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

"People will never forget how you made them feel"

I was just sitting around waiting for summer weather to arrive in Minnesota, and was browsing a book I like called “You, Inc.” The author, Harry Beckwith, has a few paragraphs on what people value, and I think it is relevant to the networking and interviewing parts of job search.

He calls it “What people Value” and he summarizes from research that shows that where people put their money is what they value. For example, oddly enough on the average people don’t tip any more for prompt efficient service at a restaurant than they do for poor service. However, they do tip more for a server who makes them feel good.

This may sound trivial, but it is not. It is Maya Angelou’s quote that you may have heard, “People will forget what you said; people will forget what you did; but people will never forget how you made them feel.” So, as you interact during networking or during an interview, remember to treat each person in a way that will make them feel good. Listen carefully. Recall a good experience you had together. Show sincere interest. Smile with a twinkle. Touch them on the arm. Think of what makes you feel warm and good when someone does it to you and do that toward others. And most of all, find someting about them that you appreciate and show it.

Good luck,

Mike

The Body Language of Confidence

 As a hiring manager I know how important body language is for assessing someone’s state of confidence and positivity, but as a job seeker, do you know how to use this to your advantage? I was just watching a great TED talk by Amy Cuddy called “Your body language shapes who you are.” http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html  

She has some simple suggestions to use before a job interview that will help you not only project confidence, but actually FEEL it. Research shows that when people feel confident they adopt body postures that are expansive and that take up more space. They are noticeably spread out and almost celebratory. For example, holding your arms outstretched above your head in a sort of victory pose. Arms on hips in a Wonder Woman pose. Leaning on a table like you own it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other side of the coin is that when people feel powerless, fearful, or insecure they tend to make themselves smaller by holding their arms folded or close to their body. They stand with feet crossed and they hunch a bit. They look downward more, and they make small gestures instead of grand ones.

 

     

What is important about Amy Cuddy’s research is that the mind-body connection is a two way street. Certainly our body often reflects how we are feeling inside. But more importantly is that how we stand, sit or gesture directly affects how we feel inside. So, we can turn things around by acting as if we feel confident until we do. It only takes a few minutes.

So, Amy Cuddy’s suggestion for job interviews are:

1)      Ahead of time go into a private area and stretch out your arms. Stand tall and spread out. Take up space. Act bigger and more expansive than you may feel. This will communicate to your brain to start feeling more confident.

2)      During the interview adopt body positions and postures that take up space. Make slightly larger gestures and own your space. This is no time to be a shrinking violet. Sit up tall, lean forward make eye contact. Act like you belong there, and soon perhaps you will.

Go get ‘em tiger.

  --Mike Powers

Asking Powerful Questions

The question is a very powerful tool. It is deceptively simple but can evoke profound effects if used to our advantage. We often get ourselves stuck with closed-ended questions that get basic facts or yes/no answers. Here are three types of questions that you may find useful to propel you toward something useful. (Thanks to ideas from a book by Vogt, Brown and Issacs called The Art of Powerful Questions for inspiring this Blog.)

Questions for focusing attention

·       What question, if answered, would make the most difference to your job search?

·       What attracts you to certain parts of the job search process?

·       If you dig a little bit, what hidden opportunity might you discover in your present situation?

·       What assumptions do you need to test or challenge in your thinking about job search?

·       What would someone who knows and loves you say about your situation?

Questions for connecting ideas and finding deeper insight

·       What is starting to take shape for you? What are you noticing that is positive in recent events?

·       What is in the center of your life that you need to stay connected to?

·       What new connections could you make that will really help you out?

·       What seems easy for you during this process?

·       What has been the most interesting discovery for you so far?

·       What is it that you would love to discover soon?

Questions that create forward movement?

·       What will it take to move to the next level in your job search?

·       What brings you the most positive energy during the job search process?

·       What is possible here and who can help me get what I want?

·       What seed can I plant today that will make the most difference in my future?

