Tag Archives: jobs

Where the Opportunities Are

Posted on May 20, 2016 | Leave a comment

-that’s where the money is-In my last post I used a quote by Marva Collins where she said “success doesn’t come to you, you go to it”. By coincidence I had just posted a story on my Facebook page from FastCompany with the headline “ These Are The Top 25 U.S. Cities For Jobs This Year”. The article actually only named the top ten cities but it did provide a graphic showing a map of the US with the full 25 cities. I’m not really interested in the cities per se but rather the notion of going to where the opportunities are.

While there may be some individual circumstances to the contrary, for most new graduates this is the best time they will ever have to relocate. Most of you will need to at least consider that option. A lot will depend on the field you are in. If you are interested in banking and you want to stay in the more temperate climates then Charlotte or Atlanta may have appeal for you. If you are think hospital administration, Nashville may be attractive. The article mentioned San Jose for those who are drawn to the tech sector because of Facebook, Google and PayPal. When I graduated I headed to Houston without a job, contact or any basic knowledge of the town because that was where the action was for my field of interest. I had my first job offer on my third day in town and started work that same week. I had heard the following quote before but found this version from Quote Investigator:

Someone once asked Slick Willie Sutton, the bank robber, why he robbed banks. The question might have uncovered a tale of injustice and lifelong revenge. Maybe a banker foreclosed on the old homestead, maybe a banker’s daughter spurned Sutton for another.
Sutton looked a little surprised, as if he had been asked “Why does a smoker light a cigarette?”
“I rob banks because that’s where the money is,” he said, obviously meaning “in the most compact form.” That eye for the simple essential may be the secret of a singular success.

The point of the story is that you need to go where the opportunities are. Although you may find opportunities close to home, I suspect many of you will need to relocate for maximum opportunity.

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The Apprentice

Posted on May 10, 2016 | Leave a comment

-Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.- Thomas A. Edison

There are many different paths to finding work and one such path that used to be much more widespread is apprenticeship. Though much diminished, it is still out there. In fact, there is a government program that promotes apprenticeship to companies and lists opportunities for job seekers.

Apprentice programs range in length from one to six years. During that period, apprentices work and learn as employees. When you complete the training, you will receive a nationally recognized certificate from the Department of Labor (DOL) as proof of your qualifications.You can check out this program for yourself at:

http://oa.doleta.gov/bat.cfm

The goals for this program are described as follows:

“ApprenticeshipUSA offers employers in every industry the tools to develop a highly skilled workforce to help grow their business. For workers, ApprenticeshipUSA offers opportunities to earn a salary while learning the skills necessary to succeed in high-demand careers. ApprenticeshipUSA exemplifies high standards, instructional rigor and quality training. Whether you are an employer looking to hire, train or retain a skilled workforce, or a worker looking for a new career in a well-paying occupation, ApprenticeshipUSA will help you achieve your goals.”

This website allows you to search by State and bt County. I was able to pull up my County and found the data to be current and it included 7 apprenticeship opportunities ranging from computer programmer to electricians.

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Off to the races.

Posted on April 30, 2016 | Leave a comment

The Bear“The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that’s how the smart money bets.”
Damon Runyon

I am using this quote to make a point. You are in a race. Very soon nearly two million potential workers will be turned loose into a very stagnant economy. If you haven’t been paying attention the US economy grew at a pitiful one half percent in the first quarter. That is not enough to sustain the jobs that people already have let alone create jobs for this new tidal wave of job seekers. My point is that in a very competitive work environment you will need to take action and stay focused to win a spot at the jobs table.

There is a story that business consultants tell about two hikers walking along a trail in the woods when a large grizzly bear emerges in front of them. One of the hikers immediately throws down his backpack and pulls out a pair of running shoes. As he is lacing up his Nike’s the other hiker looks at him incredulously and says “what are you doing, you can’t out run a bear” to which the other hiker responds “I know, I just need to out run you.”

The point of the story is that in a competition you just need to be better than the people you are competing against. The good news for you is that most of these new graduates don’t have a clue about what it takes to get a job. Many of them will send out a few resumes and sit at home on the couch waiting for a letter that will never arrive or a call they will never receive. Don’t be that person.

If you want to find a job you need to treat the job seeking process as a job. Don’t limit yourself to mailing out a generic resume or posting on a few job boards. Everyone will be doing that. We will describe some strategies you can use in my next post.

