Posts filed under ‘Rants’

Send Thank You Notes

I don’t know how many times I’ve said it, but I’ll say it again.

Send a handwritten thank you note within 24 hours of your interview.

Over and over again, people tell me they never got a call back from an interview. When I ask if they send a thank you note and they shrug their shoulders, I know at least one reason they didn’t get a call back.

Don’t believe me?

Read these two articles that say what I’ve been saying all along: SEND THANK YOU NOTES! TO EVERYONE WITH WHICH YOU INTERVIEW!

http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2009/12/great-thoughts-on-thank-you-notes.html

http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/a-little-thank-you-goes-a-long-way/

December 17, 2009 at 8:06 pm Leave a comment

Un-un-employed

The latest stats say that the unemployment rate went down last month. But what does that number really say? It does not account for people who aren’t collecting unemployment, those who have taken part-time jobs because they cannot find full-time professional work, or those that have pushed off entering the job market by staying in school.

Here’s a great little video from Mint.com that I found via Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck. I highly recommend reading this blog post which goes into some greater detail about the difference between being unemployed and underemployed and how the underemployed are not included in the peachy statistical analyses.

December 7, 2009 at 4:53 pm Leave a comment

Myths about job hunting in a recession

A lot of people I know are looking for jobs right now… and they’re doing a lot of things wrong. First of all, they’re giving up the job search before they even start – expecting that hiring freezes or their lack of a lots of experience/an MBA will keep them from being fired.

So many only look for jobs online – in yucky places like job boards (ala Careerbuilder, Yahoo! Jobs, or Monster). If you’re gonna be online – try networking. Or maybe even create your own content via Twitter or your own blog. Make friends with valuable contacts on LinkedIn and catch up with old friends, professors, colleagues and family members to let them know you’re looking for a job.

How about volunteering with some of your free time? Or studying up on the latest industry developments or seeking additional licenses or certifications relevant to your career development?

The worst thing you can do when you’re looking for a job is not look for a job AND not do anything productive with your time while you wait it out.

Have you started to buy-in to these 6 Myths About Job-Hunting in a Recession?

  1. No one is hiring
  2. The best place to find jobs is the Internet
  3. Avoid companies that are currently experiencing “hiring freezes”
  4. Expect a pay cut
  5. People aren’t hiring if you’re 55+ years old
  6. Advanced degrees guarantee you’ll get hired

March 18, 2009 at 6:28 pm Leave a comment

Save Avis

As a proud alumna of Saint Louis University, Department of Communication, 2007, I am appalled by the attacks by the university on tenured faculty member, Dr. Avis Meyer… I urge you to visit http://saveavis.wordpress.com to learn more about the struggles of Dr. Meyer against the university.

Continue Reading June 11, 2008 at 5:39 pm Leave a comment