·       Who do I need to have a conversation with to go to the next step?

·       What have I been putting off that I can do now to get some momentum?

Healing the wound

Healing the wound of a layoff

In any group of job seekers laid off from the very same company you will meet very different reactions. This is normal isn't it? We all have different relationships to an employer or a job. Some feel devastated to be laid off while some are disappointed, and others are nervously delighted. A few are downright overjoyed. Other feelings are disoriented, dazed, numb, furious, guilty, hurt, or sad.

No matter what the reaction is, it is important to heal any wounds quickly because there is a risk that these emotions will "leak out" during networking, or worse yet during an interview! Saying something negative about your previous employer is a major mistake, because the interviewer will hear it as a comment on you, rather than on the employer. They will not be sympathetic.

I can't emphasize enough that no matter how justified your feelings may be about the reason you were laid off, or the manner in which you were laid off, you need to resolve those feelings and put them behind you before you move into your full job search.

So, how do you resolve them? How do you heal a sizable wound?

Consider this: the opposite of LOSS is not GAIN, it is ATTACHMENT. The reason a layoff hurts so much is because we have an attachment to that job, organization, team, salary, status, title, responsibility, etc. It is the cutting of those attachments that hurts so much and causes the pain. The most important goal is to re-establish your sense of wholeness without that job.

As you process what it means to be whole, keep in mind that you were "you" before you ever took that previous job. You were already whole. You are not that job - so you remain whole without that job. You have all of the skills, knowledge, ability, attitude, motivation, work ethic and character that you had before you lost the job. You are a whole person.

Imagine for a moment what you left behind at that previous job. Your office/cubicle, your desk, your title, your chair, your routine with co-workers, your lunch pattern, your customers/clients. None of these are truly part of YOU. They can all be replaced. You haven't left anything of yourself behind. Be sure you realize that fully. Become aware of all of the wonderful parts of yourself that you have within you. They are still there - hold on to them, because you will need them during the job search and in your new job.

Let the other stuff go - let them drift into a memory and you will feel the lessening of the attachment and the lessening of the emotions as well. Do this exercise a few times until you feel you have let go of those attachments and emotions. And then focus on the future and the exciting things that lie ahead. Whatever you do don't keep telling yourself the "story" of your layoff, because that story had an unhappy ending and will only keep getting you upset. Start to tell yourself a new story that has a happy ending - you getting a new and perhaps even better job. The new story will provide the motivation and the positive feelings you need to get through this transition.

Take care of yourself,

--Mike

Beating the "Overqualified" objection

One of the major issues that "mature workers" have to face is that employers will see them as overqualified. Overqualified generally means having too much of something: more skills, education, or experience than the job requires. You might think that an employer would want to hire the best possible candidate for a given job, but the reality is that they want to hire the person with the best fit. They don't want an employee to feel above the job, unchallenged, underpaid, underutilized.

If they need a person with a BA/BS, they don't want someone with a PhD even though you might be willing to take it. If you have 20 years experience and apply for an entry level position, they probably won't give you a look.

I heard a new story last week. A job seeker said he was so prepared for a job interview that he really thought he had nailed it. When he was rejected, the feedback he received was that he was "too enthusiastic." I never heard that before. Could it have been another way of saying he was too old, or too qualified? Who knows, but too enthusiastic? Wow.

How can you overcome these objections? Some advise taking some skills or experience out of your resume. This may work to some degree and might be worth a try. I recommend applying to smaller businesses or non-profits. They tend to be less rigid about job descriptions and more willing to utilize all the skills you can bring them. If you can manage projects and can also maintain a website, this might be an extra that you can bring them that they don't currently have. Finding out about these potential needs through your networking and research can give you leg up.

You also need to make sure you address the over-qualification question even if it doesn't come up directly in the interview. If you have been a manager and are applying to be an individual contributor, explain why you want to make that career change. If you can allay their fears and doubts, you may open their minds to welcome you into your new job!

