Get That Job! » job market

Overcoming Rejection

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:03:03 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

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.

Strangers Lend a Hand to Job Seekers (online.wsj.com)
Free career coaching support for unemployed UK professionals (ki-work.typepad.com)
Social Media Is Thin Skinned (jackofallblogs.com)

Overcoming Excuses in a Job Search (video)

Workshops, HARO, and Lowball Job Offers

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:56:33 +0000

It’s so great to be amazingly busy, and if you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know what I’m up to. Still, I know you like to have some good stuff to read from time to time. With that in mind, here are some things I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you.

Maximizing Your Job Search Workshop, Crossroads Community Church, Cincinnati, Ohio

: Image by danieljohnsonjr via Flickr

In February I gave a talk in front of about 150 job seekers about the How I Got My Job project, entitled “Real People. Real Job-hunting Success Stories.” Last night I gave another talk to about 50 job seekers entitled “The Emotional Side of the Job Search” (links to slides coming soon). In addition to the photo on this page, there are some more photos from Maximizing Your Job Search Workshops held in Cincinnati, Ohio on Flickr.

Job-hunting success stories wanted

I recently submitted a request to Peter Shankman’s Help a Reporter for individuals to interview for How I Got My Job. So far the response has been great. A lot of real people have genuinely interesting stories to share. If you would like to share one of your job-hunting success stories, please get in touch to set up a phone interview: successstories AT howigotmyjob DOT com. Please keep in mind that it can be any job that you’ve landed; I have collected stories from over 15 years ago!

Evaluating job offers

One of the questions I ask during the How I Got My Job interviews is how people have evaluated job offers. I believe advice on how to do this effectively is sorely needed, especially in the current job market. Check out this working guide for evaluating lowball salary offers from Liz Ryan.

When the Job Search Gets Too Frustrating (usnews.com)
TwitterJobSearch: Find a Better Job Today (blippitt.com)
Ideas to help you stay upbeat for your job hunt (halliecrawford.typepad.com)

No related posts.

How much does the jobless rate affect your job search?

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:39:00 +0000

The Cincinnati Business Courier recently reported that the Ohio jobless (Why they don’t just say unemployment?) rate fell in February. When I first started this blog back in 2002, I often wondered about the unemployment rate.

It’s really a bit of an inaccurate number, when you consider that it’s the number of people filing for unemployment each week. It doesn’t count those who are still unemployed yet have either stopped meeting the reporting requirements or have had their unemployment benefits expire.

The rate describes a macroeconomic condition; i.e., a condition of unemployment as a whole. More importantly, I also found, at least for me, that I began using the unemployment rate as an excuse for not keeping up with my job search as intensely as I could have been.

So the jobless rate is falling or rising… whatever.

The statewide/national jobless rate shouldn’t affect your own job search and career management. Stay focused on your own job search. Companies still have positions to be filled. Your industry (also known as “vertical” by some) may have high demand for labor. Don’t use the rate as an excuse.

Am I off base here? Does any of this make sense? What do you think?

—–
Check out my other blogs:
Daniel Johnson, Jr.
Journey Inside My Mind Blog
Journey Inside My Mind Podcast
QuotesBlog
Twitter.com/danieljohnsonjr

Overcoming Excuses in a Job Search (video)

Using Top Business Lists for market research and lead generation?

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:04:00 +0000

When I was looking for my first job out of college, and in many of my subsequent job searches, I’ve often looked at the top business lists for the area where I was looking.

The print editions of the Cincinnati Business Courier and Dayton Business Journal, for example, contain top 25 lists of various companies and individuals in various categories. It looks like these lists can be ordered online, too: here’s the link for Cincinnati Business Lists. From this link you can search other markets and categories, too.

As a job seeker, I’ve personally preferred to spend some time at my public library, searching their archived lists, instead of spending money on these lists.

Have you found these lists to be helpful?

—–
Check out my other blogs:
Daniel Johnson, Jr.
Journey Inside My Mind Blog
Journey Inside My Mind Podcast
QuotesBlog
Twitter.com/danieljohnsonjr
Wanna get LinkedIn?

Add Google Alerts to your job hunting toolbelt

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:28:00 +0000

No, I haven’t left this blog dormant. In fact, nearly every day over the past month or so, I’ve thought about you who stop by to read. In case you are interested in where I’ve been, let me point you to this blog post: One Voice Walk 2007. I’ve spent the last month or so doing some online publicity work for that project.

