Posts Tagged ‘job hunt’

What are the benefits of blogging? How can you derive the maximum return on your time investment? The purpose of this blog is to connect you with opportunities to enhance your career. This is also an identity blog, not an “industry” blog. I editorialize about that which takes place in the human resources, and recruitment community. I am also the champion for the underdog, the job seeker, and all candidates everywhere who seek a job. Job hunting can be a daunting task in today’s economy. Job seeking can be a herculean effort.  Should job hunting be a full-time endeavor, or a part-time endeavor?  This is a rhetorical question.

Think about it. I contend there must be a balance between job hunting, and evaluating work-life balance. This is a controversial view point. Yes, one has to cultivate the seeds to accelerate their employment.  Yes, one must always be on the lookout for a good job.  Even when you are sitting securely in your present position, always keep your eyes open at opportunities when they pop up on your desk, or email box.  Next, on HFChat Steve Davis will guest host. We will tackle the topic of the challenges that currently face the temporary services industry.  We will grapple with the gnawing question, are all jobs temporary in today’s economy?  What about outsourcing?  Will we one day be outsourced?  Look at the outplacement community.  That is a clue.

Our economy is driven by supply and demand. Jobs are being off-shored to India, China, and Europe?  Why? Is it because the cost of labor is so high?  Is it because we are in a recession?  I don’t have the answers to these questions, rather what I want to do is to lead you to the place where you can decide for yourself.  Job seekers are intelligent.  Job hunters are savvier than they have ever been before.  Invention is the mother of survival, and today job seekers are reinventing themselves to make a living.

Don’t ever underestimate a candidate’s ability to look for a job.  Even if you are employed, I encourage you to attend this week’s HFChat.  You might just learn something that will ensure your employment now, and in the future.  Don’t ever discount your personal job search, your effort as a job seeker is invaluable.  Our goal for HireFriday’s HFChat is to accelerate your re-employment.   Everyone who wants a job, should have a job.  Even if our government is shutting down, that doesn’t mean that you have to-so keep your eyes open.  Listen and learn.  Watch and wait.  The right answers will come if your mind is open.

Here is a report from the AP Press.  So you say, “I can’t get no satisfaction?”  The Rolling Stones song is emblematic of our times.

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Networking works

Michael Compton and I met through HireFriday.  His success story shares lessons that will enlighten job seekers everywhere.  I am so fond of Michael.  His no-nonsense approach to networking is very helpful.  I now give you, Michael Compton:

In May of 2009, I became unemployed for the first time in my adult life. Prior to that, I always had a job, and never had difficulty finding a job in my profession – software. Even though our country was in murky economic waters, surely I would quickly find a new job.

Boy, was I wrong.

In May, 2009, there were no job openings at all for anything in software. I spun my wheels for weeks in utter confusion. Then, my wife suggested that I abandon my job search for now and take a break, while she worked at her job.  For a time, I actually didn’t miss all of the technology and people.

Eventually, however, I began to miss the innovation, problem-solving, and collaboration that had defined my life for the past 22 years. So, around 2^nd quarter 2010, I started looking for a job again.  The job market had improved from 2009, but not much. There were a few jobs here and there for which I was qualified, but not many. I applied, but didn’t get any interviews. After talking to some people, I realized my problem – I was using an outdated job search paradigm. It really hit home when I was told by several companies that they don’t even accept paper resumes anymore!

I started asking about how to search for jobs in this new age of information. I learned that everything has changed – resume style, resume formatting, how and where to look, how to submit resumes electronically, the list goes on. And, I was introduced to the King of today’s job search realm – NETWORKING.  About then I got a profound tip from somebody at LinkedIn about HireFriday on Twitter. I had never done much with Twitter, and couldn’t understand how you can find a job there. But I was intrigued, so I checked into it.

