I have been laid off due to this latest economic downturn and the news on all fronts is depressing. What approach should I take on my job search right now?
This question has been the topic of the day for the last two weeks as the credit crunch has begun affecting job seekers and their perspective employers. The news from the front can be downright depressing if you stay glued to the news so here is our advice. While the job market takes a breather over the next few weeks, spend this time wisely by doing the following:
Stay focused. News overload is very dangerous right now for your job search because it can take you off center and give you a depressing outlook which can be perceived by any conversations you may have with perspective employers. You can also have your day eaten away with what the Dow or S&P is doing at any given moment.
Don’t go for the buck shot approach on your search—which is another way to stay focused. It does not do any good to apply for every open job you see online-- it will dilute the time you spend on researching jobs that you are actually qualified for as well as dilute the time you have to research the companies that you would really like to work for. Create a business plan for yourself, putting together the best roles and the best employers that appear to have a current or soon to be need for your talents and come up with a marketing strategy to get in front of them.
Network Wisely. By avoiding the buckshot approach to your career, you can focus on working your current network and building relationships with people who are in the industries and/or companies that you see as a potential fit. This does not mean buying email lists and sending a bio to a bunch of strangers in the hope of creating a network. Focus through professional networking associations, friends, family, recruiters, etc…and have a strong personal approach to meeting new people.
Use this downtime to get your “personal house” in order. Normally we are so busy with our jobs and our families to get all of our personal “to do list” completed.
Take some time each day to whittle this list down—whether it is to sit down with your financial advisor, your family attorney, doctor or your child’s teacher, this is a great time to get a head start on personal needs and/or paperwork. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and make you all the more together when you do start a new job.
Recognize the stress of the time and deal with it. Personally, I am suggesting to everyone right now to exercise a lot! It helps and it has the added advantage of making you look better for those upcoming interviews too. And while you are getting your “personal affairs” in order, take some time to do something you have wanted to do that you simply haven’t had time to do—a cooking class, reading a particular book or going to a museum, etc…By keeping your balance and a healthy perspective on life in general you will be in a much better physical and mental space to start a new job in the future and all the stresses and excitement that go with it.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
One of the latest questions asked us:
I was told during a couple of recent interviews that I should go back to school and finish my Bachelors degree. I have been consistently promoted throughout my career so why should I go back now?
Completing your college degree—or starting one-- later in life as a working adult with a family at home can be far down the list of priorities, but here is why you should reconsider, particularly if your career has been on an upward track: Keep it tracking upward! Bachelor’s degrees have become a common item on the employment screening checklist. At some point in your career you are going to want a job that requires a Bachelors degree. It may be for that VP title or it may be when you lose a job and need to go back out to the marketplace, but somewhere along the way you are going to have competition for a role you want and it may come down to: Bob doesn’t have a degree and Jim does.
Being in executive placement, we see this all the time with Masters degrees. If there are two great equal candidates with similar experiences and similar compensation structures, sometimes the only thing that sets one apart is the simple fact they went back to school to get their MBA. Do they have better business acumen because of the MBA? Maybe or maybe not, but the perception is that they do and in the business world perception counts.
By not finishing a degree which you started you raise the question on whether you complete projects or leave them half done. By not beginning your degree, the question is often, “Why not”? Did you not have ambition to grow in your career? Obviously, there are some industries where having a four year degree is not the norm, but with technology becoming so advanced in most facets of life, we don’t see the trend reversing itself. By going back to school or starting school later in life you not only show you can multi-task with the best, but that you are a continuous learner and are invested and proactive in improving your career options and learning new tools and best practices.
We all know that most interviewers decide whether they like you within the first ten seconds of an interview. Having a degree or not having a degree can determine on the first run through your resume whether you will even be considered for an interview. Will having a Bachelors degree get you a job? No. But it can help ensure that you get a chance for the job. And in that interview, you can show all those other important skills like leadership and common sense that you didn’t get in school.
Completing your college degree—or starting one-- later in life as a working adult with a family at home can be far down the list of priorities, but here is why you should reconsider, particularly if your career has been on an upward track: Keep it tracking upward! Bachelor’s degrees have become a common item on the employment screening checklist. At some point in your career you are going to want a job that requires a Bachelors degree. It may be for that VP title or it may be when you lose a job and need to go back out to the marketplace, but somewhere along the way you are going to have competition for a role you want and it may come down to: Bob doesn’t have a degree and Jim does.
Being in executive placement, we see this all the time with Masters degrees. If there are two great equal candidates with similar experiences and similar compensation structures, sometimes the only thing that sets one apart is the simple fact they went back to school to get their MBA. Do they have better business acumen because of the MBA? Maybe or maybe not, but the perception is that they do and in the business world perception counts.
By not finishing a degree which you started you raise the question on whether you complete projects or leave them half done. By not beginning your degree, the question is often, “Why not”? Did you not have ambition to grow in your career? Obviously, there are some industries where having a four year degree is not the norm, but with technology becoming so advanced in most facets of life, we don’t see the trend reversing itself. By going back to school or starting school later in life you not only show you can multi-task with the best, but that you are a continuous learner and are invested and proactive in improving your career options and learning new tools and best practices.
We all know that most interviewers decide whether they like you within the first ten seconds of an interview. Having a degree or not having a degree can determine on the first run through your resume whether you will even be considered for an interview. Will having a Bachelors degree get you a job? No. But it can help ensure that you get a chance for the job. And in that interview, you can show all those other important skills like leadership and common sense that you didn’t get in school.
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