Are you looking out for jobs? Do you have spare time after all your daily house hold chores and running after your kids? Do you think that probably you are now not eligible to get back in the employed status? Well then, think again. This is not at all true. Infact, the market is coming up with jobs for women. Companies are recruiting women who had left their jobs and now wish to get back.

Most female employees are frequently in and out of jobs. Mostly because they have to spend time to look after their homes and children. So ladies, you can definitely transit back to jobs easily. Here we give you some tips to get back to jobs. These tips will definitely work.

Firstly, understand your ambitions and talents. This will help you in streamlining your job options. There is no harm in going back to a trainee post (however experienced you may be ) Basically the training will infant help you brace up for your job later on. So, look out for companies that do offer a training prior to your actual job.

Next, be well informed of the current type of jobs available in the market. Search in the daily newspapers or ad hoardings. Most importantly use the net. Register on various job sites. Don’t just go and log on big or huge sites. You can definitely register on local job sites that might get you closer to your area .You can even become blog writer or even have our profile on social networking sites. Using these options you can definitely drop a word to your virtual friends about your wish to get back in the game. (Actually has helped me a lot).So, go ahead create your effective profiles and CVs and get connected. Note, keep updating your profiles on both Job sites and social networks.

Make good use of the media available. You can definitely use media like newspapers. A small ad or an article, telling about your self, your experience and your talents is also a great option to get your self employed .This helps you get into the spot light.
Your can definitely work hard and become an expert in you work, considering your knowledge. If you feel this could be your short come start learning some thing new and try to attain an expertise.

Start communicating with neighbors. Short conversations with them not hurt you. This is can help you in advertising your self. Speak to as many people you can in and around your locality.

We at SaveMySystem offer Job Search facility worldwide. To search for recent updates on Windows features and installation tips visit our website. To get an easy net access, log on to our Wireless Services and experience hassle-free surf.

Dear Santa,

I have been a very, very, very good girl this year. All I want for Christmas is a full-time job. I would prefer it to be related to public relations, marketing and/or digital communications, but I am open to other options. I feel that I would contribute more to the niceness of the world by being gainfully employed. If you could find this present for me, I would be ever so grateful and promise to spread your message of good will toward mankind throughout the next year.

Please enjoy the milk and the kiefle cookies beside the fireplace. Safe journeys!

Your most faithful believer,

Gwynne

P.S. If you are tired of milk and cookies, there is a bottle of wine with your name on it. Best wishes to Mrs. Claus and the reindeer!

P.P.S. And the elves, too!

There has been an uneasiness inside of me for the past few days now. I have been waking up early in the morning, my heart beating and my mind racing. When I open my eyes, I want to jump out of bed and do something – anything, anything at all! But that’s when the realization sets in, that I’m on vacation and there is absolutely nothing to do. Last week, I was finalizing the paperwork for my graduation, tying loose ends for my last day at my internship, and prepping for a nerve-wrecking interview. This week, nothing. 500mph to 0mph. These days have been dragging by and seem so long. This must be what Alexander the Great felt after conquering what was then the known world and then being forced to sit down and relax – albeit, on a much smaller scale.
Well, this free time gives me a chance to work on my hobbies so I’ll try to keep myself busy with that. I don’t think I’ll be able to stop the bear inside me from rumbling, but at least I can quench its thirst until it’s ready to get out of hibernation.

Do you know the Indian retail industry is expected to expand almost 25%? Surprised! But yes, the future of this industry in our country seems to be greatly promising with the growing market. Furthermore, the government policies are becoming more favorable for the enhancement of this sector. In addition, emerging technologies are facilitating the operations.

The retail industry is so vast; it can absorb people from several disciplines like agriculture, fashion, market, finance, IT, and HR. Most of the retail companies have a potent buying team. This team is responsible for bringing up a product range. They have to think about the product range that will not only attract the customers, but also make a great progress as well as profit. The role of manager involves wide array of activities. They have to identify the customer’s need, promote the product and ensure the customer satisfaction. Managers are responsible for promoting as well as managing the brand image of the product by means of media. Visual Merchandising is very interesting and promising option for multimedia experts.

The retail manager is liable for managing numerous store activities as well as handling various issues related to stock and staff. These people directly deal with the customer and they have to handle all customer complaints and queries. So it needs people who are eager to head in the administrative jobs.

Distribution Management includes all the logistic and supply chain activities. Delivery of the right good at right time to the right place is the main job of distribution. These people are responsible for controlling costs by means of avoiding wastages and overstock situations.

The major task of a designer in retail store is to render the information relevant to latest trends in clothing, life style, food etc. they have to communicate with buying team people for innovative product range that will grab attraction of people. After all the retail market is about providing options to its consumers.

The goal of the HR manager is to endorse the staff and keep it motivated to work in effective and efficient fashion. HR functions involve recruitment, selection, planning, training, compensation, and development.

Jobs in this sector can bring bright opportunities and handsome remuneration. This promising sector can surely move your career ladder fast. Various reputed multinational companies offer large employment opportunities for the skilled retail management professionals.

