Well, it's been seven and one-half months since I was laid off from my last role as a corporate recruiter. In that time, I have gone through every possible emotion as a result of my circumstance. The initial numbness of denial at the loss of my job of seven years. The anger of "Why me?". The inevitable acceptance of circumstance. The excitement of the prospect of starting fresh and anew. The flattery of people reaching out to you with opportunity. The searing pain of rejection. The glimmers of satisfaction when you know you've had a positive impact on ...

keep reading this post...

I think job applicants have just had it with today's protracted hiring cycles. I speak with candidates on a daily basis, and frankly, I can't blame them for their frustrations.  Companies seem to be in a mode of unspeakable analysis paralysis. There are many factors to this phenomenon and they include such things as a lot of low hanging fruit out there to be plucked easily from the trees, a mode of self-preservation on behalf of the people in the hiring process, and what appears to be an overwhelming fear of making a bad hire in an unforgiving ...

keep reading this post...

I just received a rejection letter today. This will be the second rejection letter I've received in the past two weeks, and I am absolutely ecstatic! That's right, I am head over heels excited and want to shout it from the mountain top!

I know, you think I'm crazy. I may well be, but that's beside the point. Rejection stinks! We've all experienced it, and I think most of us would rather have root canal than be told that we can't have something we want. In this case, we want a job, an opportunity ...

keep reading this post...

I've had the good fortune of landing a number of interviews recently, and it's dawned on me that I just don't care anymore. That's right, I just don't care. Oh, I care about my job search. I care about landing the right opportunity. I care about my ability to effectively present myself as a viable solution to my next employer's problem. I just don't care about putting up "The Façade".

You know what I'm talking about. Your game face. The interview identity. "The Façade". I don't know that I ...

keep reading this post...

If this job market has taught me anything, I would have to say it boils down to three things:

Patience

Perseverance

Passion

Patience: I have never seen a market that reacts so slow and deliberately in its hiring cycle. It doesn't matter how many calls you make to follow up. It doesn't matter if you have other competitive forces driving your need for closure on a given opportunity. It doesn't matter that you're chomping at the bit to get back to work. The market is glacial in its speed and you're not going to change ...

keep reading this post...

Summer's here, nobody's hiring, so I'll take three months off from my job search.

Sounds like a plan for success to me. Don't you agree? I man, heck, it's summer. Everyone's on vacation. Nobody's thinking about hiring. They're thinking about trips to the beach or the mountains. They're packing up for Caribbean Cruises or are about to spend a month travelling Europe. Nobody's hiring in the summer, so I'll just put the job search in neutral, hang out on the deck in swim trunks, sandals and a straw hat ...

keep reading this post...

 

 

I've written before about seizing opportunity in an earlier post that had to do with consulting, but the issue has made its way onto my radar screen again as of this past weekend, and I thought I should re-address it in a more generic way.

 

I was out on Saturday making the rounds scouring the clearance bins at a couple of big box office supply stores when I came a cross a framed poster that caught my eye. It was in the foyer of the store with a bunch of other items, and I did a double take, stopped ...

keep reading this post...

Well, as is often the case, my own personal circumstance has resulted in the subject for today's email on job search advice. Call me a hypocrite if you will, but I will pass this along as the result of some recent mistakes I've made on the financial front that have resulted in a rocky month from the standpoint of my limited finances.
 
When living on a fixed income such as unemployment and/or your rainy day nest egg, I can't tell you how important it is to remain fiscally prudent, and know how to prioritize your bills ...

keep reading this post...

In previous blog entries, I've covered several aspects of a job search to include pro-active tactics in this type of market, the various arrows needed in your quiver, and how to handle scenarios encountered in the interview process.What we have yet to touch upon is how to wrap things up at the end of the search. In order to bring and end to your search neatly and professionally, you may have to notify someone that you're declining their offer of employment in favor of pursuing another opportunity that's better suited to your needs. At minimum, you ...

keep reading this post...

