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Most of you coming to visit the site in the past month are here by searching for something specific.

SCOTI

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has not done much to help explain what SCOTI is or how Ohio citizens should use it.  A significant number of you find this blog because it’s one of the few (maybe the only) places that mentions it.

I’ve mentioned elsewhere that I’m not an expert on SCOTI. I wrote this post contrasting SCOTI and an Indeed Salary Search, and it remains one of the most popular articles people read.  I get emails from readers, asking how to sign up for it, and I reply with all that I know:

It’s been ages since I tried to use SCOTI myself. I’ve heard the ODJFS recommends checking out http://ohiomeansjobs.com

How to Answer Interview Questions

Many readers come here looking for ways to answer job interview questions.  I know I need to be reminded of these myself. In November 2009 I participated in something called NaPodPoMo, which stands for National Podcasters Post Month. Every day in November that year, I posted a video where I took a stab at a typical job interview question.  You can find that series of videos here: Job Interview Questions: NaPodPoMo 2009 Video Series

Some of your particular favorites have been:

• Persuade me that you have strong analytical skills.
• Show me how you adapt to various people, situations, and environments.
• What did you dislike about your last job?
• When have you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision?
• When have you missed an obvious solution to a problem?
• When have you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done?

I’d also recommend checking out the broader Interviewing category, which includes posts that are not part of the NaPodPoMo 2009 series.

Counter Offer Letters

Two posts I wrote about counter offer letters don’t contain much information. I still point people to the Google search results for “sample counter offer letters.”

What else is important?

I’d love to know what you’d like to see more of. I’ve got some ideas that still need to be fleshed out, but I’d love to keep this as a valuable resource for you. Let me know if there’s something you’d like to see more of.  Also, let me know if you come across a bad link; i.e., one that no longer works.  I’d also like to know what’s working for you? I provide no guarantee that anything I write over here will work, but maybe something has worked for you.

Contact me.  And, if you’d like, check out what else I’m up to here

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Authenticity is key in looking for work. Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, shares about that in this video (click to see embedded video):

Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you like the content here, please use them when purchasing.

Related posts:

1. Marketing lessons for your job search
2. Passion and audacity in the job search
3. Know Yourself. Be Yourself.

Image via CrunchBase

As I’ve talked with people where I live, many of them have wondered how Twitter could be used in the job search. Aside from building and communicating a personal brand presence, I’m now recommending TweetMyJobs.com.

I only recently started looking at it, and I really like the benefits for job seekers, as seen via the TweetMyJobs Job Seeker Intro:

• Have access to thousands targeted JobChannels™, so you only get the jobs that match your profile in your feed
• Receive INSTANT notification of new jobs in your Twitter feed or on your mobile device
• Learn of new posting from thousands of leading companies
• Post (and tweet) your resume and custom profile to thousands of recruiters and hiring managers
• Forward jobs to friends
• Receive daily job updates via email or RSS
• Be able to search for jobs using our TweetMap, a Google Maps enabled job tool

Up to now I’ve had some of this on my own, through my own tinkering around. I like that this interface has been developed in such a way that anyone can use it.

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If you ask, most people in a job search probably hate getting asked this question.

I’m currently reading a book called Breakthrough! (affiliate link) by Paul Kurnit and Steve Lance.  It’s more of a business book, but the marketing principles are certainly applicable to those in transition. Chapter 1 of the books is ”How Ya Doin’?”

Job seekers are not alone in their dislike of the question. Paul and Steve say that question is one of the most feared questions people in business hear all the time as well. Without sounding like a complete advertisement for the book, I think there are some great things they share that can transfer to those in a job search. (Note: I originally came up with the idea for this post in the spring of 2010 before I’d even heard about the book.)

It should be easy, they say. After all there are only 5 choices, which I’ve adapted for the purpose of this post:

1. “Terrible.” If your job search isn’t what it could be or your career outlook isn’t what it used to be, what are you doing about it? Take stock of what you already have to offer. Then figure out a new game plan and transition into something else.
2. “Could be better.” This is probably what most of us would say. Whose fault is it that our search is the way that it is? The only one who can change it is you. Time to make a plan to make it better.
3. “Same old, same old.” What?! It sounds like rear-view mirror thinking. This is a dangerous spot to be in, because you could soon find yourself thinking that things will be okay in the future because they have been in the past.
4. “Great! Couldn’t be better!” Maybe things are going well for you in your search. Maybe you feel that everything is falling into place and you can just coast along. The truth is that, just as consumer brands need to develop and grow to stay at the top in their respective industries, so we ourselves as brands need to develop and grow to stay at the top in our respective industries.
5. “It’s great, but it could be better.” You should always be actively involved in creating what Matthew Kelly, author of The Dream Manager (affiliate link), calls “the best version of yourself.”

