Jobs for The Rest of Us

The bomb in this case is you suddenly and unexpectedly lose your job. What to do? Keep this in mind, a little something from survival training. STOP. S - Stop T - Think O - Orient   P - Plan Stop the panic from setting in. Take a minute and breathe, it's going to be okay. The sun will still rise. All storms will pass. I know this is easy to say but I've seen it over and over throughout my career in workforce development. Think about where you are in life financially, professionally and personally. What resources do you have? What expenses can be cut? Who do you know? You do not have to have all the answers this minute. Take the time to be honest with yourself and those helping you. Orient to the direction you want to go. Answer, so what's next? Keep in mind there is no job called "anything." Make a goal and focus on it. Plan how to get there. What will the steps be and what do I need to make it happen? Be flexible and able to adjust. Gett...

The key to a good interview is being prepared. Know about the job you are applying for as well as the company. Keep in mind you are interviewing the potential employer as well. Being ready is the key to keeping dread out of the equation. One way to get ready is practice answering common interview questions. Here are some to get started with. Find a buddy and practice until you can answer smooth and confidently. 1. Why should we hire you over other applicants? 2. Tell us about a mistake you made and how you handled it? 3. What are your greatest strengths / weaknesses? 4. How do you handle criticism? 5. What do you know about our company? 6. Tell us about yourself. 7.  How would you handle an irate customer? 8. Tell us about your education / experience? 9. What does it mean to be dependable? 10. Where do you see yourself in X months or years? If you google interview questions, you can find tons more. Have questions for the interviewer(s) as well.  Here...

Only send a cover letter if a potential employer asks for one. If they do, what then? Keep it short and simple, three paragraphs. 1. How you found out about the job. 2. Your qualifications. 3. Ask for an interview. 1 and 3 make regular short paragraphs but here's a different way to do paragraph 2. Your Requirements                           My Qualifications  1. Bachelor's degree                           Master's Degree 2. Three years experience                   Five years experience 3. Spanish speaker                      ...

Welcome to the fourth quarter. (Started October- I'm a little behind.) Unfortunately, this is the hardest time of year to get a job. Unless there is a dire need, companies will wait until after the new year to hire. Generally, they don't want to make decisions this time of year. There is always seasonal holiday work but these opportunities become more scarce with each passing day. These positions are mostly entry level with so-so pay. On the plus side, they can lead to a permanent job for some. So...   Keep applying anyway. It is had to know who has a dire need. Stay focused and keep moving forward. Just don't get too discouraged if nothing much happens. It's normal for this time of year. If you have a high demand skill, the fourth quarter blues have less effect. Recently, I had a customer (highly experienced paramedic) I helped  post a resume on ziprecruiter.com. He got a call the next day and a job offer the the day after that. They had the pressing need (safety...