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
 
Sooner or later, those of us in transition have to ask this question of ourselves. Six weeks into my search, and a potential employer blindsided me with the question. Frankly, I was stunned, and almost knee-jerked into the typical reaction a six year old boy would have answered had his mother or father posed this quandary to him.
 
"I wanna be a cowboy when I grow up!"
 
I almost inadvertently blurted this answer out to the CEO on the other end of the line. Thank goodness my mental faculties are ...

keep reading this post...

In addition to the time you spend each day networking, responding to job postings, attending career fairs, and following up by phone on your activities, you should find a way to volunteer your time in a way that leverages your professional experiences. By doing so, you'll realize a number of rewards as a direct result of your investment of time and subject matter expertise.
 
The first thing you'll recognize is a boost in your mental health. You will feel more productive and you will keep your skills sharp at a time when you would normally be sitting idle ...

keep reading this post...

Remember those days when you worked for a company from the day you graduated college until they sent you out to pasture with a pension and a gold watch? OK, too many on this list are too young to remember that. How about this: Remember in the late '90's when your phone rang constantly with calls from headhunters offering multiple opportunities at ridiculous salaries, stock options, telecommuting, and health care benefits for your dog? Here's another one: Remember those days when you'd get your annual 10 - 15 % raise for showing up to work each day, putting in ...

keep reading this post...

We've covered a lot of bases regarding job search over the past few weeks, and while I know I've touched on this subject before, I think it's time we went a little deeper on the issue. It's been hammered in your head that we're in the most difficult job market in our generation, and that you need to be creative regarding your job search. Most people think of this as meaning that you have to have the best formatted resume with all the right key words, find the jobs that aren't posted publicly, follow ...

keep reading this post...

Good morning folks!

In addition to the mental health days you should take when things get overwhelming, it's important to recognize that your physical health is important to your job search, and that you need to take pro-active steps in your physical health, too. Poor physical health can lead to outward symptoms such as drowsiness, loss of memory, fatigue, and other manifestations that can have an extremely bad effect on your ability to be effective in your search activities and interviews.

I went to my primary physician last Friday for my annual checkup, and as a result, he has ...

keep reading this post...

What do they have in common? Absolutely nothing, except for the fact that kids who play sports and candidates who are active on the job market need inspiration to perform at their best. Today, I provide you with some words of inspiration that should hit home with you as you conduct your search with the same profound impact as they should hit home with the kids on the parquet floor.

I was in Bath PA for my 12 year old son's basketball tournament on Saturday, and the name of the place where one of the games was played is ...

keep reading this post...

One of the most difficult issues to discuss with a recruiter or HR manager is the subject of compensation, especially in a market where you're likely to need to show some flexibility on salary. Most people would rather just sweep the whole issue right under the rug, ignore it like the 600 lb elephant in the middle of the room, and pray that the salary fairy will come along and sprinkle her magic dust on the whole situation. The end result in this scenario would be an offer whose terms read "Your annual compensation will be (please fill in ...

keep reading this post...

Hello fellow job seekers!

I had my mandatory 2 hour job search training at the Coatesville, PA CareerLink Center, and I must admit that I am eating a bit of crow today. The presenter, a woman named Sharon McCaffrey did an excellent job in giving the packed room some solid tips on job search methodology, resume writing, interview etiquette and even a few creative suggestions on getting to the decision maker. Much better than the "Did you know that nowadays, people send their resumes to something called a "Job Board", and you actually apply directly to a company's web ...

keep reading this post...

As a displaced recruiter, I have made a point of trying to assist others in their job search activities, in part through a mailing list I've compiled of active job seekers. To members of this mailing list, I send regular updates about my own job search, as well as advice and links to articles that give advice, on searching for a job in this brutal econmomy.

I have copied and pasted the content of those emails into this blog, and will update it with every email I send out to that list.

Some of the content may not make ...

keep reading this post...