So, how’s your job search going?

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We need more laughter. How about 4 babies laughing at the same time?

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As I’ve said previously, I’m not an expert in Ohio Unemployment Benefits. I don’t work for the State of Ohio.  I’m just a guy sharing expertise gained from my own search and experience.

I don’t have to tell job seekers how frustrating it is to make sure you’re doing everything you need to get unemployment benefits. But I hope this post will point you  closer to getting the information you need.

It’s gotten easier to file

It’s gotten a lot easier over the years. Back in 2002, you might appear in person to file for benefits, but the office began encouraging people to file for Ohio unemployment benefits through their hotline: 1-877-644-6562. You’d get a card mailed to you and you’d need to fill it out and mail it back. Or you could call the phone number and file your claim that way. What’s nice these days is that you can still use the phone number, but you can also apply and get Ohio unemployment benefit information online.

SCOTI – should I really care about that?

One of the most popular posts on this blog is this one I wrote almost 4 years ago entitled Ohio SCOTI System and Indeed Salary Search. I’ve gotten emails from readers asking how to register for SCOTI. To be perfectly honest, I don’t think you can. SCOTI doesn’t even exist anymore.

When you file your initial claim, this is something you can ask the person on the phone.  They will probably point you to Ohio Means Jobs.

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Having been around the blogging community for eight years now, this blog (and the Blogspot-hosted one that preceded it) have enough content that makes it stand out in search results for certain keywords.  I also have made myself accessible through this blog.

Since I have been getting more emails lately from individuals asking for advice, I feel that it’s important that I help clarify what it is that I’m doing over here so you know what to expect from me.

Clarifying expectations

1. This blog is something I’ve done as a hobby, out of a desire to share what I’ve found interesting or useful in my own job searches and career development.
2. I am just a guy who writes this blog in his free time. Much less free time, now that I’m back in the workforce, since earlier this year. (I’m sure you agree that this is a very good thing.)
3. I am not an expert on SCOTI, or as it’s better known, Ohio Means Jobs, even though this blog post remains the most popular one here and continues to rank highly in search engines. (As far as I know, when you register for unemployment benefits, you’re registered for this program. Check with your state unemployment representative for more details.)
4. Whatever I share in this blog or in response to personal emails from the Contact page is simply my own opinions, which come with no express or implied guarantees.
5. Whenever you contact me through this blog or via email, you understand these things and are comfortable with them.

Now that we have an understanding, I’d still love to hear from you. Feel free to contact me via the comments or the Contact page.

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Last night I attended the $timulus Book/Networking Group in West Chester, Ohio. Monte Washburn led the discussion about Carmine Gallo’s book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience(affiliate link).

The context of these discussions is always around how the principles within can help people in their job searches and careers.

Check out Monte’s blog post.

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I have a confession to make.

I became fascinated with marketing as a result of being in a job search. I saw myself as that product/service/brand, and that it was my job to tell intriguing stories that would inspire people, especially hiring managers, to want to know more.

My journey has taken me to a place where I not only see this in myself, but I’m also looking at every marketing communication now as just that. I’m seeing the stories being told and identifying the targets for those stories.

You may have already made the jump to match what I’m writing here as to how it applies to your job search.  Let me encourage you to watch this video with pen and paper, so you can take notes on what Rory Sutherland has to say.

Click here to watch the embedded video.

Have thoughts or comments to share? How are you applying these marketing lessons to your job search? In what ways have you branded yourself to those you are connecting with?

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If you’re passionate in your job search, it shows. If you have a goal, a targeted opportunity you’re zealously pursuing, it’s obvious. You cannot hide it.

Like this guy, who wants to work for U2.

Click here to watch the embedded video, if you cannot see it.

He’s even got a Facebook page that you can join to help him in his journey.

Hat-tip to Cliff Ravenscraft from GSPN.tv for the link via Google Buzz.

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Carla, a longtime blogging friend, posted this on my Facebook wall yesterday:

I want to pose this question, Dan, to you and some of your readers of your blog. I am pondering the answering to this in my own life because I need some perspective in my own family’s situation, and would like some thoughts from others on this too. “What is unemployment teaching you”–about how you see life, family, Faith etc. It’ll be interesting to hear answers to this question!