If you are a graduate from any discipline having good command over English and interactive skills, then you can find great opportunities in retail sector. After accomplishing formal training in retail management, you can also get higher posts at younger age. If you are looking for right job-search engine, then SaveMySystem can be the right option for you. We offer india job search, job hunt services in various countries. We also provide business solutions in form of web designs and SEO and computer repair services.

No longer are the days when jobseekers used to prepare their resumes in an outmoded style of displaying their capabilities, personnel and experience on the paper. World has changed now and new trend of video resumes has been all rage these and its popularity is increasing day by day everywhere in the world. Video resumes are a unique way for job seekers to convey their abilities, talent and personnel beyond the limitations of ordinary resume that contains information, employment history, interest, educational information and bio data in the same old-fashioned style that have lost the interest of the employers.

The employers seek something extraordinary from your side, and you can let then feel, see and even hear each word that you say and you can express yourself and capabilities through video resumes.

A wide history is associated with video resumes, the term video CV was introduced in UK and employers of the reputed companies used to conduct the interviews of their employees through transmitting streaming video via internet resource. Now, the fashion of streaming videos resumes has taken off and all recognized organizations prefer to interact and to be interacted via video interviews and video CV.

If you are looking for a good job and want to develop a close interaction with your employer then there is no better option than that of video resume to market yourself and your capabilities. To interact with an employer through streaming video resume is not only a great way of presenting yourself but also an appeal to the hiring employers.

To communicate with hiring managers through video resume leads positives result and is beneficial in many ways.

-Video resume is a logical evolution of paper resume; the new technique of applying for jobs through video CV creates a direct connection between you and your hiring manager.

-Video resumes help out companies in pre-screening of background, communicating styles, talents and abilities of the candidates.

-Video resumes are an interesting approach to the employers; perhaps employers discredit the idea of going through the traditional Printed resumes while watching an online video they better judge their candidates and take decisions accordingly.

- To conduct a video interview saves time of both candidate and employer, employer don’t have to sort out the paper resumes one by one, instead by reviewing video CV selection can be made on the spot since the videos are not that complicated to be sorted out or to be managed.

- Video resumes allow face to face interaction; in case a candidate lives at a distance from a company location, under such circumstances videos resumes facilitate the hiring manager to weed out the top applications without sending them an invitation letter to travel the on site location of the company, which saves extra travel expenses of the applicants. So video resumes are the best long distance mode of communication between applicants and companies.

The method to interrelate with companies through video resumes makes sense and is highly recommended in case you want to set a good impression or you are going to apply for a top level designation in a well-known company. The better you communicate, the higher chances of your selection for the job, you always need to express yourself in the better way in order to be selected for the job you are interested in. For more information please visit. http://www.applyandgo.com/

I’m not a big cell phone user. Actually, I checked the AT&T website yesterday and noticed I haven’t called anyone, have texted two people and haven’t used one of my mobile to mobile minutes. Rollover minutes mean nothing to me, as I have 5,000 of them. Good thing to have in case of a zombie apocalypse of something, though.

I use my cell phone so little that if it doesn’t ring for a week or if I don’t get a text for two weeks it really doesn’t bother me.  Catch me on facebook, twitter or even the standby AOL Instant Messenger.

Enter Twilight: New Moon. I finally got around to seeing it last weekend. For that reason, I put my cell phone on vibrate. That was Saturday evening.  Since I don’t expect very many phone calls I forgot, or didn’t take it off of vibrate. It’s been in my purse for the last four days. Unanswered.

Enter the job hunt. Do you ever put your phone number down as your preferred mode of communication? As a closer, e.g. – “Please call me at (210) XXX –XXXX to discuss the possibilities of this position…” thinking that they will contact you? Yeah. That’s me. It’s on every cover letter.  But, my phone is on vibrate.  Yet, I sit by my e-mail waiting for all those responses because that’s how I communicate.  But, is that how everyone else communicates?

If that was the way everyone else communicated the telecommunication market wouldn’t be as big as it is. Ahaha! There it is. Different companies communicate differently. Some e-mail, some call, some send letters through snail mail. And we, I, us, have to adapt to their style of recruitment. If that means I have to religiously remember to turn my phone back on then I have to remember to turn my phone back on.  Or, if you are like one of my best friend’s who never checks her e-mail (Why is she like that?) then you need to remember to check your e-mail two-three times a day.

Communication. Communication is key in the job hunt.  Even if you are looking for a job that involves crunching numbers and not talking to a single person (auditor?) you need to remember that if you cannot remember to turn your phone off of vibrate to get the call to come in o interview then you’re never going to get that awesome job.

P.S.- To add to the story I had three voicemails, two from friends and one for an interview that I scheduled for tomorrow. Real moral of the story, don’t be a ditz.

I’m moving slowly today, as the time stamp on this post clearly indicates.

I’m in the midst of a job search and that has consumed most of my day. That and lunch at The Diner with a good friend. She’s also looking for a job, but she has the luxury at the moment of being in graduate school. Still, it’s stressful and a good chunk of our lunch was spent chatting about our respective job search efforts.

