Presenting at Fort Worth American Society for Quality!

This Thursday, Sept 4, I will be presenting an overview of job hunting in 2009 called "Dynamic Job-Search Skills" and briefing ASQ members on "Social Networking Skills" for the Fort Worth Chapter of the American Society for Quality (http://www.asqfortworth.org/) . The sad part is that I only have 1.5 hours total to squeeze in 15 years' worth of experiences and knowledge.....but I love sharing with people about ways they can improve their job-search skills.

If you're in the neighborhood, drop in!

Hey, Send Me Your Resume...

I am still shocked every time I ask someone to send me their resume, and they reply that they need to get it together/update it.   Bottom line of this blog entry---ALWAYS HAVE YOUR RESUME UP TO DATE AND "ON YOU!"   No job is ever totally secure.   I could quit here, but I'm on a roll....

It takes so little time to update your resume regularly.  You probably spend more time completing stupid Facebook surveys than keeping this essential document up to date.   It amazes my that especially in the current economic climate some people are not working on their resume.  

As I ask those who don't want to "work" on updating their resume, "would you at least keep a list of major accomplishments, with details, at home, in the event you find yourself suddenly out of work.  In so many cases today, you may be called to HR, terminated, and told, "don't bother going back to your desk to collect your personal belongings; we'll send them to you.  Security is waiting to escort you out of the building."  Ouch.   Shame on you if you aren't ready with all of your accomplishments listed and ready to put on your resume to begin the sales process that is job hunting!

I have talked to too many people who agree that they should update their resume, that it has been YEARS since they've done so.  In an attempt to teach them the importance of keep their resume up to date, I ask a few simple questions....."so, what kinds of things do you think you'd put on your resume from your current job?"   Usual response:  "Oh, I don't know, I'd really have to think about what I've done here"...as though we can all remember things months or years ago in detail.  I'm glad I have a name tag at work, otherwise I think I'd forget my name.

Once you are unemployed from a job and you are away from it any length of time, you will not remember important details that will be major selling points in your next job hunt.

P.S.  With smart phones, USB drives, etc., why wouldn't you have an electronic copy of your resume on you at all times?  Why wouldn't you have your "job hunting" business card on you with your LinkedIn profile URL listed on it?

Weekends

So, you're hunting for a new job, and it's the weekend. What are you going to be doing? Since life is not "normal," it may be hard to really rest. I do recommend that you force yourself to take some time off from the job hunt to do what you like, spend some time reconnecting with God, exercising, etc. You will run yourself into the ground very quickly if you ignore the reality about your need for regular rest and recharging.

The weekend should also be used to review and revise your job-hunting strategy, applying to jobs you didn't have time to in the past week (if a job has been advertised for more than a week or two, your chances of getting an interview are slimmer, but not impossible), doing some Internet research on your target companies and/or industries, and setting up your plan for the next week (contacts to be made, lunches, networking group meetings, etc.). Steven Covey refers to recharging as "sharpening the saw"---"Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you." Recharge your batteries, renew your spirit, and get ready to dive into the job hunt again early in Monday morning.

Weekends are great for getting renewed, but depending on your financial situation, you may have to rely on less "rest" than a weekend when you have a job and may feel more stress, because you cannot contact prospective employers (weekends are a good time for working LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites). God set up every seven days as a day of rest, and it's clear that we all need the cycle of winding down every week and refreshing to be able to attack the next week with all cylinders running.

Planning and executing your job-search strategy helps to keep you from just generating a lot of activity and instead helps you focus your activity on producing the results you want---landing a job. If you're spiritually, mentality, and physically worn down, you'll have a hard time executing even the greatest job-search plan effectively.