Contacts, Not Web, Key to Getting a Job

Sunday, January 18, 2009

After leaving her job and enduring months of chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma, Ellie Mroz of Fanwood decided to re-enter the job market. She spent countless hours at her computer, clicking from job site to job site. She felt like she was "burying herself in opportunities -- none of which seemed to want her."

Once she decided to get out from behind the keyboard, she quickly found a job. Greg Redington, her boss, had tried to recruit her husband. Although her husband declined the offer, she and Redington had an opportunity to meet and really hit it off. That chance meeting led to him offering Mroz a job.

Although Redington didn't have enough work to keep her busy full time in his construction business, having heard her talk about her recent bout with cancer, he decided that in addition to business development, she could help him do something he had always wanted to do: start a nonprofit cancer foundation. Mroz not only quickly found a job in her hometown, but also gained the satisfaction of helping launch One Year for Cancer.

With the proliferation of job boards, it is tempting to think that all you need to do to find employment is log on to your computer, click and apply. While it makes sense to spend some time applying for jobs online, most people don't find their jobs that way. According to a 2008 survey conducted by ExecuNet, only about 25 percent of jobs are found by applying online, while almost 70 percent are found through networking.

If you want to find a job quickly, reach out to the people who know you. Liz Lynch, author of "Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online" suggests "reconnecting with former bosses, co-workers and classmates, in person, as well as going to events to meet new people in the industry you want to be in."

In order to make the most of the events you attend, Lynch advises you "develop a clear job objective statement that you can use as your 'elevator pitch' when you meet people at networking events. In a couple of sentences, describe what you're good at and what type of job you are seeking."

Print up your own business cards. You need something to hand out with your contact information when you go to networking events and meetings. You can get business cards made up at any copy store or order them online.

The internet also can be used to facilitate in-person networking. Social networking sites such as Facebook.com and LinkedIn.com enable you to locate people you have lost touch with. Once you find them, pick up the phone and call. Try to get a face-to-face meeting. Offer to meet for a cup of coffee or a meal. Pick a place near where they live or work so it is convenient for them. It is hard to make a personal connection with someone if your only contact is by e-mail. People are more willing to help you if you have met with them.

You can use the internet to identify people you know who work at a company of interest or who know someone who does. Rather than applying for a job online and risking having your résumé lost among hundreds of other applications, search your online networks for a connection who works at the company. See if they can ask someone to walk your résumé down to the human resources department or, better yet, to the hiring manager directly. That will help you stand out from online applicants and ensure your application gets a thorough review.

The internet also allows you to gather information about someone you are going to meet. What you learn online will enable you to quickly build rapport when you actually meet. Understanding the background of the people you will be meeting will let you tailor your answers to what each individual cares about.

Be sure to thank everyone who helps you in any way. People appreciate being acknowledged, and they are more likely to help you in the future if you show your appreciation.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

In a Bleak Market, Bright Spots Loom

Sunday, November 16, 2008

According to the United States Department of Labor the unemployment rate rose to 6.5 percent, from 6.1 percent in October -- a 14-year high.

Since the beginning of the year, employment has fallen by 1.2 million nationally, with more than half of the decrease occurring in the past three months. New Jersey was not immune to this national trend, shedding thousands of jobs over the past year with further job losses anticipated.
The employment picture is not all bad news however. For people with a college degree, although unemployment is rising, it remains at a relatively low 3.1 percent. There are jobs to be had for people who know where to look and how to sell themselves.

If you are looking to move, consider Texas, because more than 50 percent of the new jobs this year were created there. While overall, New Jersey shed jobs, there were some bright spots locally. Jobs grew in the areas of transportation and warehousing, information and technology, professional services, education and health care, according to the state's Department of Labor.
According to Rob McGovern, chief executive of Jobfox.com, a next-generation career website that matches users to appropriate job openings, here are a few of the jobs that top their internet hiring list for New Jersey and New York:

• Sales representative/business development
• Market research
• Administrative assistant
• Accounting staff
• Medical administrative services
• Software design/development
• Networking/system administration

When you are looking for a job, don't limit yourself to looking for a job exactly like the one you just left. Examine your skills and see how they might be valuable in the industries that are going to grow over the next several years. Here are the top five areas where experts expect job growth:

The federal government The Office of Personnel Management is hiring, and anticipates filling 100,000 new jobs next year. That estimate was made before the election and will likely prove to be low. If you are an unemployed mortgage lender or have just been laid off from Wall Street, for example, keep your eye on opportunities that will arise as a result of the Troubled Assets Relief Program. (That is the $700 billion bailout program that is using our taxes rescue the financial services sector.)

Clean and green technology President-elect Obama has said his No. 1 priority is to create a new energy economy. He has promised $150 billion for a green energy program. Lots of engineers, scientist, technicians and researchers are going to be needed for the development and manufacturing of renewal energy.

But you don't have to be an engineer to go green. Project managers and construction workers are also going to be needed. After all, somebody has to build those wind turbines. There will also be a need for marketers and salespeople to sell all that green technology.

