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?
- No one is hiring
- The best place to find jobs is the Internet
- Avoid companies that are currently experiencing “hiring freezes”
- Expect a pay cut
- People aren’t hiring if you’re 55+ years old
- Advanced degrees guarantee you’ll get hired
Advice on making a job switch in a tough market
Read Amy Hoover’s latest article “Salary and Title Expectations” on her Talent Zoo “Career Oxygen” blog for some great advice on how to make a job switch in a tough market.
I have a lot of friends that have been out of school for about 2 years now that are ready to make a move to a second job, but aren’t sure about what to do in an unstable market. Hoover’s article explains what to expect from the process, including moves that can help or hurt your career in the long term.
Advice to college students
Earlier this month I visited an Integrated Communications Campaign class taught by my former boss at SLU. She asked me to talk to the class of college juniors and seniors… telling them about my college experience, job search and job. After telling my story (and probably boring the poor kids for 30 minutes), I offered a couple bits of advice:
If I could offer you some advice, I’d tell you to do something that you love. Something that you don’t mind getting there early to do or staying late. Don’t know what you want to do? You need to get out there! Intern. Job shadow. Go on informational interviews. Volunteer. You’ll learn best by doing.
When at all possible, work with people that you respect and will make you a better person. I have been extremely fortunate to work with people like this.
Your personal brand is important. Who you know and what you’ve done… that’s who you are. Network. And never burn bridges.
If you’re interested in getting into interactive marketing, do it. Our generation is naturally more tech savvy because we’ve grown up doing it. Read blogs. Check out web sites. Talk to people in the business.
Keep idea books. Bookmark web sites you like or articles that have good ideas in them. Part of what makes people successful in marketing is knowing what’s already been done… and how you can apply similar principles to your clients and innovate by improving on what’s already out there.
Then, to my surprise, I came across an article today: 10 job hunting tips for this year’s college graduates. In his blog post, Edward Boches, Chief Creative Officer of Mullen, offers some very similar tips for how to get hired in advertising right out of school.
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck
Young people are constantly challenged to fit in at work. Generational gaps exist between every age range.
I came across this article today: 6 ways to fit in when you’re the youngest person in the room.
Some other things that I think are important to remember when you’re the youngest person:
- It’s like playing poker. So play your cards right. In some situations, your youth will be to your advantage. In others, it’s best to lay low.
- Dress appropriately. That doesn’t mean dressing like you’re 80, but it does mean that you need to think of how your elders will perceive your wardrobe.
- Remember that things that may be socially acceptable to younger employees will not fly with older colleagues. For example: Facebook at work. Instant messaging. Walking around with your iPod on. [insert technology related age gap item here]
- Stay up-to-date (and do your research) since you’re young, you should know what’s going on now. But since they’re old, you need to be able to relate to ghosts of workplace past.
Beating around the bush
Salary negotiation can be scary. And with the latest job market – where people are getting laid off left and right – it’s even scarier right now.
Lots of people are being passed up for raises. Companies are in “hiring freezes” and often times the higher people are paid, the quicker they are to let go of you. It’s hard to tip-toe around numbers when it comes time for a job offer.
If you ever wondered what to do when someone asks you your salary requirements, please read this article by Penelope Trunk.
She does a great job of providing alternate responses to the dreaded question of “How much?”
Colette’s Resume
Colette sent me an email after seeing some of my Resume Rehab blog posts. She is getting ready to apply to grad school and needed to get her resume ready.
She already had lots of great information on her resume – lots of great work and volunteer experience. I simply edited it down and rearranged it a little bit. Some of the things I did included removing articles like “a, an, the” and redundancies like mentioning the organization’s name in your responsibilities. You’ll also see that I limited the resume to one page. This will also help keep the reader’s attention. Finally, I did some text formatting work to maximize space and ease of reading.
If she wanted, she could flip-flop the Professional Experience and the Education sections. Putting Education lower on the resume de-emphasizes the fact that you are a recent graduate and puts more of a focus on your work experience.
Best of luck to Colette in grad school land!
Coming soon: Colette’s resume
Been working hard on a new resume for Colette, a recent graduate with lots of community involvement and volunteer experience preparing for graduate school applications. Stay tuned for the final draft!
You heard the woman
It’s already Christmastime! And chances are if you’re unemployed or thinking about making a career change – there’s a lot on your mind during this holiday break.
I just read this great article from Heidi Ehlers over at Talent Zoo about how to “Get Your Shiznit Together” during the next couple weeks.
Make a fashion statement with your resume
According to CNN, she’s been looking for a job for a year and applying to 40 jobs every day. Then last week she got an idea after seeing a man wearing an “Unemployed” shirt. So she put her resume on the front of a shirt and her cover letter on the back. Now she hangs out at coffee shops and busy intersections trying to get the attention of potential employers.
She also has her resume on her car window and sent postcards to potential employers.
“If I can sell myself this well, I can sell your company this well as well,” she said.
Marketing Yourself
Since I studied (and work in) marketing communication, I have a different perspective on job hunting than an HR person or even the average job applicant. Looking for a job, much like dating, is about marketing yourself. The more competition there is, the more important it is to differentiate yourself from the pack.
When I came across Michael Driehorst’s latest blog post on Talent Zoo today, I immediately knew I had to share his thoughts with you. Michael is a PR professional that’s currently out-of-work. He’s a blogger (check out his blog: Mike’s Points) with some great insights into how you can market yourself in a job search much like advertisers and public relations professionals market their clients’ brands.
Resume Rehab by Colleen 