Words of Others for Encouragement

• "Absence of occupation is not rest; A mind quite vacant is a mind distressed." -- William Cowper
• "In my life's chain of events nothing was accidental. Everything happened according to an inner need." -- Hannah Senesh
• "I have learned that to get a job done and have fun in it is about all you can get out of life." -- Jessie Tarbox Beals
"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." -- Confucius

Have you found any quotations that you think would inspire other job seekers? Let me know and I'll post them here.

Go Get That Job!

Family Ties Can Help in Job Search

Someone in your family might be able to find you a job.

According to a recent daily survey conducted by HowStuffWorks.com, about 45% of the respondents said that they had at some point gotten a job through a member of their families.

Similarly, nearly 5% of those responding stated that, while not having gotten a job through a family member, they were able to get a job for a family member.

That leaves about half the respondents, who said they had never gotten a job through a family member.

The online survey, conducted on Thursday, September 23, 2004, consisted of 941 responses.

Economy will improve despite negatives

Consumer Warrior Clark Howard shared these comments recently on his radio show:

Corporate earnings are not looking as good as they did in the first quarter of the year, and consumer confidence has declined. But Clark still has good news for you. Many things are setting the groundwork for a very strong economy in the future. First of all, inflation is much lower than expected. For the most recent month, inflation was one-tenth of one percent, which is almost nil. Over the year, it’s only 2.7 percent higher. So, interest rates are not going to be as high as expected. Having low interest rates is like setting the table for a job improvement and more strength in the economy next year.

Some Employers Killing Goose Who Lays Golden Eggs

This past week my wife, my daughter, and I have been ill with colds. It just shows that although anyone can take as many precautions as they can to stay well, illness can still be as common as, um, the cold (*grin*).

On Monday we thought our daughter had an onset of chicken pox, but fortunately, it was just a case of bug bites from rolling around in the grass last weekend instead. Still, we had to go to the doctor's office for a check-up. I had to call off work in order to do that.

My wife Jennie has been feeling the worst our of all of us. She's lost her voice these past three days, and she hasn't been to work since Monday night. Tuesday night was her regularly scheduled night off. She had someone else who works part-time work for her on Wednesday and Thursday nights. She would like to call in sick tonight.

I don't claim to understand everything about her company's sick policy. She supposedly has close to 40 hours of sick leave available, but someone in management is saying that she's not allowed to use it.

Since her job is to care for elderly and others who cannot take care of themselves, it does not make sense to require someone who is feeling ill to come to work.

At my job it's different. I'm an hourly part-timer for a fast-food restaurant - one of the largest in the world. I have no vacation or sick leave; if I don't work, I don't get paid. This fact is evident in my most recent paycheck, which is a lot less than what I usually get paid.

I know that sometimes people call in sick when they are not really sick at all. That's why, for example, my employer requires me to bring a doctor's note to show that I was, in fact, sick. It reminds me of school (excused absences and whatnot).

Nevertheless, I would rather not work around someone who is sick; it would be better for that person to stay home and get well.

Remember Aesop's fable about the goose who laid the golden eggs? It feels as though companies that ignore their employees in this way are setting themselves up for failure.

crossposted to Journey Inside My Mind

6 Rules for Personal Resume Web Sites

Instead of having a hardcopy portfolio, some job seekers are now opting for an online one. This article offers rules for building such a site.

Cover letter not place for personal agendas

Most people already know a targeted resume can be the first step toward finding a good job. It provides employers with their first introduction to you and is often the ticket to landing an interview. Your cover letter is equally important, because it provides you with the opportunity to explain in greater detail and by using examples of why you are the best person for the position. It's not the place for declaring your personal agenda.
A job hopeful seeking a public-relations position requiring strong writing skills listed in her cover letter a few magazines she'd written for, adding: 'I think my best work sample is a novel I've just finished writing. I'm attaching the first chapter. I think you'll agree that I'm as original as a writer can be.'
Attaching a work sample is not unusual for a writer, but in this case the hiring manager may wonder if she's more interested in finding a publisher than landing a PR job."

read more

From Geek to Chef

I've learned a lot this summer during my sabbatical but it all can be summarized in three words: follow your heart.

Megnut ends her sabbatical,announcing that she's changed careers from her previous one involving the web and tech to something she's "always felt passionate about: cooking."

Good luck, Meg!

Job search tips: Jumpstart your job search!

Need to jumpstart your job search? How about and posting your resume online and let the jobs come to you, for once.

Here are some good places to do that:

• HotJobs on Yahoo
  
• Monster
  
• Career Builder
  

These sites all have fairly advanced search methods so you can narrow your search results by location, field and more. And you can set up automated job search agents to query their database for matching jobs and have them emailed to you. If you haven't yet got those set up, what are you waiting for? Your next job is out there somewhere, just waiting for you to find it!

On Becoming a User, Not Just a Contributor

I mentioned in my other blog, Journey Inside My Mind, that our home PC is acting up. I'm at the library. I've decided to focus my Internet time toward a job hunt - the single-most proactive thing I can do right now that will benefit our family financially.

That way, I can take advantage of the wealth of info within this blog.

Now Hiring - Fast Food Employers

And some others, I suppose. With all the high school and college students heading back to school, the positions they had during the summer are open. Unless, of course, the work is seasonal.

At my employer, for example, we've been doing open interviews throughout the week to fill the unoccupied positions.

Maybe this kind of work isn't for you, but if it is, even in the short term, check it out!

Job Hunting Success Story - Portrait Representative

What a great way to encourage your fellow job seekers -- by sharing your job hunting success stories!

I recently congratulated Emily B., a friend from church who found a job as a Portrait Representative. I replied, asking how she got the job and what it entails. She emailed me back:

I found an ad in the classifieds, responded, and then went for a interview; then I found out the next day that I was hired. All that only took about a week.

Well what happens, is that, as a photographer, I will go to the client's home and take the pictures. Then I will call those people to set up a time to meet to view the pics with them and help them pick out what package, etc. that they want. I get commission for those sales.

Everyday Money: Waiter tip tricks - Aug. 26, 2004

I need to keep this in mind when I go back to bartending.

AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50 Honorees for 2004

AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50 Honorees for 2004: "These companies and organizations, recognized by AARP for their best practices and policies for valuing the mature worker, are roadmaps for the workplaces of tomorrow."

AARP Careers: Home Page

Check out some useful information from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)'s Careers web site. Among the articles:

• Is it Time for a Career Change?
• Survive a Layoff
• Alternative Work Arrangements
• Getting Started on Your Job Search
• Plan for New-Job Success