With the help of Margo and the great people at HireFriday, I participated in several HireFridays – in the chats before and after, too – and from the HireFriday group at LinkedIn.  I learned a lot of tips about topics like things to say and not say at interviews. I got several real good leads from HireFriday. I also got good leads from LinkedIn – from contacts and from employers and recruiters doing searches.

Then, suddenly, I received a phone call. THE phone call. I had an offer. No, not an offer…THE offer! It was for the best of all of the jobs I had tried so hard to land. That’s what is the most ironic about all this.  I missed working so much and my job search had gone on for so long that I was to the point that I would have just about taken anything!
The people who helped me the most were from HireFriday and LinkedIn. They taught me to keep a thorough job log, how important networking is these days, and how I could leverage social networking sites to find a job – especially Twitter. But it was Margo’s advice and support that stands out the most. Thanks, Margo, for HireFriday, and the passion you put in everything you do.

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Growing HireFriday To One Million Strong In 2011-You Can Help Make A Difference!

HFChat: A Vital Resource For Your Career

You matter to me.  Everyone in the #HireFriday Community is important.  You add value to our community.  What you share with one another is extraordinarily helpful.  You are my inspiration, and your positive energy fuels my efforts.    You are making a difference in my life, and I hope I am making a difference in yours.  It’s not about me. It’s about us.  It’s about building community.

The #HFChat & #HireFriday Community helps all candidates move their career forward.  Whether you are looking for a job, or just thinking about making a change in the future, the HireFriday Community is here to serve you.  Each of you has the potential of being a true community steward leader.  The beautiful thing about the HireFriday, and HFChat community is that each of you has a sense of belonging, and the joy of leading a purpose driven life.  We do this by networking, and being of service to one another.  Again, it is all about building community, a community that is rich in resources, filled with support, and provides real-life business development.

In the HireFriday, and HFChat, we remind everyone that their are neither alone, nor forgotten.  We provide access to jobs, career development professionals, career advice, job search strategies, and best practices.  Each of you brings a set of skills to our community.  When you retweet each others credentials, offer supportive advice, and access to your contact network where appropriate, you are not only enriching the career of another person, you are enriching your own life.  It is the right thing to do, at the right time, for the right reason.  Our economy has taken its toll on businesses, and job seekers alike.  That was the source of inspiration to start this community. I saw a gap in the recruiting, and human resources space.  I knew there was a way to reach out to people to enrich their careers, and help them find jobs.  This community is not just for unemployed people.  It is a space for all candidates, all professionals for all industries.  It is inclusive.

That is why I believe in the deepest part of my heart that we can grow the HireFriday, and HFChat community to 1 million strong in 2011.  Each of us must have a vision, a mission, a dream, and that is mine.  If each person tweets for another human being on #HireFriday, we can make the world a better place.  We can lift the spirits of the disenchanted around the world.  We can help people find jobs, really good jobs. We can make this world of ours a better place.  Do you want to make a living, or do you want to make a difference.  Certainly, you can do both.  As I lead the vision for both HireFriday, and HFChat, I want to motivate each of you to do your part.  Tell your family, your friends, neighbors, colleagues, and followers on Twitter to pitch in, and get involved in HireFriday.  Together, we can make a difference.  Not only will we help you find jobs, we will enhance your career.

Would you like to join our community?  Would you like to help job seekers,  both passive, and active candidates…then join us.  We need your help.  If you send me an email, I will gladly respond to you.  Let me know what you like to do, and what you are good at doing…and we will put you to work.  I have a vast contact network, and I can refer you to recruiters, and job search experts.

Volunteering while in a career transition is a great way to bridge the gap in your resume.  It is also a wonderful way to build your professional portfolio.  We need interns, public relations professions, recruiters, human resources professionals, and people from all walks of life.  You will have the good feeling of knowing that what you are doing is making a difference.  Are we linkedin?  Connect with me http://linkedin.com/in/margorose. I accept linkedin invitations by all members of the HireFriday community.  Just reference HireFriday in your invitation, and I will help you in anyway I can.  I invite you to send me your resume.  Tell me the kind of work you are looking for, and I will gladly give you referrals to people in my contact network, where appropriate.  Send an email to hrmargorocks@gmail.com.  I am here to serve.  Take care of yourself.  Be good to yourself, and if no one has told you yet today, “I care about you,” let me be the first.