Welcome to 2012

Holiday Greetings,

A new Year is upon us, and it is the time when we sometimes think of our New Year's Resolutions. The most popular resolutions typically read like the index of a self-help book. You know how they go: Lose weight, exercise more, get on top of finances, do taxes earlier this year, etc.

Some suggestions I would invite you to consider are:

1. Attend our Job Search Workshops. Get some new ideas, hear what others have been doing, get some motivation, learn something new. Our monthly schedule of workshops is available on our website.
2. Take a training class. If your computer skills are lacking, this the time to let the Dislocated Worker Program pay for some classes to learn some new computers skills, or any other useful skills that could help you win that new job.
3. Set up a LinkedIn Account or at least revise it to make sure it stays current. Add 20 new contacts.
4. Attend one of the many local Job Clubs to do some valuable networking and learning. Click here for a Metro list.
5. Spend some time volunteering somewhere you can use your talents, help others, learn something, network, get out of the house! Here is a website that will help you enter your location, skills and interests and it will tell you what’s available: http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Best of luck in the new year, and let's hope the Mayan's were wrong in predicting 2012 to be the end of the world.

Get the most out of LinkedIn for your job search.

First of all I want to re-emphasize that LinkedIn, social networking and regular networking are not just for job search! Having said that I realize that it is often true that most people don’t pay much attention to LinkedIn until they are unemployed. The title of Harvey Mackey’s book “Dig your well before you’re thirsty” should tell you all you need to know about the necessity of networking throughout your career, not just when unemployed. Here are a few tips to help you use LinkedIn well.

• Having a half-baked LinkedIn profile does not serve much of a purpose at all, so make sure you spend some time to get a robust profile developed. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and should continually be tweaked, updated, re-branded and improved as needed. It is an ongoing process.

• Your Professional Headline doesn’t have to be your Current Job Title. It can highlight the important stuff you want people to know about you. But remember it is confusing to potential employers if they see “seeking new opportunities” in your headline, while you still have a job listed under current employment. Delete your “current job” if you are unemployed. Otherwise it looks like you are a disloyal employee.

• Get a few really, really good recommendations that highlight your strengths. You don’t need hundreds (nobody will read more than a few anyway), but some good ones can bring attention to your value.

• Include a picture unless you have a pretty good reason not to. And make it a photogenic one. Digital photography is cheap and easy these days. If it takes 200 tries to get your smile just right, who cares? It needs to be in focus, good resolution and well lit. A bad photo is worse than none at all. It’s like a typo on your resume. Speaking of typos, LinkedIn doesn't provide a spellchecker yet, so be sure to either use the spellchecker that comes with Firefox, Safari, or Chrome. If you use Internet Explorer you can add a free spellchecker. Here's how:

     1.Go to the Tools menu in Internet Explorer and select Manage Add-ons.
     2.Click the "Find more toolbars and extensions…" link in the lower left of the popup window that appears. You'll land on the "Internet Explorer Gallery" website. Click the "add-ons" icon (a puzzle piece) at the top of the page.
     3.Type "spell check" in the search box on the right and then hit Enter.
     4.Select the spell check product and click the "Add to Internet Explorer" button. Follow the instructions provided to complete the process.
     5. When you go back to your profile, you'll see any misspellings underlined in red.

• Use the Status Updates to let your network know what you are up to and to feed them some links and articles and events they might be interested in. I am always appreciative when someone clues me in to a great article I might have missed otherwise.

• Reach out to your contacts when you notice they got a promotion or switched companies or completed a degree, or did something notable. It always feels nice to be noticed and appreciated.

• Select some targeted companies to “follow.” Following a company will trigger an email to you whenever something notable happens inside that company. You will hear when someone has left the company (this is a peak into the hidden job market), or when someone is promoted or when they have a new group of new hires. This can be useful information.

• Join some LinkedIn Groups in order to be visible in your industry/occupation, and to your network. It also gives you a link to people who are not directly among your contacts, but who may be a useful contact.