When I think about the times I’ve been unemployed (and even underemployed), they have been defining moments for me.

I think I’ve been able to see my life as more than just a job. Unemployment forced me to separate work from my identity. With so many other people unemployed, and with the “wounded animal” demeanor that often accompanies the announcement that one is unemployed, I resolved to not let it be the most interesting thing about me.

It has naturally been a huge strain on my family financially. Unemployment benefits are certainly better than nothing, but they are barely enough to live on. So it forced us to really consider what is important.  As one friend told me, when it’s really boiled down, all we really need is food, shelter, and clothing.  This friend has been seriously reconsidering the direction his life is taking and is making some changes.

Managing the emotional side of job search has been one of the key things I really went after this time around. I resolved at the beginning of 2010 to be an incurably tough-minded optimist. It’s been hard, but that resolve has helped me focus on protecting my mind from negativity and disappointment.

I’ve read so much more during this period because I knew I needed to continue growing and changing, and I look forward to continuing this habit.

Having emotional support, not only from my family, but also from my church community and local job search support groups, has been very important this most recent time around.

Now it’s your turn…

What do you think about what Carla has asked? What is unemployment teaching you?

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What is the hardest part of your job search?

Is it finding contacts to one of your target companies? Is it building a list of companies you’re targeting? How about preparing for interviews?

For me, the hardest part of my job search is also the most important part.  What I’m about to say is echoed time and again from people I’ve interviewed for the How I Got My Job job search success stories podcast. I believe it’s the most important part and most often the hardest. Because it requires so much work up front.

The Hardest Part of Your Job Search

The hardest part of your job search is finding out who you are, what you have to offer, and communicating that value to others in a clear manner. One of the most common qualities of successful job seekers is Authenticity. These are people who understand themselves and have communicated it in such a way that matches what hiring managers are looking for.

Why It’s Hard

In his latest book, Linchpin, Seth Godin talks about “thrashing.” In my own words thrashing is that emotional and even physical unrest we experience to some sort of change. It’s the body’s way of trying to protect itself from harm, part of the survival instinct that craves routine.

When you find yourself out of work and needing to reinvent yourself, this thrashing occurs. Someone has said that they don’t need you anymore, and it’s not surprising that you find yourself in an emotional tailspin.  So you thrash as you work toward finding out who you are and what value you have to offer.  It’s good that it occurs, actually, because you need to work out the emotions to get to the other side of the process.

(Re)-Discover Who You Really Are

I’ve been thrashing over the past day, weeks, and maybe even months, working on identifying what I have to offer. I’ve spent the past 14 years primarily doing paid work in information systems, in application development.  But over the past 8 years I’ve also developed some great expertise in social networking, so much so that others routinely ask me for advice and have even hired me from time to time to help them.

I’ve also gone through the StrengthsFinder assessment process and have learned that I have the following top 5 strengths:

1. Woo: winning others over; connecting easily with others
2. Positivity: seeing the best in people and situations
3. Strategic thinking: seeing things from the 40,000-foot perspective, ability to make the complex simple and easy to understand
4. Communication: expressing ideas in oral and written form, especially through stories
5. Activator: kick-starting projects, getting others excited about ideas

So maybe I don’t fit the profile of a typical application developer. But what to do with this experience and background? And how can I work that into a marketing document for myself?

The Resume Exercise

I agree with Dan Miller, the author of “48 Days to the Work You Love” and “No More Mondays,” that the exercise of putting together a resume is important, whether we’re planning to go to work for someone else or doing work for ourselves. The act of being able to authentically communicate who we are and what we offer to people who can hire us is of course important to them, but it’s equally important for us.

And yet this is where I’ve thrashed. Hard.

I think I’ve experienced what Cincinnati author Andrea Kay, in her book “Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want,” calls “Rigid Resume Syndrome” (RRS). It’s this ideology that resumes must be a certain format or have a certain number of pages, and so forth. Different people tell you different things. The best resume is the one that gets you the interview, though, right?

I’ve had a technical resume that focused on what I did at my last job.  I’ve also put together a functional resume that highlighted my experience in the social networking space, but I was wasn’t really satisfied with it.

A Cause for Urgent Thrashing?

Yesterday I got a phone call from the co-owner and President of the company who was our primary vendor at my last job. He asked me to interview, based on a recommendation from former coworkers. And he also wanted me to email him my resume.

