I am embarking on my ninth month of job searching. It's been tough. It's worse than a regular job because I am paying for all this myself and by the one measure that matters, I have been doing a crappy job. Feedback is scarce and after a certain point, it's hard to act on it because it feels like nothing has worked. Why bother?
Then I talk to people who weren't laid off and get advice like, "Have you gone to CareerBuilder?" and want to put my head to the table. Really? REALLY? Is that what you think differentiates you and me? You would look on CareerBuilder? Yeah, it's frustrating. It's not like taking an SAT or getting through a class. There is no guaranteed way to a job. I've networked, rebranded, applied and applied. I've got more versions of my resume than I care to count. And now, I feel like I'm running out of steam.
There's probably someone out there thinking I am unsuccessful because I have a negative attitude and haven't applied myself enough. I'm right there with you. I only have myself to blame.
What's wrong, I wonder, what do I do better? I'm plagued with these questions. And then there is life. Balancing a job search and family. Don't find many articles on that.
Last night we were at the emergency room because my youngest got his finger smashed. Why? Boys were being boys; Fat Tony needed to work; and I needed to be on a networking call. Constantly, our minds are pulled away from what is in front of us to where we "need" to be. Fortunately, there was no broken bones, just lots of blood stains, tears, and now a big looming medical bill. Just like the bleeding ulcer, it's tempting to think this wouldn't have happened if one of us had a job that would support us.
I keep thinking we are learning and will come out better for this experience, but do we really know this? Am I just making up stories to make myself feel better?
This is where faith comes in. If there is one thing I need to learn, it's how to have faith. It's never been easy for me to an altogether positive person. I always brought a dark lining to any situation. Maybe I thought I was being analytical or insightful, now I see it's useless. So what? I've decided there is absolutely no good in dwelling on bad scenarios. Some might even say that entertaining bad thoughts creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. So I am wiping my slate clean. I'm working on being a positive but not delusional person. Where to start? I'm working on doing more, applying less.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Am I there yet?
The application
When I did my first resume rehaul, not to long after the lay off, I realized that 10 pt Arial font just wasn't going to cut it. So I got a template off off the Microsoft Office website and tweaked it. I also did my best to include keywords in the content of my resume and spent a good deal of time writing up cover letters.
I really like this link on how to make a resume shine. What I like is how it shows a before and after image of a sample resume. Most of the points I was doing...I like to scan, so most of the points were intuitive, but I completely missed putting a title at the top! Talk about obvious things you miss.
Lately, I've renewed my push to customize my resume for the job, which involves more than changing the title and summary. I thought I was already doing a reasonable job of customizing, but then at a job search event, I saw someone speak about her successful job search in which she changed fields. I didn't have much time at the end of the event so made a bee-line to her, got her card and followed up with her before she started her new job. I asked her about what she did.
My new contact told me about creating a pitchbook and sent me materials from her outplacement firm. It's really very logical in that it lays out the job description and you, the candidate's, qualifications for it. I am shocked with myself that I did not think to do this. (I am also shocked my outplacement firm didn't give me materials on this.) A central component is a table. On the left side, the req's specifications and qualifications. On the right, what you offer. Now, my standard protocol before applying for a job is creating this table. Before I apply to a position, I fill this stuff out, then write up the cover letter and resume.
It takes much longer to run through this exercise so I can't pound out an online application in half an hour any more, but I believe it gives me more clarity of purpose when I apply. This is a such simple exercise that makes a huge difference when applying. This exercise helps me shape my summary statement and customize my accomplishments and previous job descriptions to match the role.
A definite Don't I should include is reading too many articles on Inc.com. It's an engaging magazine for entrepreneurs, and I got the feeling that I was doing something productive, but in retrospect, I was in a fantasy land. I ended up writing a resume for a pretend company where I was the hiring manager, which makes sense. Would you really want to work for someone who didn't share your values? But what I was missing was the nitty-gritty details of how I would offer value to a potential employer, not my fantasy version of an employer.
Of
course, with all this renewed emphasis on building a better resume, I
find myself not applying for jobs of late. Quality not quantity, right? Definitely not what I should
be doing because searching for a job is a numbers game. It takes much
longer to put together an application and I just don't have that much
time lately.