• Keep building your list of connections. It is best if you have connections that you actually know and who can come to your rescue if you have a need. But don’t be overly strict, since part of the power of networking is in the unknown. You never know how a connection can become important.

• Help others in your network when you can. What goes around, comes around.

• Don’t ever lie or misrepresent yourself. This should go without saying, but sometimes the temptation is strong to give yourself a better title at a previous job or to amplify your status in some way. Your connections will know. I know a fellow who was a V.P. of IT who now claims he was the CIO. There’s a difference, and people know.

• And don’t waste people’s time with cute videos of puppies and other non-professional items. LinkedIn is different from Facebook and Twitter for this very reason. It is more like a water-cooler at work than a bar. The conversation is mostly professional and work related.

What to put for current title in LinkedIn when unemployed?

A question I get a lot in our LinkedIn training for Dislocated Workers is “what should I put for current position now that I am laid off?”


For the most part due to the incredible number of layoffs in the past two decades the stigma that used to be attached to being laid off is gone. The last two recessions took care of that. We all know people, good hard-working people, who have been laid off through no fault of their own. Even in good times there are layoffs due to mergers and acquisitions and off-shoring and outsourcing and all kinds of reasons.

This doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt. It’s just that in the old days people who were laid off suddenly had two problems: 1) dealing with the painful blow to their self-esteem, and 2) finding a new job. These days people spend less time blaming themselves and are therefore able to get right into the job search. They realize it is not personal. It’s the economy.

So, what should you put on your LinkedIn profile? Well, think for a moment about why you even have a profile and why you are participating in LinkedIn in the first place. The term Social Networking implies that you are part of a larger group where there is give and take. It is about people helping each other in various ways. When you are unemployed, no matter how you got there, you need help with job leads, introductions, suggestions, encouragement, and lots of other things. So, if you don’t tell your network that you are unemployed, they won’t know you need their help. So, it is ok to tell them.

Deborah L. Jacobs of Forbes Staff suggests that “In the current economy, with so many talented people being let go, there is ‘absolutely no shame whatsoever’ in clearly indicating that you are out of work.” In fact “you exude confidence by not being ashamed that you’re between jobs.”

For your PROFESSIONAL HEADLINE some people like to mention right away that they are available. They might put their job title with the addition “in transition.” Another option is what Deborah Jacobs advises, which is to put your desired Job Title in your Professional Headline and then mention seeking new opportunities or something like that in your Summary Profile. She recommends deleting everything from the Current Job entirely so it doesn’t even show up.

There is no right way to do all this, but the main point is let your network know you are looking so they can help you out. You can use your Status Update to stay visible by posting useful links to articles or events your network might be interested in seeing.

Overused Words in Resumes

Are you “team player,” or a “customer-focused” “people person?”

If you find these words in your resume, some bloggers (Elizabeth Lowman, in the Daily Muse) are suggesting giving them the heave-ho and updating the terms you use.

She says most resumes use too many terms and phrases that don’t really carry any impact or meaning anymore. If you find some in your resume, replace them with words and phrases that better describe what you have actually done in previous jobs. This adds substance to your resume and allows you to “leverage your impactful experience in your previous career space.” Oh, sorry, I slipped into corporate bafflegab for a second there. So the idea is to communicate your actual accomplishments and avoid sounding presumptuous.

One of the most obvious examples of meaninglessness usually shows up in a person’s career objective. Phrases such as “I want to work for an growing organization that utilizes my talents in supervision” are a bit trite. And it sounds a little entry-level as well. You need something that is more captivating for such an important location on the prime real estate of your resume.

Tips:

• Don’t just say you are experienced (seasoned, well-versed), which is a little vague, but say something to describe your experience.

• Rather than saying “I am a team player,” say what that means to you. What did you actually do that showed this quality? Led a team? Joined a team? Managed a fantasy football team?