I have been through this process and it is in no way fun. This time around, though, the outlook is looking more grim than before. It’s hard to keep your chin up with the bleak economy that is moving at a glacial pace toward recovery.

My job search is done almost exclusively online and so I’m often distracted by the internet. I suppose my HuffPo ticker doesn’t necessarily help, but then I wouldn’t have come across this story on 5 tips for maximizing your job search in 2010.

I don’t really give too much credence to these kind of stories as they’re usually pretty generic. This one is actually helpful, though, in that it gives you tips that incorporate social networking. Plus, it provides a much-needed jolt, in case you’re feeling sorry for yourself this holiday season. This is surely something every job hunter should keep in mind. I regularly go through my various social networking sites to make sure that it’s as professional looking as possible. I would add, however, that you don’t need to go overboard and delete all your photos or status updates. I’m not generally a fan of setting up more than one account on facebook or myspace or whatever. For one, it gets hard to maintain multiple sites. I think it also comes across as a little disingenuous. Just make sure your facebook profile is “clean” enough so that your grandma wouldn’t blush upon viewing it.

I especially liked the idea of setting up a Google Voice phone number created solely for the purpose of being reachable by employers.

–Make sure recruiters can reach you easily.
If a recruiter or company has to struggle to contact, it’s over. You won’t get the interview. When publishing your résumé and profile online, use an easy and relatively simple email address. Your first initial and last name will work.

There’s another easy way to be found. You can use a free service called Google Voice to create a phone number that is dedicated to your job search. Publish that number without worrying about stalkers. Although you are worried about privacy, it’s important that hiring managers and recruiters be able to reach you without overcoming a series of obstacles. You are not a celebrity. It’s time to be found so you can get back to work.

One caveat, this is by no means an exhaustive list and you should only incorporate this into your current job hunting routine.

Happy job hunting!

If any other aspies ever read this, maybe they can relate to the frustrations of not being able to get a job. I just want to go in and tell the person hiring that they want me. I’d be the best worker there is, and I have a great memory, and I’d do my best all the time, and never be late, and I’m really methodical, and detail oriented, and yeah, I have really bad social skills, but if they’d just stick me in the back and not make me deal with people, I would be a very valuable worker. But I can never make it past the damn interview, because I feel my head float away from my body whenever I have to talk to people, especially people I don’t know. I almost feel like they may as well be a difference species. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say, because I can’t read them. I don’t know what they are looking for. I just feel scared of them.

I’ve always felt scared of people. I’ve always felt like everyone else has some kind of superiority over me, and has the power to make me feel bad. Like everyone’s in on a secret, the secret to life and how to get around, and how to be successful and get what you want, and it’s a secret I’ve never been worthy of knowing. I hate that I have to, every day, make such an effort to try to conform to this world, and all I can do is memorize some lines and try to watch other people to see what they do. But even then, everything is so complex, it’s just not that simple — you can’t memorize enough lines. And after 23 years, I still don’t know what to do. I wish I could live in a world where I could just be myself. Maybe someone out there can understand.

I feel bad about myself lately because I don’t have a job, and I feel like I don’t contribute, and I’m not worth anything because of that. I’d give anything for a job, but no one will give me a chance. I want to call the people who I’ve interviewed with or left applications with, and just tell them to give me a chance, because I won’t annoy them, I’ll do my job and stay out of their way.

It’s really sad feeling you’ll always be treated like a second class citizen, and never have the chance to be around people of similar intellect to yourself, and be respected by them, because you won’t have the opportunities to be. It seems like the only people who are ok with me are people with somewhat low intelligence, or low education. And it’s nice to be accepted by those people, but I can’t relate to them on an intellectual level, because the things I’m interested in, the things I like talking about, for example, issues with capitalism and class structure, or feminism, or evolutionary theory, are often not of interest to the people who are accepting of me. These people tend to be more into things like music, tv shows, sex, who’s sleeping with who, cars, military, etc. And it’s not that I don’t appreciate those interactions with friendly and accepting people, but there’s a lack of fulfillment for me based simply on our opposite interests.

Anyway, this all makes me very sad.

Have you ever watched your favorite sports team play on someone else’s court? Have you ever had to listen to the opposing team’s commentators during that game? Isn’t it painful? I feel like the job hunt is a lot like listening to one of these games.

It’s a lot like listening to the San Antonio Spurs play the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles on TNT while Bill Walton is commentator (he loves the Lakers, well because he does and because his son Luke plays for them).  Picture this…the  San Antonio Spurs could be up by 25 points, have 10 fouls to give with 3 full time outs with 4 minutes left in the 4^th quarter during game 3 of a 5 game series of the Western Conference finals.  Kobe Bryant hits a tough 3 guarded by Manu Ginobili to put the Lakers behind by only 22. And the Lakers have finally, in Bill Walton’s mind won the game!!! 23 points, 4 minutes left. Side note – this has happened. Tracy McGrady scored 13 points in like 10 minutes once, but this isn’t this game. The Spurs will win.  Anyway.  Back to Bill Walton. No matter what the Spurs do, the Lakers are the end all be all of the National Basketball Association. They will win it all, Kobe will win MVP and some new rookie will win Rookie of the Year, Phil Jackson will win Coach of the Year and someone else will win Most Improved Player. It’s always the Lakers. Always someone else. Never your team, never you.