One good reason I've had less time was I'd been preparing for an interview for a small pharma and I am pretty excited about it.
Preparing for the interview
First, mentally. As opposed to other prospects, where I held back my enthusiasm for a job, I said to myself that this was the job I wanted...really, really wanted. It's perfect for me and I am perfect for them and here are all my reasons why. As Napolean Hill would say, I had a burning desire for my goal. Corny, but true. The candidate who wants the job more gets it.
Second was research. I researched the company and their prospects, the therapeutic area and the current standard of care, pulling information from the web and creating Word and Powerpoint documents. I built a spreadsheet on the available drugs and their mechanisms of action. Then I mined my network to get informational interviews with people who either do this type of job or who work with patients. I did my best to insert these details in my interview subtly, but for the most part, my interviewers didn't seem to care that much. I would do it again because I felt prepared and I think it reflected in my confidence level during the interviews.
Everything regarding the interview was done very professionally and on schedule, so it gives me confidence in the company I'll be working for. There were some details of the plan that I would consider aggressive, but these days, what isn't?
Pretty much most of my free time leading up to the interview was devoted to preparing. Thing was, I didn't have much free time. Since the end of the school year, we've been consumed with family and volunteering obligations.
Prioritizing
I think the most difficult part about looking for a job is how to handle priorities after a good interview. Do your follow-up--thank you notes and anything else the company wants you to do and then move on to another application. But there are no guarantees so you absolutely must keep feeding your funnel. Yes, I know this. Problem is in practicing this.
I haven't put in a new application anywhere yet. I also did hear back from the other position I was hoping for. The company has decided to delay hiring for a few months. So it is absolutely critical to get a few applications in by the end of the week.
That said, I had a busy week volunteering, managing kids, just stressing. So my body has to readjust. I think it sounds lazy and complacent, but I know that without recharging, I simply can't focus. Also, the sound of rain in the mornings, which we've been getting a lot of in the Midwest, makes waking up very hard. Finally, I have obligations to organizations and people I can't ignore that have been put on the backburner until I finished this interview. Can't ignore Kharma!
When I did my first resume rehaul, not to long after the lay off, I realized that 10 pt Arial font just wasn't going to cut it. So I got a template off off the Microsoft Office website and tweaked it. I also did my best to include keywords in the content of my resume and spent a good deal of time writing up cover letters.
I really like this link on how to make a resume shine. What I like is how it shows a before and after image of a sample resume. Most of the points I was doing...I like to scan, so most of the points were intuitive, but I completely missed putting a title at the top! Talk about obvious things you miss.
Lately, I've renewed my push to customize my resume for the job, which involves more than changing the title and summary. I thought I was already doing a reasonable job of customizing, but then at a job search event, I saw someone speak about her successful job search in which she changed fields. I didn't have much time at the end of the event so made a bee-line to her, got her card and followed up with her before she started her new job. I asked her about what she did.
My new contact told me about creating a pitchbook and sent me materials from her outplacement firm. It's really very logical in that it lays out the job description and you, the candidate's, qualifications for it. I am shocked with myself that I did not think to do this. (I am also shocked my outplacement firm didn't give me materials on this.) A central component is a table. On the left side, the req's specifications and qualifications. On the right, what you offer. Now, my standard protocol before applying for a job is creating this table. Before I apply to a position, I fill this stuff out, then write up the cover letter and resume.
It takes much longer to run through this exercise so I can't pound out an online application in half an hour any more, but I believe it gives me more clarity of purpose when I apply. This is a such simple exercise that makes a huge difference when applying. This exercise helps me shape my summary statement and customize my accomplishments and previous job descriptions to match the role.
A definite Don't I should include is reading too many articles on Inc.com. It's an engaging magazine for entrepreneurs, and I got the feeling that I was doing something productive, but in retrospect, I was in a fantasy land. I ended up writing a resume for a pretend company where I was the hiring manager, which makes sense. Would you really want to work for someone who didn't share your values? But what I was missing was the nitty-gritty details of how I would offer value to a potential employer, not my fantasy version of an employer.