So I thrashed. But I eventually overcame the resistance I’d felt and was finally able to put together a resume I feel brings out the combination of skills, strengths, and experience that make up who I am and what my unique value proposition is.

In typical social media fashion, I’ve uploaded it to my Virtual Business Card page where people can download it.

Parting Thoughts

In a world where many of us are continuing to build our digital footprint in the online space, it’s easy to expect it to be enough for people looking to hire us to seek us out that way and that resumes shouldn’t be required. I’ve wondered why hiring managers have continued to ask for my resume.

I see things differently now. The experience of creating the resume has further distilled my personal marketing message, and I feel better equipped to talk about who I am and what I’m looking for to others.

Your Turn

What about you? I’d love to hear about your experiences in this area. Feel free to leave them in the comments below. Or, if you’d like to discuss privately, you can get in touch via the Contact page.

Note: I’ve included affiliate links to books mentioned above because I’ve found these resources helpful and believe you might as well. Also, this post was inspired by this morning’s Google Buzz update. More about how I’m using Google Buzz.

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Getting laid off and losing a job doesn’t have to be the end of the world.  It can be the best time to reinvent yourself. As one person in Lemonade: The Movie said, it’s not a pink slip – it’s a blank page.

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I made a confession on Twitter and Facebook yesterday: I hate writing resumes and cover letters and sending them off to people. I realize it’s a necessary part of the hiring process, but I’ve found it tedious and in some ways overwhelming.

I think the reason for this has to do with changing a career. I have a resume that somewhat worked for what I did at my last job, but, since I’m now moving in a different direction, I have to come up with a different resume. In my mind that often seems to be like an insurmountable task.

Last week I went to the library and browsed the books in the job hunting section for inspiration. I noticed this thin, tall book by fellow Cincinnatian Andrea Kay, entitled Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want (affiliate link). This book was first written in 1997, and it contains a lot of things that are helping me overcome my dread of writing a resume.

Andrea writes in a real, down-to-earth style, and I love the approach that the book takes. She starts from having us inventory our strengths, expertise, and experience. Then she helps us get to the core of what we want to do and how we can make a difference, combining this into a thesis statement and objective. Once we do that, we’re able to put the accomplishment statements that support the thesis on the resume.

I’m still reading the book, but I wanted to let you know about it right now, because it’s actually given me hope that I can overcome my dread of writing a resume. I also have no problem recommending you check it out and use my affiliate link. Check it out at the library, or get it here.

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Ever feel like someone’s trying to tell you something?

1. Early this afternoon I did an in-person interview for How I Got My Job with a good friend of mine, Marc Hopkins, about how he got his recent job as an adjunct professor at a local university. During that interview he talked about YourOneDegree.com. From their website: “Your One Degree is the specific focus and direction you were put on planet earth to pursue and accomplish.”
2. Later this afternoon, while browsing the aggregate feed for this year’s National Podcast Post Month (NaPodPoMo) website, I found this post from Will Brown entitled Pursuing Your Passion. I was intrigued so much that I had to take a second listen.
3. My good friend and Cincinnati-area colleague Cliff Ravenscraft from GSPN.tv has a blog and podcast entitled Pursuing a Balanced Life. You may have seen some updates on Twitter with the #PABL hashtag; Cliff and this community are behind that. He left a high-paying job selling insurance to pursue a passion in podcasting and has been able to make a living doing that. I’ve heard him share his story a number of times, and I continue to be inspired.

Maybe it’s that being in transition removes a lot of the other constraints I felt like I was under when I was working full-time, but I’m at least seeing a lot more varied opportunities come my way to try new things.

What about you?

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Are you applying for jobs you have no business applying for? Are you trying to pass off someone other than YOU as you work toward getting your next job?  Well, STOP IT!

Seriously, watch this short video my friend Kevin Dugan did with keynote speaker Artie Isaac, at SummitUp, a recent social media confab many of us attended in Dayton, Ohio. I happened to stumble upon it while browsing other videos on YouTube.

Know Yourself, Be yourself for better pitches with Artie Isaac.

Authenticity is by far one of the most important qualities you’ll need to get to your next job.  Nearly everyone I’ve interviewed for How I Got My Job has mentioned this trait in some way, shape, or form.  Know who you are and how you fit with the company and position you’re applying for.

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Last night I attended a networking group for job seekers at a local Barnes & Noble. The organizer is an employee there, and each week he plans a discussion around topics that are relevant to other job seekers, with some books he’s found.