Enough of the basketball analogy.  Doesn’t that sound like the job hunt sometimes? No matter how hard you try, no matter how amazing the cover letter is, no matter how targeted that resume is….that nasty Bill Walton is going to be there cheering for the other guy. And it hurts.  It hurts a lot.  There is always that one thing that is standing in your way from getting that perfect job.  It may be byproduct of this economy, so many overqualified candidates for so few jobs, or you could not have nailed that interview. Whatever the reason for not getting that job, it’s a matter of moving beyond that one thing.  Move beyond it and make the best of it. The Bill Walton game is just a bump in the road. It shows you that you are better than that.  Build upon the bump in the road, start building a solid network that will stand behind you no matter how far you’ve fallen or falling back to your biggest cheerleaders – your loved ones. Because they will understand that Bill Walton is just a hater. And that you deserve better than haters.

Take it from a longtime Spurs fan, what really matters are the fans and cheerleaders and hometown commentators who will standby you through the rebuilding years, the months and years you are looking for a job. The ones who tell you, even though you have eight new players are third in the Southwest conference, lost one of my favorite players (yes I said my…) to broken hand last night and still barely won against the Indianapolis Pacers last night, that you are amazing.  Just wait until February and the Rodeo Road Trip. We’ll get you.

If you read one of my earlier posts, you will be aware that I moved to Berlin. I’ve been here for pretty much a month now, and like any great transition, it’s had its highs and lows.

So I arrived late on 16th November at Berlin Schönefeld Airport, where I waited for Katja to come meet me (she landed at Tegel an hour before me and  therefore made her way to meet up with me). Naturally, we headed straight for what would be our home for the following two weeks. It’s a flat in the Neukölln region of Berlin, and it belongs to a very nice former lecturer of mine, whom some of you may know of. Anyway, the flat was in very good condition, and had everything we could want from a temporary place to stay.

Despite this, we couldn’t rest on our laurels, and soon had to intensify our search for a more permanent accommodation. In the first week we had a few viewings, some of which were potenitally good, but not ideal, where others were simply out of the question. For instance, one was just 2 rooms, a bathroom and a kitchen – absolutely no furniture, the walls were unpainted, and the floors needed replacing. It needed renovating, which wasn’t possible for us on our budget. Anyway, in the second week we had luck. Katja went and viewed a flat in Lichtenberg (in the former GDR part of Berlin), which was fully furnished (internet too) and not too expensive. It was only a Zwischenmiete (temporary renting)  though, but it will last until 30.05.10 at least with the possibility of an extension. We wasted no time in agreeing on it and signing the contract.

On  moving in it became apparent that the flat wasn’t quite as perfect as first thought, but it was nothing that couldn’t be improved with a couple of trips to Ikea and some elbow grease. Well, with the exception of the fridge (if you can call it that). Basically the fridge is a fridge-freezer combo, but the fridge compartment doesn’t work at all. However, the freezer is warm enough to act as a fridge and thus not cold enough to be a freezer, so we’re using that as our fridge and just not buying any frozen foods (not that we would buy much anyway). So the flat is now looking very presentable and homely thanks to our hard work.

Unsere Wohnung

Typical of Germany, the burocracy has been a challenge. It’s been a common theme since we’ve been here that authorities contradict one another. For example, within the first couple of days we went to the Ausländerbehörde (Foreign Authority) to find some clarity in the matters surrounding residency and work permits. We waited there for about an hour and they told both Katja and I, fully knowing that we were from Latvia and the UK respectively, that we would NOT require neither of these documents for we are EU citizens. However, a couple of weeks later, we got round to visiting the Agentur für Arbeit (Job Centre) where I had no problems. Katja on the other hand was told that because she was from Latvia, she would need a work permit. Therefore, she had to go back to the Foreign Authority and request a work permit, which can take up  to 2 months… She was also told she couldn’t even look for work in that time, but this was again contradicted by another branch of the Job Centre, who said she could  only look for specialist jobs (i.e. those that are relevant to her degree of study, and not jobs like waitress or cleaner). Luckily registering our address at the Bürgeramt (Citizen Centre) wasn’t so complicated, though I wouldn’t say it was smooth.

As far as work is concerned, it’s been more encouraging than it was for me in England, which is something. However, it’s not enough and although I’ve had a decent amount of interviews (and a trial day), none of them have amounted to anything for one reason or another. It was perhaps a mistake of mine to go for Praktika (internships) as many of these a very low-paid, if paid at all, which was the stumbling block in some of my interviews. Although we have nothing concrete employment-wise, I’m still confident that one of us can find a job before it becomes too late. I always have something on the go, like for instance an internet gaming company approached me yesterday about a position working in customer service where I would be the first point of contact for English-speaking customers. The job also involves some translation, which will be invaluable as it’s ultimately what I’d like to do as a career. More importantly, it pays! Fingers crossed it works out.