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The Competition

Posted on April 26, 2016 | Leave a comment

“Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.”

Rumi

The U.S. Department of Education forecasts that during the 2015–16 school year, colleges and universities are expected to award 952,000 associate’s degrees; 1.8 million bachelor’s degrees; 802,000 master’s degrees; and 179,000 doctor’s degrees. That is a lot of people released into the work force. So the question is ……… are you ready to compete?

Most inexperienced job seekers will follow the well worn path of sending out boring resumes to a bunch of companies that employ profession Human Resources Managers whose sole function is to crush their dreams. In other words, these resumes never pass the filter. They are stopped well before they get close to a decision maker.

So what is the answer?  There are actually several things you can do. The first thing you need to know is that unsolicited resumes are not very effective. Responding to job postings is also a low probability exercise. In many cases those jobs have already been filled by they time you see the posts and frequently by someone already within the organization. So what’s left?

One effective technique is to seek out companies in your area of interest and try to find someone that works for that company. You can find someone via LinkedIn or just call the company and ask to talk to someone in the department you are interested in i.e. engineering, marketing, administration. Yes, this takes a little gumption but you are not asking for a job at this point, all you want to do is talk to someone about the industry or the company in general. Don’t get too stressed out. Most people will be open to this if asked in the right way. Just explain you are a recent graduate or will be graduating soon ( or just someone looking into career opportunities in this field) and are just looking for some information about their industry or company.

Hi, my name is ___________ and I am calling to see if you would be willing to give me a few minutes of your time to tell me a little about XYZ Company and opportunities in this industry.

You are not asking them for a job. Just ask them about how they got to where they are. People generally love to talk about themselves. Ask them about their background; how they got their first job and perhaps subsequent jobs in this industry or line of work. Ask them what they see as  opportunities in their industry. Ask them what advice would they give to someone in your situation i.e. looking for a job. But don’t ask them directly for a job. And keep it short. Remember, this person has a job. Just a note, this meeting can take place over the phone or at their office or you can invite them to meet you for coffee. The whole purpose of this meeting is to get a foothold. At the end of the meeting thank them for their time and ask if they would mind you following up with them. And here is a crucial part. Before you close, ask them if they know anyone else they would recommend you talk to. This is very important and where you turn a cold call into a warm hand off. If they recommend someone you will immediately have an advantage. You have now been recommended by a friend, co-worker or peer. This means you start at a higher level with your next interview.

You need to follow up and I recommend you start with immediately sending them a hand written thank you note. I am going to stop here but what usually happens is this process leads to a series of meetings where you start to build connections with people that can get you closer to a job. We will talk more about this process in another post but the intended outcome is a referral for an actual job by someone in the chain of connections you are building.

 

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Unrealized Potential

Posted on April 26, 2016 | Leave a comment

Do you have potential? Potential is defined as “latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness”. Most employers are looking for potential. They may not articulate that or even recognize that but nevertheless, that’s really what they need. They need employees with potential. Potential to learn how to do the job. Most new hires are not expected to contribute immediately. Companies realize that there is usually a learning curve involved. What they want is someone who has the aptitude, attitude and basic skills and knowledge to do the job.

If you are reading this post I would guess you are unhappy with your current employment situation. You either don’t have a job; are not happy with the job you have; or in danger of losing your job. I also suspect you have potential. You have life experiences and/or have done time taking college level courses and studying your butt off developing your potential. But here is what you need to know:

“It doesn’t matter what you can do if no one knows what you can do.”

All that potential and nowhere to go. The point I am trying to make is potential alone is not enough. You need to be able to communicate that potential to your prospective employer. So how do you do that? Does a resume say anything about your potential? Perhaps a little, but it mostly tells employers what you have done. You need to make the case for what you can do. Where do you do that. How about the cover letter. That’s perhaps a better choice but only if you get creative. Don’t use the cover letter to tell them how much you want to work for them. Tell a story. Give an example of an accomplishment or how you over came an obstacle or an example of creative thinking or work ethic. Better yet, tell them in person. Send them a link to a YouTube video where you recount your story in HD.

Remember, employers are risk adverse. They don’t like to take risks on hiring people. Employee turnover costs employers a lot of money. Make yourself a real person to them so they get a feel for who you are. If they think they know who you are they are more likely to take a chance on your potential.

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