Coping with Rejection

The topic for last night was “Coping with Rejection”. Monte, the organizer, described it this way:

Rejection can impede your job search in a number of ways. Some are subtle and some not so subtle. We will look at a number of different authors, books and web sites is seeing what defenses and strategies we can employ in overcoming this major stumbling stone. We’d love to have you join us but we won’t take it personally if you don’t.

To wallow or not to wallow: that is the question

Interestingly, he found that there have not been books written exclusively about how to deal with rejection; most books contain a chapter or a paragraph or two. I wonder if that’s because not many people are interested in buying books on rejection.  We can choose to wallow in the rejection, or we can rise above it.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t take time to figure out what happened and what we can learn from it. And I’m not saying there shouldn’t be time to be sad or down. But I think there needs to be a time when we pick ourselves back up and press on.

Different playing field – different ballgame

Many of us job seekers are finding that this time of searching is a completely different playing field. I imagine hiring managers are feeling the same way. Job seekers wondering why they haven’t even received a rejection letter; hiring managers too busy or overwhelmed with applicants to have time to send them out.

The great supply of labor has some employers on a bargain hunt. If we as job seekers are not willing to come in at a number they offer, they can probably find someone else who will. This is a different kind of rejection, isn’t it? We begin to wonder whether you’re worth what you used to make. If we opt for the lowball offer, that might pigeonhole us at a lower pay range. When the market improves, who’s to say that we won’t jump ship? Chances are that we won’t rise above it at that job.

Know yourself

This is where having a great personal brand, both online and in-person, is key.  We need to know ourselves, communicate who we are and what we’re about, in such a way that shows that we fit with an organization and position.  Doing this means getting out from behind the computer, taking that shower, and getting in front of other people. Learn about yourself and what your marketable skills are. Uncover leads for new opportunities, not only from searching online but also from asking others you know.

The power of a phone call

The phone is still one of the best social networking tools around. One person at the group last night told a story about having an interview one morning about 25 miles from his home. He awoke in a bad mood and wasn’t looking forward to driving in the sleet on the roads that he was sure would be a mess. The phone rang, and he let the answering machine pick it up. He hoped it was the hiring manager, calling to cancel or reschedule the interview because of the weather.  Instead it was someone he’d met from a networking event who knew about his interview. She called, saying she was reminded that he had his big interview that morning and wanted to wish him the best. His mood changed.

This story reminds me that I both need the encouragement and I need to offer it generously.

Another person, who has a background in sales, described his approach in calling on potential customers. He said before he had an intimidating call to make, he’d make a call to his best client.  He said this advice could work for us job seekers. If we have an intimidating call to a potential employer to make, we could first call someone from the group or another friend we know who’ll offer us the emotional support we need.

Prime the pump

Sometime during the evening, I brought up Zig Ziglar‘s story about the water pump.  Since I couldn’t remember all the details, Monte, the group’s organizer, told the group the compact, “Reader’s Digest” version. Through the magic of the internet (*wink*), I’m able to share it with you here:

Zig Ziglar – Prime the Pump.

I’m glad I went to this group and was sad that I had to leave early. Hopefully some of the things I’ve shared here have been valuable to you as well.

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Last week I asked the following question on LinkedIn:

What advice would you give to someone who will be attending their very first job fair?

Many unemployed workers are finding themselves in the job market for the first time in many years. Some have never been in the job market before. What advice would you give to such a job seeker? I’m looking for help in setting expectations, etc. This is also going to be for a blog post at http://getthatjobonline.com and will immediately go out to some local folks who will attend a job fair in the coming weeks. Thanks for your help!

I am glad that I received so many responses, and you should definitely check out what others have said, since the advice is too numerous to include in this post.  One of the many noteworthy responses came from Doug Field, who is a training manager, course developer, and instructor in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area:

Rent a copy of Hello, Dolly! starring Barbra Streisand as Dolly Levi; watch the first 10 minutes several times and pay particular attention to how Dolly treats everyone she meets as a potential employer or source of work.

I did some research on YouTube and Wikipedia to see if I could find a short video clip to illustrate what Doug was talking about, and this is the closest thing I found. I’m not sure whether this is what he’s talking about or not. The song is “Call on Dolly” from the musical “Hello, Dolly“:

Anything more to add? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

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I just set up a Share the Show page at How I Got My Job.  Here’s one of the badges you can add to your site:

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