Aside from the burocracy, the flat hunting, and job searching, we have found a bit of time to enjoy this wonderful city we find ourselves in. I’ve never lived in a capital city. I mean, Southampton is the biggest town/city that I’ve lived in. In a city like Berlin, there is always something exciting going on, and often in many parts of the city. I mean, it’s Christmas time and Berlin’s tourist attractions are literally drowning in Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas markets), which is great. Last night we went to one of the Christmas markets on Alexanderplatz inbetween the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) and the Rotes Rathaus (Red Townhall) to drink some Glühwein (Mulled wine) with the couple we are renting the flat from. They are also a multicultural couple like Katja and myself – an Egyptian called Ahmed and his Ukrainian girlfriend, who strangely enough is also called Katja… Anyway, it was nice despite the bitterly cold conditions. I think it was about -14°C!

Berlin Wall Memorial at Alexanderplatz with Christmas markets in the background

That brings me nicely onto the weather. The British do love talking about the weather and I’m not different. Actually the weather wasn’t so bad up until the last week or so. We had our first spot of snow last Saturday and things have just become colder and colder.

It’s Christmas in less than a week, and I’m expecting a Christmas distinctly different from the one I’m used to. It’s my first Christmas away from my family, so it will be strange. However, it will be nice for me and Katja to share Christmas together and will be very exciting to spend this festive period in such a city like Berlin. As I mentioned previously, there is always something going on here.

Resumes are a tool used by the job seekers to provide a summary of their past experiences, achievements and the capabilities of an individual that will allow the person to qualify for a particular job vacancy, within an organization. In the recent era, when promptness and compactness is the name of the game, the managers too do not like investing most of their time in sifting and screening the many resumes they receive, from all over the country or even the world in some cases.

That is why the current trend of video presentations being used as video resumes is fast gaining popularity and acceptability in the corporate world. This method is very popular among the youth of today, who are opting to harness the digital technology to develop impressive resumes for themselves that will help them get ahead in their professional lives. Though it is a relevantly new idea, yet its potency cannot be denied and it has significantly made its mark in the corporate sector, where the managers can finally find freedom from sifting through the stack of papers called resumes.

A good personal presentation promises to leave a positive impression on the employers, who will be forced to take action accordingly. Rather than sticking to the formats of a resume and searching for the relevant keywords to add zing to them, the job seekers will have an opportunity to actually prepare and present themselves, in the comfortable environment of their homes or elsewhere. This, on the hand will allow the managers to gauge the job seeker’s personality type and observe their confidence level and other related aspects easily. One can also choose to provide their video presentations in combination with the traditional resumes, to add dimension and clarity of expression, to make themselves stand apart from the crowd.

Video presentation is a powerful tool, which one can choose to demonstrate their intellect and enthusiasm. One can opt to get their shoot done from a professional agency or can even shoot it themselves with the help of the digital cameras. When developing the personal video presentations, always invest time in preparation and know your strengths and weaknesses. Market your skills and emphasize on how the organization can benefit from it.

Structure an enthusiastic opening to entail the compact summary of your education and the work history relevant to the nature of the job. Do not digress, as your audience, which is your employer may lose interest in what you have to say. Rehearse well before actually recording the shoot and make sure that your speech is clear, confident and precise. Video presentations are a great way to assess the potential candidates and respond to the recruitment process in a more timely fashion. For more information please visit. http://www.applyandgo.com/

~ Johann C. F. von Schiller

So, no job.  Nope, they are going with another candidate.  No, I don’t know why.

It’s so hard to be positive right now. 

I know that I have so many blessings, but right now, they seem more like consolation prizes than what they should be – foremost on my mind rather than my failure to obtain employment. 

And yet I can’t help but feel like a failure.  I know the facts:

• Unemployment in Ohio is continuing to rise, rather than drop. It’s at 10.6 % as of November.
• Being in Corporate Training, we are usually the first group kicked out the door when it comes to a company making cuts to improve its bottom line.
• Which means that I am competing with a sh*tload of folks for the same job.
• Folks who may have worked for companies that had enough money to have better Learning Management Systems than I did at my last job (where at least we had one) or at the job before (where we didn’t have one at all.)
• Folks whose companies had a training budget that allowed them to go to tons more conferences than either of the companies for whom I worked.

But deep down, I keep wondering if there is just something wrong with me.  I’ve never had a problem getting a job before.  I’ve never had that much of an issue getting interviews before.  This was my first interview in SIX MONTHS. 

I am lucky that The Vet is able to support our household monthly living expenses.  I use my unemployment for my personal living expenses.  This month I did have to borrow money from him to put toward my COBRA insurance, as the government subsidy ran out.  I know that I am luckier than most, as I am only paying for me, which is still $323 per month for my plan.  Many families have to pay 3 or 4 times that – which can be 80% of their unemployment pay. 

