Procrastination is essentially the problem of avoiding what we want to do or what would be good for us to do, because there is something about it that seems risky or threatening to us. Perhaps we are avoiding fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, fear of the unknown, or fear of commitment. But whatever it is if we can identify it, we can recognize that we are focusing on the negative value instead of focusing on the potential benefits of action. Whatever we focus on gets stronger, so it is vitally important during job search to focus on the positive in order to build motivation and overcome indecision, avoidance and procrastination.

So, if you find you have been avoiding your job search responsibilities, then list what is pulling you and what is holding you back. Then spend an hour focusing only on what is pulling you by listing all the potential benefits of pursuing it, and list how these actions utilize your strengths and talents. Imagine how things could be better if pursuing it works out positively for you.

If after doing this for an hour you still find what is holding you back to be stronger, then you may need to work on minimizing the feelings that are holding you back by understanding that fears are not reality. What if your fear never comes true? Was it worth avoiding something that could have turned out well because of something that is actually unlikely to happen?

Great research tool - ELM

We in Minnesota have a wonderful resource available to find tons of information through easy searches. It is called ELM for the Electronic Library for Minnesota. The URL is www.elm4you.org and it is a storehouse of information. It gives Minnesota residents online access to magazine, journal (academic or business), newspaper, and encyclopedia articles, eBooks, and other information resources.

Who can use it? ELM is available to any Minnesota resident of any age with any subject interest. For job seekers, it is a great tool for researching a company where you may want to work. You can get lots of industry and occupation articles and detailed reports on specific companies. For larger corporations they often have a MarketLine or DataMonitor Report, which are comprehensive summaries of business data about a company.

You can also find articles and PDF books on job search topics and lots of other random stuff. It is very cool and you can get lost in it for a few hours easily.

Have fun,
  --Mike