Overcoming Excuses in a Job Search (video)

In lieu of a text post, and as part of the testing effort for Blogger in Draft, I've uploaded a video about a book I've started re-reading. I also mentioned the Journey Inside My Mind Podcast but forgot to mention the URL: http://jimmpodcast.com.

Related tags: getthatjob get+that+job job+hunt job+search career+advice networking professional+development daniel+johnson+jr


Visit DiversityJobs.com for information on Diversity in the workplace.

Make a Personal Connection!

Chris at LifeHack.org recently shared some thoughts on effective networking ("Meet People NOT Business Cards - lifehack.org"). If you're like me, you've tended to use these events as opportunities to amass a big collection of business cards. But that's not the point of the meeting, really, is it? Here are my comments to the article:

I hear you, Chris. I just read something along the same lines in Keith Ferrazzi's book Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time. If you collect a bunch of business cards without making a personal connection, you're left with a phone list from which to make cold calls.

Now, let's transfer these thoughts into collecting contacts on internet social networks, okay?

I see people blindly adding friends on social networking sites like MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others, the same way people collect business cards. There are various reasons to do this; the most obvious is to make themselves look important, which is something that motivates some people. If people see someone with lots of contacts, they will begin to think of them as an expert in their field. I'm a bit torn on this myself, to be honest.

Just remember that the personal connection is what matters. What are you doing right now to make and reinforce the personal connection with your contacts? What are your thoughts on the effectiveness of amassing large numbers of contacts?

Related tags: getthatjob get+that+job job+hunt job+search career+advice networking social+networking daniel+johnson+jr

Job-hunting success story - right out of college

I am very proud of how I landed my first job out of college. It was 1994, and I had spent lots of time at the library, researching the hidden job market and looking for leads. I had posted a resume at the University of Cincinnati's Career Development and Placement office, and I guess they made a database available to recruiters.

My sister had recommended a book entitled 300 New Ways to Get a Better Job by Eleanor Baldwin. Nevertheless, I found that very useful and would recommend it to any graduate or especially students in an online degree program, since they don't have access to a career center.

So one summer day that year, Mark, the Environmental, Health, and Safety Manager for a company that manufactured decorative items for homes, called me. What was meant as an initial screening call turned into a full-fledged telephone interview. When I hung up, I had made an appointment for an in-person interview. Not having a car of my own, I was able to borrow a friend's. I spent the next days before the interview at the library, researching all I could on the company.

At the interview my enthusiasm for the position as an Environmental Engineer was strengthened, especially as I convinced Mark to take me on a quick tour of the plant. I made sure to share some of the information I had found from my own research, which seemed to impress Mark and Jim, the HR Manager who also attended the interview. At the end of the interview, I asked what more I could do to qualify for the job, conveying my strong interest.

Immediately when I returned home, I typed up a thank you note to both Mark and the HR Manager who also interviewed me. Then I both faxed and mailed it.

Within a week Mark called me to offer me the job. I accepted it and wound up moving an hour north to Dayton, Ohio, where I lived for ten years.

The Internet has certainly changed the way we can look for jobs and how employers can find us. This worked for me back in 1994.

Do you have a job-hunting success story you'd like to share? Please send it to me at daniel [at] getthatjobonline [dot] com.

Related tags: getthatjob get+that+job job+hunt job+search success+stories daniel+johnson+jr

Note: I've updated this post to include some additional links to affiliates and others that I recommend you check out.

You are a business unit

I've been reading David Schwartz's book The Magic of Thinking Big, and I'm currently going through a chapter about goals. We all should approach our lives the way businesses do when it comes to setting goals. Here's an excerpt from the chapter I'm reading:

Like the progressive corporation, plan ahead. You are in a sense a business unit. Your talent, skills, and abilities are your 'products.' You want to develop your products, so they command the highest possible price. Forward planning will do it.

Here are two steps which will help:

First, visualize your future in terms of three departments: work, home, and social. Dividing your life this way keeps you from becoming confused, prevents conflicts, helps you look at the whole picture.

Second, demand of yourself clear, precise answers to these questions:

1. What do I want to accomplish with my life?
2. What do I want to be?
3. What does it take to satisfy me?

Just like in any business unit, there is sure to be integration among the departments, but this example really has me thinking about my own life. I have been reluctant to set goals in the past because I've had a low self-confidence. Now that it's gotten much better, I'm thinking BIG and ready to set goals.

How about you? What do you think of all this?

Related tags: getthatjob get+that+job job+hunt job+search career+advice networking professional+development daniel+johnson+jr goals

Connect with Long-lost Contacts This Holiday Season

Anyone else remember this jingle:

Reach out, reach out and touch someone
Reach out, reach out and just say 'Hi'

I remember the commercials on TV and the radio, encouraging us to call friends and family.

I bring this up because we are now in the midst of the holiday season, which is a great excuse to get back in touch with people in your address book, contact list, or other network list. So why not reach out and touch someone in your network this season?