If there has been a lesson in this, it’s that you should never take a job for granted.  I know that I did.  I spent 12 years at one company and 1.5 at another. I moaned and groaned and complained through both of them (although I did love  the work I did at The Law Firm, just not my boss or the company).  I never dreamed that it would take me this long to find a job.  I never appreciated what I had.

One of the things that helped me decide on the MIM program was the fact that I didn’t need a minimum number of years of work experience – most other programs I was looking at required at least two years to even be considered as an applicant.  However, now that I am in the MIM program, and am studying with people that have had years of work experience, my year or so spent in the working world makes me feel I am at a slight disadvantage compared to my peers.  Specifically, I feel less prepared than my cohort members when it comes to having an established network of professional contacts, that they’ve acquired through their careers to this point, and the clarity with which they seem to be focusing their studies towards a definite career.  Thankfully, PSU and the MIM program give me some of the tools that can help answer many of the questions I have when thinking about what to do after graduation, namely: the mentor program.

As a part of the career services program at PSU, made available to the MIM cohort is the mentor program – a program designed to match students with local business professionals and help them gain a better grasp on the world that lies beyond graduation.  Students are matched with individuals that are in a field that the student would like to pursue after they finish their program.  That’s as far as the coordination from the program goes – from then on out, it’s up to the students to keep in contact with their mentors, and schedule times to meet up.  That kind of structure, or relative lack thereof, was perfect for me, as I felt as though it gave me an experience similar to one that I might find in a real work environment.  After scheduling, the flow of the meetings depend solely on the decisions of the mentors and the students – they get to decide on a format that is most suitable and beneficial to the students.  Now, what was made plainly clear is that this program is not an opportunity for students to be given jobs (or even ask for a job from their mentor), but rather an extended informational interview – a chance to learn and a chance to ask questions.

Personally, I was matched with a Commercial Manager from Vestas, a wind energy company with worldwide offices, including one in Portland.  This was great for me, not because I necessarily want to pursue a career in renewable energy or sustainability, per se, but because my mentor was actually a graduate of PSU’s MBA program, and could offer me incredible insight into what I can expect not only as a Master’s program graduate, but a graduate in the Portland area.  For me, the open ended format for mentor meetings was ideal for my first meeting with my mentor yesterday, as I really have no idea of what I want to do after graduation, as far as a position title – or even what’s out there for me.  These mentor relationships aren’t just a one time kind of deal either – once matched up, you and your mentor get to decide how often to meet.  I plan on using each meeting with my mentor as a chance to ask an evolving set of questions, to get me more familiar with the professional world, and better refine my own set of job specifications and expectations.

Do you have your own stories about work experience?  Leave us a comment!  While you’re at it, let us know what you want to know about the program, or different aspects of the program, either as a comment, or at askmim@pdx.edu.

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I actually had forgotten I had created this account, which is fortunate but unfortunate. Fortunate as it still exists and can be utilized. Unfortunate because I could have been using it if I had remembered.

Current life stats:
Quit job, sold car, moved to new state. Will decide later if this was the smoothest move I’ve ever made in my life or not. For the moment though, I am thoroughly pleased and happy with my decision. I had an abusive relationship with my job and my car was more of a hindrance than a convenience. A new state, in all translations of that phrase is completely true. My state of assets is precarious at best. My state for mode of transportation has dropped to none. My state of employment is yet unfulfilled. My state of address is a completely new one, never lived in this current geographical location. My state of mind is at a new all time high.

I love the feeling of being away from my old job, there is not an ounce of remorse for leaving the position or the people. I do miss the kids, a lot. I miss my family but I get to look forward to seeing them now and again if I can manage it. I have wonderful people around me who are amazing.

I do worry about paying bills and getting a job. Paying bills was hard enough when I had a job because I had a very skimpy paycheck and a huge college loan. (Personally if it disappeared I wouldn’t shed a tear.) Leaving my job, though it probably saved my health, life and long term happiness, isn’t the greatest thing to be doing in this job market. Nobody wants a girl who went to college for some obscure major and slaved away for a company she can’t truly degrade without future employers running for cover. I will always say “I left because of the people not because of the kids.” and attempt to leave it at that.

Now, I’m looking to the horizon and praying for blessings. I know people will say that it takes a lot of courage to pretty much drop everything and move. But really, to me, it feels like …. some exfoliating process oddly enough. As if the past year was the coarse gritty mask that I slathered on and let set. Currently I’m attempting to slough off all the old dead and disgusting parts while hoping what I reveal beneath the mask will be a clean, smoother, and more beautiful face to present to the world and look towards a bright future.

I was nervous about this, to say the least. Perhaps rather irrationally, I was anticipating it to be much like a break up, telling someone you didn’t want to be with them any more.

I’d decided to make some kind of commitment to moving away. This was certainly the way I’d make sure that I’d do something about my future. The worst case scenario would be never having the courage to have the conversation with my boss and staying in the same job for years on end. Leaving in July, as I plan, could mean months of tension. Of course, it wasn’t my boss that I was afraid of. It was more about me having the courage to go through with this.