• If you describe yourself as “dynamic, enthusiastic, or passionate” be sure you come across that way in the interview. These are terms that are really the judgment of the interviewer. You can quote someone else as saying this about you. That is one way to avoid sounding too self-promoting.

• Employers know that they can ask for references. You don’t need to tell them anymore that your “references are available upon request.” That is a waste of words and space these days.

We are all probably guilty of all these mistakes, and the best thing to do is to clean them up going forward.

Thank You!

Here is the story of one of Raul's clients who just landed, and what he learned in the process...

Thank you!

After an interesting and personally fulfilling transition that included developing and launching a small business, social marketing professional development, and writing and preparing to market an eBook on managing your job transition, I am pleased to let you know that I have confirmed and accepted a marketing position with OptumHealth, the consumer healthcare division within UnitedHealth Care that provides personalized heath management support and services to consumers.   

I start on Monday as the new Senior Manager on the marketing team and will lead the marketing initiatives for the Chronic Condition and Complex Condition Management teams.  Specifically, I will be responsible for product marketing initiatives for case and utilization management, chronic disease conditions outreach services for asthma, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, diabetes, and heart failure, and complex conditions such as cancer, women’s health, bariatric, and transplant services. I will be located at the OptumHealth offices in Golden Valley.

One of the key things I learned during this process was the power of developing and maintaining your network, and that there are a lot of people professing a search process that may or may not be effective. If I can be of assistance to you or those you know in transition, please feel free to refer them to me to network. I would be happy to share what I found worked and what didn’t in today’s market.

Thanks again for all your help. Whether you were one of my mentors or my many “cheerleaders”, an internal company “champion”, or one of my key references, your insight and support has been invaluable. Have a great weekend and please let me know how I can pay it forward. And hang on to this contact information for me. It will be the easiest way to get me engaged if and when you need to.

  --Submitted by Raul Sanchez, Vocational Counselor

Greening from ear to ear

I attended a conference yesterday called "Work Green: Finding the Green in Minnesota's Economy." Here are a few take aways if you have some interest in Green jobs:

• There is not a specific Green Industry. Green cuts across all industries, and eventually we need all industries to be Green. But for now Minnesota has identified five Green sectors: Environmental Conservation, Green Manufacturing, Recycling and Pollution Reduction, Building-related energy efficiency, and Renewable energy conservation. Learn more at http://www.mngreencareers.org/
• About 2% of all job openings in Minnesota between October 2009 and December 2010 were considered green. More than one quarter of all Green job openings were STEM occupations (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Learn more at http://www.positivelyminnesota.com/Data_Publications/Data/Green_Jobs/
• Where could a Green career lead for me? They have been busy identifying career ladders and career pathways for Green Occupations. learn more at http://www.iseek.org/industry/green/careers/green-pathways.html
• A lot of the questions asked of the representatives at the conference were along the lines of  "How can I break in? How can I get my foot in the door? How do I know where to start? One of the panel representatives, Jeremy Kalin, recommended reading up on the developing field. For example, read Tom Friedman's recent book Hot, Flat, and Crowded for a good overview.
• As you read see what gets you excited. For example if you are an I.T. professional you might get excited about the technology that is needed to develop a "smart grid" that can take advantage of different sources of energy. Or perhaps the technology needed for "smart homes" to better control energy usage, and to connect to the smart grid.
• Or if you are a mechanically-minded technician maybe you like the idea of installing solar panels for businesses or residences. There is lots to be done.
• A home energy auditor can earn between $18 and $31 per hour.
• Here are three websites where you can drill into three main areas. Electric Power Transmission and Usage www.iseek.org/industry/energy/careers/careers-in-electric.html; or Residential Energy Efficient Careers www.iseek.org/industry/energy/careers/careers-in-residential.html; or Commercial Energy Efficient Careers www.iseek.org/industry/energy/careers/careers-in-commercial.html
• If you are interested in Free Training to become a Green Specialist or a Green Generalist check out this opportunity: http://www.jobpartners.org/greenpower.htm

One thing that came through the conference is the excitement of everyone who is involved in building Minnesota's new Green Energy Economy. There is a lot of passion and energy, because it is such a good mission and we need to get there for our children's sake.