Sincerely,

Margo Rose

Founder of HireFriday

Let me know how I can serve you better. HireFriday and HFChat are here for you!

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When updating your status...Think Long, and Hard. Ask Yourself: Would I Want A Potential Employer To See This?

I am a candidate advocate.  As such, I want you to be aware of the following message:

If you are looking for a job, begin each status update with as follows:  Dear Employer.  Everything you do in public that winds up on your facebook page, or on twitter can, and will be used in hiring, and firing decisions.  So wake up job seekers.  Don’t be lulled into the false sense of security that you can say anything you want, and mask it under the popular term, “authentic.”  If you have a job, or are looking for a job, manage your reputation. Manage your career.

This is nothing new.  I’m not opening your eyes to an original idea.  The point of this point is to wake you up out of your sleepy slumber, and pay attention to what you say online.  Here’s a bench mark for you.  Consider this, would I want my next tweet, or status update on a social network to wind up on a billboard?  Think of your social network as your billboard.  It broadcasts to the world who you are.  You are constantly representing yourself.  Whether you know it or not, what you say, do, the photos you are tagged in by choice, or the choice of someone else is being viewed.

Do you think a smart recruiter, or candidate sourcer can’t find it?  Think again.  My colleagues can, and will find out everything about you that is available through the public domain.  That is not just limited to facebook, twitter, and linkedin.  The same also holds true for any interactions you’ve ever had in a court of law.  If it is recorded in the public domain.  It is searchable.  Period.

Am I writing this to scare you?  No,  I am writing this to make you aware.  If a skilled background checker wants to find out something about you, they can, and they will.

Have you googled yourself lately?  How pippl.com?  Do you know what information is available about you, and your background?  I don’t mean to bum you out here.  It’s a fact, that is all.  As a candidate advocate, I want you to take a deep breath before you write that blogpost, that facebook status update, and that tweet.  What you say in a hasty moment will follow you around for a long time to come.  What? You say you don’t care?  You have a job?

It’s secure?  Great, just drop an F-bomb when describing your current employer, and see how long you keep that job of yours.

What you say, “I’m in my own business? I don’t care what people think?”  Let’s see if you feel that way when a customer you’ve alienated stops buying from you.

Am I suggesting you forego your first amendment rights to free speech?  Heaven’s no.  Am I suggesting that you should curb your personality? No.  What I am suggesting is that if you are looking for a job…and you are posting something in the public domain…entitle your post, “Dear Employer.”

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Unemployment is hard. HireFriday can help. I will call you during the holidays if you need me.

#HFChat and #HireFriday grows in popularity each day.  As the founder of the HireFriday community, I wish you and yours a thanksgiving filled with joy, peace, happiness, and abundance.  Most of all I want you to find a job that exceeds your most precious career aspirations.  Thanksgiving is the day most of us reflect upon things that fill our hearts with gratitude.  Just one short year ago, I wrote a post “Unemployed and Grateful.”  It tells the story of my own personal journey of career transition.  I created HireFriday & #HFChat because I wanted to bring succor to aching spirits, and access to jobs and to people that can hire. I built a platform for skill building, plus access to resources that enhance, bring forth prosperity, and the attainment of all your career aspirations. I also started #HFChat to start a helpful real-time live conversation with your peers, and professionals who can hire you.  The questions for HireFriday’s Chat #HFChat on November 26th are at the end of this post. I started HireFriday in February, 2010. Since that time, we’ve grown to a community of thousands, and now have new communities in 6 Countries.