Related tags:

getthatjob get+that+job job+hunt job+search career+advice networking professional+development dan+johnson

Job Security

From the Contract Employee's Handbook, Appendix B: Glossary of Terms for Contract Professionals:

Job security

Job security is an urban myth. The myth of job security owes its origin to the common misconception among employees that they are somehow entitled to keep their employment with a given company in perpetuity. In fact, there is no job security. Employment with a given company is not an entitlement, and the right to continued employment is a myth. Another urban myth is that of job loyalty. Job loyalty arises from the misconception among many employees that if they show loyalty to their employer, their employer will reciprocate with loyalty toward the employee. As Dan Pink points out in his enlightened book Free Agent Nation, conventional wisdom dictates that workers trade loyalty for security, when, in fact, a more realistic assessment shows that workers instead trade talent for opportunity.

Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters : 400 Unconventional Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for Landing Your Dream Job : Books

I saw this book featured on LinkedIn this morning:

Why people are unhappy at work

This news comes from ClarkHoward.com:

Do you remember your first day on the job? For many of us, there was probably a lot of excitement and maybe some nervousness. Once that goes away, there is usually a lot of enjoyment with a job. But over time, boredom starts to set in and people start to just go through the motions, according to recent reports. It’s become such a problem that academics are writing about it. Two recent books are The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It's Too Late and “Staying and Becoming Less Engaged Every Day.” Employees are the ambassadors of our employers, and if we feel no connection, we suffer and the company suffers. So, why do we start not caring about our jobs? The No. 1 reason in Clark’s opinion is that companies stop caring about the employees. So, remember that if you are an executive or a supervisor. Make the work environment fun and let people know they are appreciated. That doesn’t mean more money. Words of praise usually matter much more.

While I could not find a link to the second book Clark mentions, I did find a link to a related story: Reaching the breaking point in your job

Clark Howard Show Notes for Monday, March 21, 2005

Looking for a Book Deal

I'm looking for a book deal. Contact me if you're interested.

Job Search Humor Blog and a Success Story to Boot

First, this note via email:

Dear Dan,

I've looked at your blog and I really can relate.

I am writing to ask if you would consider linking my blog to "Get That Job." I am a communications writer with a penchant for humor. I've started a blog, entitled, "Does This Look Funny to You?," which consists of articles, one-liners, and column links. The columns are from my stint as a humorist for the employment publication, Career Magazine. I also have written a book-length manuscript, entitled "Blown Job: an unemployment odyssey," which chronicles my lengthy, frustrating, and comic search for employment. I am going to provide chapter excerpts on the blog, several of which I've already posted.

I invite you to take a look, and if you find my blog interesting, I would be most grateful if you would provide a link to it on your websites. I would be glad to reciprocate with a link on my blog.

The blog link is:
http://lookfunny.blogspot.com

Thank you for your time. I will be checking your site and I hope that I will see the aforementioned link there.

Sincerely,

Jill Salter

Head over there; you won't be disappointed. (Note to self; update the blogroll, heh?)

Secondly, you can read about Jill's recent success at finding a job at Sore Feet, Bleary Eyes, and a Big Fat Smile.

Please feel free to share your job hunting success stories, as they inspire and give hope to us all who are looking. You can send them via email, or post something in the comments.

Go Get That Job!

How to Be a Working Comic (book)

I was browsing through the library's catalog yesterday, and I found the book, . Comedians make it look so easy that I've thought of going to an open mic night at one of the comedy clubs around here.

The Amazon.com page contains editorial reviews and reviews from individuals.

Promote Yourself to a New Job: 2010 -- A Job Odyssey

Note: My Yahoo! Daily Tips via HotJobs do not exist with permanent URLs. Thus, I have posted the entire tip below:

Promote Yourself to a New Job: 2010 -- A Job Odyssey

by Caroline Levchuck

It's one of the most modern forms of self-promotion: Blogging.

Blogs are online journals. Easy to create, a blog can help you establish yourself as a voice to be reckoned with in your industry.

Ana Marie Cox's political gossip blog, Wonkette.com, led to a job covering the Democratic National Convention for MTV News.

Julie Powell, an unemployed New Yorker, put up a blog documenting her year-long odyssey cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." It remains one of Salon.com's most popular
destinations and sparked Powell's new career as an author. She's contracted for a book to be published in 2005, based on her experiences.

A blog can help turn your name into a bold-faced one -- and make you a VIP in your field. If Cox and Powell can do it, so can you.

I would love to blog and get paid for it. I'm just not sure if what I blog about merits anyone paying me to do it. What do you all think?

Recommended Reading: Job Search

This book is an easy read with helpful advice on how to approach and succeed at your job search. Author covers the nine basic steps of getting a job, starting with implementing a specific job search plan (that's where JibberJobber can help!), understanding the selection process, determining what life experiences (good and bad) best describe your individual personality and talents (and how to discuss these experiences in a clear and concise manner), preparing for the interview, and more.