One good reason I've had less time was I'd been preparing for an interview for a small pharma and I am pretty excited about it.
Preparing for the interview
First, mentally. As opposed to other prospects, where I held back my enthusiasm for a job, I said to myself that this was the job I wanted...really, really wanted. It's perfect for me and I am perfect for them and here are all my reasons why. As Napolean Hill would say, I had a burning desire for my goal. Corny, but true. The candidate who wants the job more gets it.
Second was research. I researched the company and their prospects, the therapeutic area and the current standard of care, pulling information from the web and creating Word and Powerpoint documents. I built a spreadsheet on the available drugs and their mechanisms of action. Then I mined my network to get informational interviews with people who either do this type of job or who work with patients. I did my best to insert these details in my interview subtly, but for the most part, my interviewers didn't seem to care that much. I would do it again because I felt prepared and I think it reflected in my confidence level during the interviews.
Everything regarding the interview was done very professionally and on schedule, so it gives me confidence in the company I'll be working for. There were some details of the plan that I would consider aggressive, but these days, what isn't?
Pretty much most of my free time leading up to the interview was devoted to preparing. Thing was, I didn't have much free time. Since the end of the school year, we've been consumed with family and volunteering obligations.
Prioritizing
I think the most difficult part about looking for a job is how to handle priorities after a good interview. Do your follow-up--thank you notes and anything else the company wants you to do and then move on to another application. But there are no guarantees so you absolutely must keep feeding your funnel. Yes, I know this. Problem is in practicing this.
I haven't put in a new application anywhere yet. I also did hear back from the other position I was hoping for. The company has decided to delay hiring for a few months. So it is absolutely critical to get a few applications in by the end of the week.
That said, I had a busy week volunteering, managing kids, just stressing. So my body has to readjust. I think it sounds lazy and complacent, but I know that without recharging, I simply can't focus. Also, the sound of rain in the mornings, which we've been getting a lot of in the Midwest, makes waking up very hard. Finally, I have obligations to organizations and people I can't ignore that have been put on the backburner until I finished this interview. Can't ignore Kharma!
Monday, June 24, 2013
Summer job search update
I hate looking for a job. I really do.
At times I think that I will just stop and be a stay-at-home mom, take a class and volunteer. Then I manage to pull it together for one more application.
My sort-of new strategy has been to "rebrand" and to do more through volunteering, where rebranding simply means stepping back and thinking about how I can position my resume and cover letter in a way that says, "I can do this for you," as opposed to "I'm so great because..."
I also tried to increase the number of job search networks I belonged to, which meant really going out of my way to sit through more meetings with people who also didn't really want to be there. I even tried to join an accountability group. When the accountability group never got back to me with time and place, I decided there are better uses of my time. I'd rather be doing something useful through volunteering than handing out handbills.
Then, like a miracle, I had two interviews come up within days of one another. Here are the details for the first so far. The second was for what I'd consider my "dream job" and I did a lot of preparing during a crazy week. It ended positively with the assurance that I would hear about the next step from HR soon. Please cross your finger and wish me luck!
With all these good signs, the most important thing I have to do right now is to stop daydreaming and apply for more jobs, which takes me back to paragraph 1. It's another Monday and here I go.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Phone screen.
After revamping my resume and creating a pitchbook for a job, I applied and got an email the same day to schedule a phone screen. A pleasant surprise!
I could have said that I could talk immediately, but gave myself at least a day to get in touch with my contacts to solicit feedback. These people were incredibly helpful, making themselves available before and after hours and they gave me some input I did not expect-- the stuff I needed to hear, like don't talk about family in your time "off" and bring up my energy level.
I practiced and practiced, paring down answers to anticipated questions and believing that I was the best person for this job. I got dressed up for my call and set my materials around for me to reference as needed. My plan was to practice until the phone rang. Only, the phone didn't ring. There was no call.
Was this the end? Did they already find someone and were they too busy negotiating with that person to bother closing the loop with me? Or could this have slipped this person's mind? If the opportunity was indeed dead to me, then I deserved the courtesy of knowing. If this person forgot, he should know. I called 5 min after the scheduled time passed and left a VM.