I’d already thought up a speech, saying things such as it being a hard decision and so on and so on. This was true in the sense that I knew I’d be leaving something good behind, but there was no doubt about the fact that I needed to move on. In fact, it was pretty easy. I didn’t end up saying it in the end and saying it would have probably sounded forced anyway. I did say however, that it had been an excellent place for me to start my career, which certainly was true. Just like the town in which I live, I felt like enough was enough and that I had to try somewhere new.

My boss was fantastically encouraging. Brilliant, she said, go for it. She was so supportive, I was a little disappointed that she hadn’t shown some sort of dissent. I knew, of course, that it was just my ego, that was all.

So it’s done. She did warn me that senior management would put me under pressure to resign but my strategy for avoiding that will be passive resistance. Well, hopefully that will keep me going for a while. I’ll try not to make any promises though, particularly that I don’t have to resign until May.

Hopefully I’ll have a job long before then. And it was nothing like a break up at all.

What I have done in the past is decide what kind of job I want and have applied for those.  Makes sense, right?  It’s an okay approach.  It has worked for many people in the past.  It has worked for me in the past, too.  Until now.

I have been job hunting for a month and a half now.  And I’ve realized that job hunting through the internet, which is what temp companies and other placement agencies are suggesting one do, is a ridiculous proposition.  Certainly, it’s a central place where one can find out which jobs are open.  Applying to them via the internet is the next best step.

However, that cannot be the only way one hunts for a job.  Unfortunately, putting jobs out on the internet is like standing on a street corner and announcing the job.  EVERYONE hears about it.  That means that even if you find the perfect job for you, chances are very good that at least a thousand other people are doing the exact same thing.

I read an article about “following” certain companies via Twitter, specifically.  This is certainly a way to hear about jobs practically as soon as they become available, especially if you have your Twitter account on your iPhone or other similar gadget…and if you are checking your phone constantly and have your iResume and iCoverLetter ready to go at the push of a button.

However, it still does not address the issue that you will be one of thousands or millions who will be applying for this job.

How to break this down?  Networking.  If one must seek a job through the internet, Twitter, what-have-you, one must also supplement it through a network of human beings!  Gasp!  What a concept.

Social gatherings are good.  Telling your friends and family that you are looking for a job and what kind…is good.  What I mean by networking, however, is to find the area or industry in which you are interested and try to meet as many people you can in that company or niche.

What I have done in the past is decide what kind of job I want and have applied for those.  Makes sense, right?  It’s an okay approach.  It has worked for many people in the past.  It has worked for me in the past, too.  Until now.  I am a freelance artist and I have jobs that I’m working on at the moment, but as freelance jobs are bit-work, I am seeking a job that is longer term.

My magical approach is to focus on an area and a company that speaks to me.  You agree with what they do and how they do it.  If they don’t particularly have any openings at the moment, they may in the future.  Volunteering at that company (a volunteer-run company is not recommended for this approach, for obvious reasons) will enable you to have a first-hand understanding of how to work in their offices and will give you the connections both internally and externally.

So, now the next step is to find an organization that suits me and what I want to pursue.

I find myself drawn to jobs that are philanthropic, so I’m looking in the non-profit area.  I have experience in adult literacy.  I have experience in television production, specifically in animation.  So, these are the sort of things that I will seek out!

Onward and forward!

Throughout the job hunt we send out countless resumes, go on countless interviews, interview with many people, and hopefully follow up through as many thank you notes for making these connections.  After these thank you notes are sent out all we can do is sit and wait for a response (or we can be that obnoxious person who calls the interviewer to see if they’ve made an answer…but that’s not my style.)

Now that I’ve been on a handful of interviews through this job search I’ve had an e-mail rejection and several “we’ll call you back”s who never actually did.  Today, in the mail I received my first “thanks but no thanks” letter this go around (I’ve gotten them before though).  Just a side note, last go around one of the hiring managers even called me and said they weren’t going to hire me. That had to have been hard to do.   Now, I’ve had this conversation with a handful of friends and family members and the answers vary. Which is better? Waiting by the phone or mail to hear that you didn’t get the job or waiting in vain for weeks waiting for someone never to call you back?

On one hand, most people are good at reading how first impressions go. It’s been estimated that first impressions take less than 5 seconds to make. If you don’t make that “you’re the one” impression for the job right away no matter how stellar your answers are or how stellar your “damage control” thank you note is you probably aren’t going to get the job. So, if you believe that first impression wasn’t perfection then not getting a call back isn’t that big of a deal.

However, being able to check that job off the list is a good thing. Keeping all your ducks in a row is a great thing. The note I got today was short, to the point and said “thanks for interviewing we’ll keep you in our system.”  That’s great to hear. But, really…are you going to call me if you go through all your candidates?

So, in the season of cards and giving I have a thanks but no thanks card on my desk from a company I wanted to work for.  Am I going to keep it? I don’t know. I’m not sure. Sometimes I have to deal with rejection.