  --Mike Powers

A Networking Success Story

This is a good example of  how networking sometimes pays off in ways we don't expect. Smaller firms are much more receptive to creating opportunities to fit the talents of someone they meet. Here's how it worked for one person...

Hi Bill,

You have good timing. I have good news.....I finally received a job offer today! (which I am planning to accept!)

It's kind of an interesting story. Last month I decided that I need to find ways to get beyond my current network, so I decided to attend a "Minnesota Women in Business" Spring Luncheon. One of the speakers was a women who owns a packaging design and production firm. I was interested in her story, and introduced myself to her afterwords. We met, along with her business partner, a week later for coffee. We hit it off immediately and they talked about the possibility of creating a position for me. They had me back today to meet more people, and sent me an email offer before I even got home! We all had this sense that this meeting was meant to be.

I'm excited to work with this very smart group of people, and glad "the search" is over.

Thank you so much for your support and willingness to help in any way possible through this journey.

submitted by Bill Thurston, Vocational Counselor

Three success stories

In the midst of these difficult times we still see success for those searching for that next position. We can learn much from those who landed after long-term job transition.

Visit a local job club and speak to your counselor to discuss what is working and what is not. Here are some more survival tips from those who have been there. Follow these tips and keep talking to people!

Here are the stories of three of my clients who found jobs after a lot of persistence:

Story 1

Bill,

I know you said you would like some feedback from me to pass along to others who are unemployed. I have a couple of helpful hints. I was unemployed for over a year (actually over 2 years, but I worked as a contract worker intermittently the first year and a little of the second year!) and I’ve found out a few things:

1. Create a daily schedule with timing for your job search.
2. Create a plan of action with goals so you can see yourself meeting the goals.
3. Work with the Job Partners/Teamsters for an awesome résumé!
4. Decide on minimum job requirements including type of job, hours, salary and benefits. Don’t just apply for everything that’s out there. You will soon feel bad when you’re getting FT job offers but have to turn them down because the minimum wage won’t cover daycare (or other expenses).
5. Take a PT job, if there are any out there! It’s also nice to get out of the house and meet people and network.
6. It is imperative for people with small children to maintain the normal routine as though they were employed. Bring the kids to daycare so that you can really search for a job without distractions. Also, then the kids are used to going to daycare, so life won’t be so much of a change when you do find a job.
7. Volunteer anywhere. You will make important contacts and gain knowledge and be useful. I volunteered at my church creating excel spreadsheets. I learned a lot and met a lot of people and made a lot of potential business contacts. My church was very disappointed when I had to quit because they were very impressed with my work and had passed my name along to others who might have a need for me. It’s also nice to get out of the house and meet people and network.
8. Take all classes available at Job Partners/Teamsters. The resume and interviewing classes were very helpful for me. It’s also nice to get out of the house and meet people and network.
9. Find pertinent training classes that will benefit your job search and take them. Talk to your counselor about what the program can pay for. It’s also nice to get out of the house and meet people and network.
10. Realize that not everyone wants to hear your elevator speech. I’ve noticed that I’m hearing back from more people now that I have a job. It seems like they were afraid to contact me when I was looking for a job maybe because they thought that’s all I wanted from them.
11. Take notes immediately after each interview. Note the type of questions asked, your answers, what would have been a better answer, follow-up questions you would like to ask, the tone of the meeting and any other pertinent details. This will help you prepare for future interviews.
12. When you get a job offer, make sure you have all the tools to negotiate a good offer. Don’t let them ask you what you want to be paid without knowing the salary range first. You need to know the salary range (and they have that information so they should give it to you) and then you will plan to ask for a salary in the midpoint or slightly higher. There are good resources on this if you Google it.
13. Update your LinkedIn profile. Many companies look at this! Take the LinkedIn class at the Job Partners /Teamsters, another good class! It’s also nice to get out of the house and meet people and network.
14. Okay, I had more than 6 interviews for the job I have now! It’s not unheard of! I had multiple interviews before and didn’t get the job! Some didn’t even bother getting back to me at all. That’s just what happened to me!
15. I feel very strongly against sending a handwritten thank you note in the mail. These days, people use their computers for everything and paper mail in a large company may get delayed if you don’t have the correct box number. To me, the handwritten note is unprofessional and outdated. I usually send a nice email with a personal tone to it. Just my thoughts on that.