Thanksgiving is a day when we consider that which inspires the spirit of thankfulness.  If you have a job the day will come when you find yourself looking for a new job.  If you don’t have a job, and want a job, HireFriday can help you.  Unemployment is hard.  HireFriday can help.  We do this by lending a helping hand, and encouraging a wounded heart.  During the job hunting process there will be highs and lows.  There will be moments when you are job hunting that you will feel exhilirated.  There might be moments when you feel down, and frustrated.  HireFriday reminds people that you are neither alone or forgotten.  HireFriday reminds people that they have tremendous value.  Most importantly HireFriday gives you access to people who are in a position to hire.  HireFriday gives you access to people who are willing to open up their contact networks, and invite you inside.

Most importantly HireFriday gives you access to people who want to support your job search in meaningful, useful, and important ways.  I am one of those people.  @HRMargo has almost 6000 followers, most of whom are people in a position to either hire you, or refer you to someone who can hire you.  The majority of the people who follow me are Employers Recruiters, Job Board Professionals, HR Professionals, Business People from fortune 500 companies, and a diverse group of business people from a variety of industries.  Because I’ve devoted my life as a volunteer to help unemployed job seekers, I have a large following of people in the midst of a career transition.  These people include sharp graduate students looking to into America’s world-class companies, college students looking to land the job of their dreams, members of Gen Y & Gen X looking to advance their careers, and the most talented Baby Boomers in the world.  My following is diverse.  Our facebook page, and linkedin group grows daily. In addition I have other Twitter, and Facebook accounts that have amassed a huge following because people know my heart is and always will be in the right place (with the job seekers who need me, and with the companies that are ethical, and embrace the values of integrity, life-long learning, and respect for humankind). Our facebook page and group, and our linkedin group provides boots on the ground training to give job seekers the skills, knowledge, and abilities they need to find a job.  Access to these groups are free of charge.  The pro bono work I do is a critical part of my values.  I only charge people and companies for my individual, and personal time.  Without further ado here are the questions we will discuss during #HFChat November 26.  I started #HFChat on twitter in May, 2010.  Please read @AvidCareerist.  She composed Friday’s questions.  Donna Svei, and Tom Bolt agreed to be the co-moderators of HFChat two weeks ago.  Donna and Tom make HFChat both interesting, lively, and worthwhile.  I also must mention my HireFriday volunteer facilitators, Joanne Wolfe, and Jillian Page.  Joanne, and Jillian help me with Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook, as job seekers, HireFriday is a valuable part of their lives.

Q1: From the smallest kindness, to the biggest ticket item, share your ideas for holiday gifts for #jobseekers. 

Q2: Brainstorm: What opportunities for networking do the holidays present?

Q3: How can a #jobseeker best prepare for holiday networking opportunites?

Q4: How do you overcome the anxiety, blues, over scheduling & other stresses that come along w/the wonders of the holidays?

Q5:What questions do you have about your #jobsearch and the holidays?

Please visit our site where you can get access to our transcript.  The HFChat transcript will be available by 2 p.m. Friday.  Please feel free to get linkedin with me Margo Rose.  I accept invitations from everyone in the HireFriday community.  I care a lot about you, today and every day.  If you need comfort or support during the holidays, email you telephone number to HRMargoRocks@gmail.com.  I will schedule a time that we can speak.

Transcript

If you want a transcript of the chat, come back any time after 2pm US ET today. I will run the transcript and post a link right HERE.

#HFChat Team

Hire Friday Founder and #HFChat Moderator: Margo Rose.

Co-Moderators: Tom Bolt and Donna Svei.

HireFriday facilitator & Herder of Career Cats: Joanna Wolfe.

Blogging

Bloggers, please feel free to blog about ideas from #HFChat. Kindly provide attribution for any tweets quoted and a nod to #HFChat and each member of the #HFChat Team in your post. Thank you for extending the conversation!

My deepest, and most sincere thanks goes to Donna @AvidCareerist for developing this week’s questions, and for her willingness to pitch in as a meaningful contributor.

Margo Rose, Founder & CEO of HireFriday and the brand new website http://hirefriday.com launching in 2011.

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