• “[There are] … four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody would not do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.” (Michaud, PA. (1995). Accident Prevention and OSHA Compliance.  Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Inc., p.3)

Assuring safe jobs is everybody’s business — including the unemployed who are seeking work. Not that we have a lot of  choices in this terrible job market.

Numerous individuals tell us they are exhausted, working every hour of overtime that they can get during the big holiday sales.  They’re not complaining –they seek the overtime because they know or suspect that they will be unemployed after the big holiday sales are over.  Then comes the job of seeking new employment.

It’s tempting to take any job that is offered, but we hope you can find one for which you would expect a very low level of accidents.   As you plan your job hunt and as you interview for various jobs,  seek information about accidents and safety.  Or, as the workload slows at the beginning of the year, look at the job that you currently have to see whether it could be made safer.

Here are some questions for which you may wish to seek answers:

• Has this organization ever received an OSHA citation? If so, how was it handled?
• What is this organization’s safety philosophy? Its safety program?
• What is the accident record for this organization, and how does that compare to others in the field?
• What is the accident record for this particular job, and how does that compare to similar jobs in other organizations?
• What are the normal working conditions for this job?
• What kinds of unsafe conditions might I encounter in this job?
• What is the role of my potential supervisor in accident prevention?
• What kind of insurance and/or worker’s compensation applies in case I do have an accident on this job?
• Based on what you hear or can observe, is this not a hostile environment that is likely to experience violent incidents in the future?

We sincerely hope that the employment situation improves in the coming year.  Meanwhile, have a blessed holiday, and good luck on finding or keeping a safe job.

It seems that the business world shuts down during the festive season. With Thanksgiving & Christmas seasons seemingly rolling into one this year, the seasonal socialising just goes on and on!

If you are on the lookout for a new international job or that next career move, it would be very easy to get into the festive spirit and forget about looking for a few weeks. Who could blame you? But the reality is this; can you really afford to call off the job search for such a long period? Many would argue it’s pointless anyway, as nothing seems to get ‘done’ during festive times, but I’d disagree.

Keep up your job search. December can actually be a good time to look for a job. Companies often put off hiring until the fourth quarter, hiring managers may be in a better-than-usual mood and may be easier to reach, fewer people job hunt this time of year so there’s less competition, and networking opportunities abound (those holiday parties!). All good reasons to keep on keeping on.

Read More of Tips For The Holiday Job Search

Unemployment is a great time of exploration and self renewal. It gives me time to explore new ideas and new paths. The last time I was unemployed (or semi unemployed) was exactly a year ago. I got lucky, as a job landed in my lap a few months later. I explored job options then, but not as much as now. since the job probably isn’t going to fall in my lap again.

I’ve always pondered the idea of being a writer. Not a novelist, I don’t have big enough ideas to be a novelist (as most of my ideas revolve around falling in love with an imaginary Prince). But, my idea of writing revolves more around blogging, reporting and general snark of life. It could happen.

I’m about a year in to my luxury fashion blogging experience with b5media. I love the freedom, the growth, and the few connections I have made. I have not fully explored the networking, the PR, or even the social media aspect of the job. And, I know that’s the next step. And part of exploration. Maybe my next step isn’t to be the CEO of a non-profit. Maybe it’s to be fabulous writer who writes in her PJs and midnight about Lady Gaga’s crazy get-ups. Who knows.

I’m exploring this option and taking a step towards it by not just looking at Freelance Writing postings, but actually responding to them. I am putting together writing samples. I am entering contests to get me into New York Fashion Week.

Yes, a contest. You heard me. And that’s where I need your help. GStar Raw, a great urban fashion company announced a great contest earlier this week. They are taking one person from Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Flikr to New York Fashion Week Spring / Summer 2011 as a Raw Reporter.  The winner needs to exude what they believe to be a “raw reporter” and that includes getting a pretty high number of votes by early February. Early February. That’s a while. So, if I can build a great cushion early then it will be smooth sailing (and exploring by February); or at least that’s my idea.

So, to get me to the Northwest Passage of the job hunt exploration (did that actually exist?) I need you all to click this link and vote for me. If I can win this may be a new great beginning!

Job titles: They can make or break a good first impression. You certainly don’t want to lie about your job history, but you do want to be descriptive. For example, “Accounting” is too vague, while “Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping” carries both far more information and way more impact. This article I wrote for The Ladders delves into how to make sure your titles are both a) going to be acknowledged as accurate by your former/current employers, and b) attention-grabbers. Click here to read the full story.

I’m very excited to have had the opportunity to team up with the great guys of Instruxion to make a small  movie about “How to use LinkedIn to find a new job” (3.12 minutes, in English).

It’s already for a while on the website of the book How to REALLY use LinkedIn, but I haven’t mentioned it here yet.

Also check out the other cool movies they made on the website of Animated Explanations!

Have a great networking day !

Jan

Jan Vermeiren is the founder of Networking Coach and author of “How to REALLY use LinkedIn” (in Dutch: “Hoe LinkedIn nu ECHT gebruiken“). Click on the links of the books to get a free light version.