 Story 2:

Hi Bill,

I have had a busy summer looking for work. I filled out a lot of applications online as well as in person, and all seemed very impressed with my work ethic as well as how many years I have held a single job.

After working a single job for so many years, it's hard to find that one job that will fit into my life. Many interviews and crunching numbers and a lot of soul searching turned up almost nothing that was challenging enough for me.

I was going to my favorite store, Menards, when my cell phone rang. An employer asked me if I was still interested in a job. I had filled out the application in the middle of June, and it was now the end of August. I said, “ya sure.” It was 11:10 am. He wanted to see me at 1:30 pm that day. I was kind of blown away by that. The interview went well and I went for my drug test. I called him after I was done and he said he would call me tomorrow when he received the results. Thursday he calls me and tells me about the opportunity of joining one of these crews that go out for weeks at a time and mill highways. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of being gone for such a long time, but I said, OK I’ll do it if it will secure me a driving job in the Spring, in town, as all these jobs lay off in the late fall.

The money is good. Today I was in the state of Wyoming, on top of a mountain road passage thru the Absaraka Range, I think Little Big Horn, what scenery, and it was beautiful. This is a good job; good pay, good company, and the foreman can see that I am a hard worker, that I catch on very fast, can anticipate what he needs or is going to do next. Everyone wants to spend the Obama money, and I want to establish myself before the money runs out. I work for the hardest foreman in this company, I can tell this. There will be only good that comes from this job, I can feel it. I walk about 5 to 6 miles a day when we’re ripping up roads. Drinking a lot of water and losing weight, and getting a tan. So in short, one day I’m walking into Menards getting something for a house project, and that same week I’m shipped out on a job for 2 to 4 weeks. My fiancé’s not too happy about it, but she’s the one that wanted me to go out and find a job. How’s that for a story?!

Story 3:

Bill,

I guess if I have any words of wisdom about the job hunt they would be:

• Get all the help and support you can once you have come to grips with being laid off.
• Take all the information you gather and determine what will work for you and prepare a plan of action.
• Don't overlook any resources you may have at your disposal; you can be extremely resourceful when bills are waiting to be paid.
• Try to live your life as near to normal as possible while looking for work.
• Document daily, weekly and monthly what you are doing in the job search, keep accurate records of everything.
• Be prepared to change your plan along the way; there are so many factors out of your control that will impact your path to a new job.
• Get outside your comfort zone - tell everyone you are looking for work, go to career fairs and join a job club.
• All these things may not lead to a job. Realize you ultimately have to get there on your own.
• In the end it doesn't matter what your status or pay was in your former position; you will probably give up a lot to rebuild with a new employer.
• The whole process is very difficult; celebrate the victory when you finally find the job.

I found my job when I had applied to another company that was located next to them. A few months later, the company had this position open and wanted to interview me for it at that time, but I turned them down due to the salary offered. When I saw the job come up again, many more months had passed and I had come to the realization that I would not be starting out at the salary I previously had, but other factors had become important in my quest to get back to work. In the end I found the company on my own and had a successful campaign. There were 220 other applicants, so they saw something in my resume they wanted to pursue. After the first round of interviews, they were still interested. After the second round of interviews and testing and decision making, they offered me the position.

Take Care, I'll keep in touch. Thanks!

Bill Thurston
Vocational Counselor
MN Job Partners/MN Teamsters Service Bureau