I went downstairs and unloaded some feelings about the matter to Fat Tony, then resolved to call this guy every half hour until I heard back definitively. I'll spare you the details, but forty minutes later he called back.
He was very apologetic, but otherwise, it was a cut-to-the-chase conversation. I liked how blunt he was about what he needed and I did my best to assure him that not only was I was what he needed but they were what I needed. I really wanted to work for them and these were my genuine reasons why.
He ended with, "I like what I hear" and said he'd be consulting with his boss. So I am hopeful.
What have I learned?
1. Focus on being more energetic and positive.
I tend towards quiet, so cranking up my energy is not easy for me. The rule of thumb I got is to know where I am comfortable, then go a notch or two higher. So I have my measure, The trick now is making sure I am "on". The mind trick I use is to pretend I am on the stage. Stage performers don't speak in their normal voices, and up close, the make-up they wear is garish. But they are playing to an audience far away. They need to project. Just like I need to project who I am. It's not exactly a stage, but my audience is quite a distance away. He or she doesn't know me. I'm not faking something that isn't there, just projecting what I have.
2. Be more rational.
That said, getting carried away with emotions and visions is not helpful and focusing on energy level is distracting. I made some assumptions based on what I heard in this interview and it was a very short conversation, but what I should have done was to pin him down, only I was feeling good about a next interview.
Making myself visibly enthusiastic goes at odds with being rational. Visible enthusiasm is something I have to practice, like practicing my elevator pitch (which never goes the way I practice it, but usually sounds just fine). It's like sports: You practice a move so much, it becomes part of your unconscious brain, which frees up your conscious brain to think about what really needs to be done. I need to practice thinking about the next thing like uncovering processes, bringing up next steps and clearing objections.
While I am hopeful, the rational side of me says to cool it. I did my best during the interview and in my thank-you email to assure them I wanted to be there and that pay was not the priority. But there are many different reasons why I might not get this job and I might never hear from them again. I've put a follow-up activity in my calendar, so I know what I need to do here, but the most important thing now is to be working on the next opportunity.
I could have said that I could talk immediately, but gave myself at least a day to get in touch with my contacts to solicit feedback. These people were incredibly helpful, making themselves available before and after hours and they gave me some input I did not expect-- the stuff I needed to hear, like don't talk about family in your time "off" and bring up my energy level.
I practiced and practiced, paring down answers to anticipated questions and believing that I was the best person for this job. I got dressed up for my call and set my materials around for me to reference as needed. My plan was to practice until the phone rang. Only, the phone didn't ring. There was no call.
Was this the end? Did they already find someone and were they too busy negotiating with that person to bother closing the loop with me? Or could this have slipped this person's mind? If the opportunity was indeed dead to me, then I deserved the courtesy of knowing. If this person forgot, he should know. I called 5 min after the scheduled time passed and left a VM.
I went downstairs and unloaded some feelings about the matter to Fat Tony, then resolved to call this guy every half hour until I heard back definitively. I'll spare you the details, but forty minutes later he called back.
He was very apologetic, but otherwise, it was a cut-to-the-chase conversation. I liked how blunt he was about what he needed and I did my best to assure him that not only was I was what he needed but they were what I needed. I really wanted to work for them and these were my genuine reasons why.
He ended with, "I like what I hear" and said he'd be consulting with his boss. So I am hopeful.
What have I learned?
1. Focus on being more energetic and positive.
I tend towards quiet, so cranking up my energy is not easy for me. The rule of thumb I got is to know where I am comfortable, then go a notch or two higher. So I have my measure, The trick now is making sure I am "on". The mind trick I use is to pretend I am on the stage. Stage performers don't speak in their normal voices, and up close, the make-up they wear is garish. But they are playing to an audience far away. They need to project. Just like I need to project who I am. It's not exactly a stage, but my audience is quite a distance away. He or she doesn't know me. I'm not faking something that isn't there, just projecting what I have.