Health care We are all getting older. The one area that grew in almost every state this year was health care. Nurses, physician's assistants, home health care workers and information technology workers of all types to modernize heath care systems are, and will continue to be, in demand.

Education There is a teacher shortage with waves of teacher retirements on the horizon. Some states offer alternative certification programs that will allow you to become a teacher even if your college degree is not in education.

Compliance Government regulation is only going to grow over the next few years. There is already a shortage of accountants. We are going to continue to see growth in the demand for accounting services, bookkeepers and compliance specialists.

Times are tough. Lots of people have lost their jobs and there are more layoffs to come. But there is also potential opportunity for those who look at their skills broadly, have confidence and know how sell themselves. Your job may have gone away, but your skills, talent and positive attitude remain.

But don't expect jobs to come to you. Good jobs are out there waiting for people to fill them; however, you will have to go out and find them. If you do, you'll not only survive these challenging times, but you can grow and prosper.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is a career coach, the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Tips To Help You Deal With the Unexpected

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

You have probably heard of Murphy's Law: "Whatever Can Go Wrong, Will." My corollary to Murphy's Law is: "Expect the unexpected, and be prepared for it." In these uncertain economic times, planning for the unexpected is all the more important.

As a frequent traveler, I am plagued by problems, mostly minor, which are both beyond my control and often unexpected. On a recent trip, for example, I was scheduled to give a telephone interview on drive-time radio. I was staying with a friend, and gave his telephone number to the show's producer. I also gave the producer my cell phone number as a back up.

About five minutes after the interview was supposed to begin, I received a call on my cell phone from the producer saying they had to cancel my spot. The producer told me he had tried several times to call the telephone number I had given him, but each time a woman answered claiming not to know who I was.

Why the producer did not call my cell phone is beyond me. However, when I called my friend's number using my cell phone, sure enough, the phone sitting in front of me did not ring and instead a woman answered. When my friend called the telephone company to find out what was going on, he was told the wires were somehow crossed.

The moral of that story is that I should have called ahead of time to make sure my friend's phone was working properly. Perhaps anticipating that problem might be too much, even for me, to anticipate, so what I really should have done, in addition to giving the producer a back-up number, was to get his direct number, so I could have called when his call failed to come through at the scheduled time. That way I would have been in control of the situation.

What does this have to do with careers? While you cannot know with certainty if, or when, certain challenges will arise during the course of your career, experience suggests certain events are likely to occur at some time during your working life.

Those challenges can have a major effect on your career. You may be laid off. Your company may be taken over. You may find yourself with a new boss. You may unfairly be blamed for something that has gone wrong, through no fault of yours. The key to survive the unexpected is to plan for it. Along with every unexpected challenge that arises, there is opportunity, but only if you are prepared

If you have a critical meeting that you absolutely have to be at on time, drive the route before hand, so you can anticipate and avoid any problems; then leave early anyway.

More important, at some point in your career, you will probably be terminated from a job. Ask "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling or New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Both were fired from their jobs before they went on to become enormously successful.

Prepare now for those unexpected events you can anticipate. While you may not know when they will occur you can be fairly certain that they will. Here are some tips to help you plan ahead in case you lose your job:

• Keep your résumé current.
  
• Have copies of important documents and contact lists stored someplace other than on your office computer or BlackBerry.
  
• Keep up with trends in your industry.
  
• Become active in professional associations.
  
• Attend conferences and take courses to keep your skills, particularly technology, current.
  
• Continuously build and stay in contact with your network.
  
• Create an online presence.
  
• Create a specific job search plan and have it ready.
  
• Identify people who can serve as references.
  
• Review your finances.
• Put money away to have in reserve.

Take actions now that will enable you to quickly recover from a potential job loss. If you ever need to put that that job search plan into effect, you will be glad you chose to expect the unexpected and were prepared for it.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is a career coach and the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want." He is also the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Starting Your Own Business Is Not for the Faint of Heart

Sunday, October 12, 2008

With employment having declined for the past nine consecutive months, the job market is weaker than at any time since 9/11.

In September, the economy shed 160,000 jobs. Those employment numbers are likely to get worse before they get better. What do you do if you unexpectedly find yourself without a job? Consider starting your own business.

After working on Wall Street for 18 years, Deborah Jack was suddenly let go from her six-figure job as part of a major downsizing. The Fort Lee resident began looking for similar jobs in financial publishing but wasn't having any luck.

So Jack went back to something she had considered years earlier -- helping to care for people's pets. After all, even when times are tough, people still have to take care of their pets. But instead of starting from scratch, she decided to open a Fetch Pet Care franchise, which provides in-home overnight or daily care for pets.

Becoming a franchisee, rather than opening her own business, provided her with support, training and marketing. In a little more than two years, Jack has built a healthy business and is happy with her decision, doing something "she never would have dreamed she would be doing just two years ago."