Films to Fuel Your Job Search: Welcome to the Jungle - MyYahoo! Daily Tip

by Caroline Levchuck

Going from the classroom to the boardroom can be a shock to your system.

Check out these flicks for advice and inspiration on how to make a minor league job your launching pad to the majors.

"How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (1967)
You may want to pick up a self-help book after watching this classic film. J. Pierpont Finch (Robert Morse) makes a meteoric rise from window-washer to vice president of the Worldwide Wicket Company thanks to unscrupulous advice in a how-to book. Word to the wise: Don't believe everything you read.

Reality Bites (10th Anniversary Edition) Budding filmmaker Lelaina (Winona Ryder) and her three Gen X friends find that college didn't necessarily prepare them for the perils of corporate America. A must-view when you're scared of selling out or surrounded by slackers.

The Secret of My Succe$s There's always room at the top, particularly when you invent a position there for yourself. Hey, it worked for Brantley Foster (Michael J. Fox). He goes from mailroom clerk to whiz kid executive, thanks to a vivid imagination, some quick changes and lots of close calls.

Wall Street
If you think greed is good, visit Wall Street. Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), burgeoning big-time broker, aims high and lands the biggest client of his life. But hapless Fox lets his lust for money compromise his values, relationship with his family and stature as a law-abiding citizen. Let it be a lesson.

READ MORE ARTICLES FROM HOTJOBS AND YAHOO!:

How to Write a Resume That Gets Interviews
New and Emerging Occupations
Minor Matters That Make Your Interview

Read more career advice on Yahoo! HotJobs.
Sign up for Yahoo! HotJobs' newsletters and have career news delivered to your inbox.

Let's welcome a new contributor...

Rita Fisher, a Certified Professional Resume Writer, has received publicity for her work with job seekers on the Oprah Winfrey Show, in McCall's magazine and in many other media sources. Her professional resume writing work has been featured in Gallery of Best Resumes (Gallery), a book by Jist Publishing. You can reach her at http://www.CareerChangeResumes.com.

To find out how you can contribute to this blog, head over to the Archive page.

Don't ever stop your networking

[another Marvin Walberg article]

The main point of this article is that you should constantly network instead of relying on "911 Networking," the kind that often occurs when someone loses a job.

Walberg recommends a book by Diane Darling, entitled The Networking Survival Guide: Get the Success You Want By Tapping Into the People You Know. I've added it to my list of favorite books so that I'll know to check it out later (I maintain a list of what I'm currently reading via AllConsuming.net, and you can view the list at my homepage, "Dan's Domain.").

Constant networking may mean that jobs come looking for you.

5 Things to do with all that extra time:


Being unemployed may suck financially, but it does have its advantages in terms of all of that extra free time it creates.

You could spend the next couple of months couch surfing, or here are some other things you can do with your free time:

1. Learn to Cook - there are cooking classes, cookbooks, and my personal favorite, the food network with all sorts of cooking shows like Iron Chef, 30 Minute Meals, Food 911, Date Plate , and the Naked Chef with Jamie Oliver(why is it they pick the hunkiest hosts for these shows? Cute men that can actually cook? Woohoo!), you're bound to find something that appeals to your "inner chef"!
2. Exercise Your Body: you don't have to join a gym to get out and get some exercise! Pick your favorite activity, or something that you've always wanted to learn, and get on a schedule, joing a group, or take a class to improve your skills.
3. Exercise Your Mind: Learn something new, take a class, read a book, get certified, write your memoirs, anything is good as longs as it exercises your mind!
4. Get Organized! Whether it's organizing your house, your life or your job search, it's never too late to make a fresh start at getting organized (and staying that way!)
5. Volunteer

If you have any other suggestions for this list, please add a comment!

(cross-posted on the Job Files)

BLOGGER - Knowledge Base - How To Get A Book Deal With Your Blog

I think I could do this.

Things 'They' Don't Tell You About Unemployment

Carla from Across the Pond shares her and her husband's experiences with being unemployed in the UK. She also points to OddTodd's "Laid Off: Help Wanted" cartoon.

I posted some comments to her post and recommended that she have her husband check out Dick Bolles' Job Hunter's Bible. It's the online companion to his book What Color Is Your Parachute? 2007: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers (What Color Is Your Parachute), which is republished every year. There is a wealth of advice on how to conduct an effective job search, including the Fairy Godmother Reports: a comparison of what you hope to find and what you actually get; how effective it all is; and some words to remember.

For example, there's the Fairy Godmother Report on Job-Listing Sites.

How to Get Out of a 'Dead-End' Job

From Fortune.com's Ask Annie column:

The first step, say the authors of an intriguing new book, is to let people know you're looking for bigger challenges. Then, learn to spot opportunities around you.

The article also contains a place for discussion, along with some additional advice, etc.