2. Be more rational.
That said, getting carried away with emotions and visions is not helpful and focusing on energy level is distracting. I made some assumptions based on what I heard in this interview and it was a very short conversation, but what I should have done was to pin him down, only I was feeling good about a next interview.
While I am hopeful, the rational side of me says to cool it. I did my best during the interview and in my thank-you email to assure them I wanted to be there and that pay was not the priority. But there are many different reasons why I might not get this job and I might never hear from them again. I've put a follow-up activity in my calendar, so I know what I need to do here, but the most important thing now is to be working on the next opportunity.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
What I should do for my job search
I attended another job search talk/workshop/networking event. This one was sponsored through a local commuter college and highly organized. I was impressed.
It was something I almost didn't go to. Online, it seemed like it was going to cover the same territory as the other seminars and workshops and online resources I've attended and read.
But it's important to be saying "yes" and to be showing my face, because you never know. I did have some good conversations and I am trying my best to help others. What I liked about this event was its focus on structure: it had a talk, workshops, follow-up workshops, organized networking time.
It also made me think about what I should be doing for my job search now:
1. Be prepared to effectively self-promote
You need a great elevator pitch. This is something that must be well-practiced, brief, and memorable (in a good way). I can barely listen to someone drone on and on about his/her last six months of being so productive--at a job seeking event--and I'm not even a decision maker.
The group had many handbills and cards at the ready. I did not. (I'm "rebranding".) When I've re-developed my pitch, the collateral will be on hand and it's going to be eye-catching.
2. Be nice
Being nice certainly isn't a quality to hire on (and frankly, when all you hear about someone at work is that he or she is "nice," you might want to head the other direction). Most everyone was nice. I hope I was nice.
But being "not nice" does kick you out of the pool. Some stood out as being especially angry, clueless, socially oblivious, or self-centered. I made mental notes to avoid these people in the future. Positive energy is a scarce resource for everyone, not just for the unemployed.
Sure, you can't really control how you feel, but you can control what you do: When you are networking, make an effort to make eye contact. If you can't find it in yourself to care about someone else, at least pretend to be interested or just stay home. Let other people speak. Be brief.
3. Know who you are and how to shine
I'm clearly not the only one with this problem. Who am I? What do I do? How I bring value? Who benefits from my work? Define it, practice saying it, and most of all, live it.
The people who stood out to me were people who've taken a twistier path--Army vet, piano teacher, waitress--and people with generally sunny personalities. They gave me the sense they would be just fine because they are more than their job search.
Then there are those for whom I had the inkling there was a bit more than bad luck involved in their situation. They might have been trying to shine, but they just hogged the spotlight. Be careful to avoid being the one who is all talk, no action.
4. Know what you need to do, not what "they" say you need
One trend I see is a goal to have more than 500 LinkedIn connections, to which I ask, So what? If and when the recruiter calls, the question is the same, "How do you fit what I am looking for?" How does having over 500 connections help you answer this question?
If your profile is underwhelming, you've just hurt your search because now more than 500 people (in theory) seeing a sub-par profile.
Now, going through the work of filling in your profile does help you answer the question. Clearly defining who you are in a compelling way is an art. It comes from having talked and worked with many people who have helped clarify that for you through their example, feedback, conversation, and observations. If you follow up all these interactions with a LinkedIn connection, the 500+ connections is the result of a vibrant work life.
500+ connections is not your goal. Your goal is to create a process in which 500+ connections is a natural outcome. What are you giving? What are you getting? Why?
I read The Start-up of You recently and was pleasantly surprised. It's filled with inspirational anecdotes and practical recommendations on how to build and use your network.
5. Be thankful
This experience is bringing me to people I never would have met, revitalizing connections that had gone cold, helping me see things in a new light. I am learning and thinking about things I would not have made the time for, and am actively changing my idea of what I want to do with what life I've got left. We are prioritizing our days on what we need to do as a family, not around my work.
6. You make your own luck
You could say that it's just bad luck to be laid off. Sure. Wrong group, wrong company, bad timing. But we do make our own luck. Look at me. I know I should have been looking for a job when I had one, but I couldn't. I was too burnt out and could not run myself ragged working on another company's short-term goals and maybe, down deep, I wanted to face uncertainty to discover who I really am and who I need to be.