Starting your own business is not for the faint of heart. Each month, 464,000 people in the United States start new businesses, according to the United States Small Business Administration. Approximately 50 percent of those new businesses fail in the first five years. If you want to be among the 50 percent who succeed, you need "money and knowledge," said Susan Scherreik, director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Seton Hall University in South Orange.

When starting out, you can get money from your savings, friends and family; knowledge you get wherever you can.

Do your homework. Research the business you want to go into. Go to trade shows. Take workshops at a local university. The New Jersey Department of Labor offers a program for entrepreneurs, in which you can enroll while receiving unemployment benefits.

Other resources available to aspiring entrepreneurs are Score, a national nonprofit counseling agency, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. You also need to develop a network of knowledgeable advisers who can help every step of the way.

These may be people you know or people you meet attending workshops or through the resources mentioned above. In addition, if you go the franchise route, you can get advice and support through the parent organization.

Not everyone is cut out to own a business. It goes without saying that hard work and determination are required. You have to be comfortable taking risks, although successful entrepreneurs know how to minimize those risks. Most important, Scherreik says, "You can't be afraid of failure. Every new business owner makes mistakes, but you have to learn from them and make adjustments."

About a year ago, Kevin Kamenski, a retail manager for Conde Nast, was laid off. A former professional hockey player who had played six years in the minor leagues, he had always dreamed of putting his knowledge and love of hockey to good use. So he viewed the layoff as an opportunity.

Kamenski founded Elite Sports Academy in Montville, a hockey training facility with a 1600-square-foot synthetic ice rink, where he offers coaching to children as young as 4, right through to college players and adults in recreational leagues.

He described his experience as "good but scary for someone used to getting a regular paycheck." Kevin said he has "never worked harder, but has never been happier."

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want." He is a career coach and co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Don't Make These Job Search Mistakes

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Before John Yocca found his current job, he had been unemployed for seven months. Unexpectedly laid off as part of a major downsizing, Yocca took some time off trying to figure out what he wanted to do.

Now a senior account executive with Stern and Associates in Cranford, Yocca eventually found temporary work in the golf industry, a passion of his, and began exploring the possibility of working full time in the field. After a while, though, Yocca got discouraged and decided to go back to what he knew best. So, he reached out to a recruiter he had worked with in the past.

By coincidence, the recruiter was working on a search for which he was particularly well-qualified. Within a day, Yocca had an interview; a week later, he had a job. In hindsight, Yocca says he wishes he had pursued his job search more diligently and reached out to his network much earlier.

With the economy losing 80,000 jobs in March, the third consecutive month of rising unemployment, many more people are likely to be facing a period of unemployment in the coming months. Some of those affected may find themselves out of work for an extended period of time. Should you find yourself among the casualties of what will hopefully be a brief economic downturn, avoid the common mistakes that can unnecessarily lengthen the time you look for work.

The most common problem for individuals who have been looking for a job for an extended period of time is "they get discouraged and lose their confidence," said Julie Kampf, president of JBK Associates, an executive recruiting firm in Engelwood. This can lead them to interview poorly and make bad decisions, such as accepting the wrong job out of fear nothing else will come along.

Here are some mistakes to avoid during a job search:

Don't wait to begin the job search. While trying to determine what you want to do next and not simply jumping at the first job that comes your way is a sound strategy, taking a long vacation is not. A few days off to clear your head and re-energize is fine, but then get to work. The sooner you start, the sooner you will find that next great opportunity.

Don't apologize for the time you have been unemployed. Let your potential employer know you have been focused on finding the right job and be able to describe the efforts you have made to do so.

Don't take rejection personally. Human resources professionals and executive recruiters are bombarded by résumés, e-mails and faxes from candidates. If they don't get back to you, be persistent, but don't be a pest. Finding a job is a "numbers game." The more opportunities you pursue, the better your chances.

Don't be embarrassed to ask your friends and business associates for help. "Those are the people who know you best and are the most likely to help you," says Kim Bishop, vice chairman of the national recruiting firm Slayton Search Partners, who is responsible for the firm's New York-New Jersey region.

Never stop networking. Reach out to your contacts on a regular basis, whether that means just checking in to say hello once a month, forwarding articles of interest or simply sending a birthday or holiday card.

"Objects in motion tend to stay in motion, while objects at rest tend to stay at rest, unless acted upon by an external force," says Newton's First Law of Motion. When it comes to finding a job, a similar principle comes into play. Employers are interested in people who are active and involved. They want to know you are positive, motivated and energetic. They are looking for someone who has been busy, even while engaged in a job search.

So while you are looking, take courses that will enhance your skills, get involved in professional organizations and engage in volunteer work. This will not only expand your network, but will demonstrate you have been productive during the time you have been out of work. Consulting or freelance work also can be a plus, as long as it doesn't keep you from focusing on your primary objective of finding a job.

The biggest mistake you can make when you are unemployed is to "rely on someone else to find you a job," Kampf says. People in your network, career coaches all can help you. They can offer ideas, provide leads and give you advice, but ultimately, you have to take responsibility for your own job search.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.