So what am I going to do with these lessons? To me, everything I just laid out points me to volunteering. It's a way to get out and do instead of talk and ruminate, to connect and make a difference, to give thanks and to shine.
I've got a few ideas so stay tuned.
.
It was something I almost didn't go to. Online, it seemed like it was going to cover the same territory as the other seminars and workshops and online resources I've attended and read.
But it's important to be saying "yes" and to be showing my face, because you never know. I did have some good conversations and I am trying my best to help others. What I liked about this event was its focus on structure: it had a talk, workshops, follow-up workshops, organized networking time.
It also made me think about what I should be doing for my job search now:
1. Be prepared to effectively self-promote
You need a great elevator pitch. This is something that must be well-practiced, brief, and memorable (in a good way). I can barely listen to someone drone on and on about his/her last six months of being so productive--at a job seeking event--and I'm not even a decision maker.
The group had many handbills and cards at the ready. I did not. (I'm "rebranding".) When I've re-developed my pitch, the collateral will be on hand and it's going to be eye-catching.
2. Be nice
Being nice certainly isn't a quality to hire on (and frankly, when all you hear about someone at work is that he or she is "nice," you might want to head the other direction). Most everyone was nice. I hope I was nice.
But being "not nice" does kick you out of the pool. Some stood out as being especially angry, clueless, socially oblivious, or self-centered. I made mental notes to avoid these people in the future. Positive energy is a scarce resource for everyone, not just for the unemployed.
Sure, you can't really control how you feel, but you can control what you do: When you are networking, make an effort to make eye contact. If you can't find it in yourself to care about someone else, at least pretend to be interested or just stay home. Let other people speak. Be brief.
3. Know who you are and how to shine
I'm clearly not the only one with this problem. Who am I? What do I do? How I bring value? Who benefits from my work? Define it, practice saying it, and most of all, live it.
The people who stood out to me were people who've taken a twistier path--Army vet, piano teacher, waitress--and people with generally sunny personalities. They gave me the sense they would be just fine because they are more than their job search.
Then there are those for whom I had the inkling there was a bit more than bad luck involved in their situation. They might have been trying to shine, but they just hogged the spotlight. Be careful to avoid being the one who is all talk, no action.
4. Know what you need to do, not what "they" say you need
One trend I see is a goal to have more than 500 LinkedIn connections, to which I ask, So what? If and when the recruiter calls, the question is the same, "How do you fit what I am looking for?" How does having over 500 connections help you answer this question?
If your profile is underwhelming, you've just hurt your search because now more than 500 people (in theory) seeing a sub-par profile.
Now, going through the work of filling in your profile does help you answer the question. Clearly defining who you are in a compelling way is an art. It comes from having talked and worked with many people who have helped clarify that for you through their example, feedback, conversation, and observations. If you follow up all these interactions with a LinkedIn connection, the 500+ connections is the result of a vibrant work life.
500+ connections is not your goal. Your goal is to create a process in which 500+ connections is a natural outcome. What are you giving? What are you getting? Why?
I read The Start-up of You recently and was pleasantly surprised. It's filled with inspirational anecdotes and practical recommendations on how to build and use your network.
5. Be thankful
This experience is bringing me to people I never would have met, revitalizing connections that had gone cold, helping me see things in a new light. I am learning and thinking about things I would not have made the time for, and am actively changing my idea of what I want to do with what life I've got left. We are prioritizing our days on what we need to do as a family, not around my work.
6. You make your own luck
You could say that it's just bad luck to be laid off. Sure. Wrong group, wrong company, bad timing. But we do make our own luck. Look at me. I know I should have been looking for a job when I had one, but I couldn't. I was too burnt out and could not run myself ragged working on another company's short-term goals and maybe, down deep, I wanted to face uncertainty to discover who I really am and who I need to be.
So what am I going to do with these lessons? To me, everything I just laid out points me to volunteering. It's a way to get out and do instead of talk and ruminate, to connect and make a difference, to give thanks and to shine.
I've got a few ideas so stay tuned.
.
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