Do you know about Google Alerts? They are one set of tools in your new media toolkit that can help you in your job search.

Google Alerts let you find out about new web pages on topics of interest. I have them set up for my own blog properties, my name, the names of others, and other projects, etc.

For a job search, you should set up Google Alerts for companies you are targeting. Alternatively, you could set up alerts to keep current on what’s going on in a particular career, especially if you’re looking to make a change.

You do need to have a Google account, which is free, in order to set these up.

What are some ways that you have been using Google Alerts?

If you’d like to stay in touch, you can

email danieljohnsonjr at gmail
call (206) 666-5466 and leave a voicemail
leave a comment here
follow me on Twitter

Find out more about Hispanic Recruiting at LatPro.com.

Read local business journals for market info potential leads

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:33:00 +0000

Do you read the local business journal the city where you live or want to work? Years ago I started doing that, just to see what companies are doing in the area and as a potential source for job leads, a way to get an understanding of the job market. I can’t remember whether the Cincinnati Business Courier does it, but the Dayton Business Journal publishes these lists every week of fastest growing companies, top minority-owned businesses, etc. I liked looking at those lists because it gave the name of the top official as well as other relevant information for generating leads.

I’m currently have the RSS feed for the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Breaking News in my Bloglines collection. I often don’t know what to make of some of the information I read, though.

On one hand I hear that unemployment rates are up slightly, but then I read that the job market for IT professionals is pretty good. I even saw this morning that Cincinnati is ranked 18th on Forbes magazine recent Best Cities for Young Professionals list.

Does it seem confusing to you? It does to me, sometimes. Then I look at the details and see that the unemployment article is talking about Ohio metro areas overall. I guess that’s what we need to do – look at the details a bit more closely.

Also, I think it’s a good idea not to let negative information put a cloud over your job search efforts. Doing so can lead to making excuses. You’ll be tempted, as I am, to think and say things like, “Oh, the job market’s just down; that’s why I’m not able to find work.” Let’s think and believe bigger than that.

America’s best jobs in the hottest markets

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:55:00 +0000

As spotted elsewhere in the blogging sphere:

The great American hiring boom is slowing down–but as labor cools with the rest of the economy, a few choice regions will stay red-hot. You just have to know where to look.

Check out the CNNMoney report here.

Any success in getting jobs through Craigslist?

Blog your way to your next job

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:24:00 +0000

Thanks to Bryan from Monster Careers, I now point you to this article that describes How Blogging Can Help You Get A New Job.

Develop and nurture your online presence. It may lead to your next job.

Lots of government job openings coming

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:58:00 +0000

Clark Howard reports that a huge wave of people will be retiring from government jobs soon. Check out usajobs.gov for more information.

High-demand for These Workers

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 03:03:00 +0000

ClarkHoward.com reports:

Are you looking for a job that has good pay, a lot of security and flexible hours? Would you believe the trucking industry has all that? Some people, such as Clark, would not do well in this job. But others love the open road and the solitude and would be great at the job. Better yet, you don’t need any training because most schools will train you for free. The industry needs about 20,000 truckers, so companies are offering signing bonuses and all kinds of incentives. Truckers make about $60,000 a year. Other jobs with lots of openings include registered nurses or RNs and pharmacists. If you are interested in those fields you could make a great living and do what you love. What could be better?

via ClarkHoward.com Show Archives for March 1, 2006

Work-from-home jobs on the rise

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 12:34:00 +0000

Clark Howard reports:

You are going to find more opportunities to work full-time or part-time from your home in the years to come. It’s known in the industry as having a “remote workplace.” Some employers, of course, won’t consider it at all. Others are at the other extreme and will do everything they can to encourage people to work from their homes. Companies that jump into the trend with both feet have come up with solid procedures to monitor your work and save tons of money with work-at-home programs. Sun Microsystems has about half of its workforce at home now and has saved $300 million a year as a result. The company doesn’t need office space, computer or phones, so it saves a ton of money. Another technology company, Agilent, has closed 50 U.S. sales offices and reduced their cost by 60 percent. About 12 percent of U.S. workers are now working remotely, and as many as 40 percent are expected to work at least part-time from home in the next few years. Everyone benefits. So, what’s the disadvantage of working from home? You may end up working too much. And, showing your face around the boss and other people at work is always advantageous. But the new mantra in the workplace seems to be: “If you want to keep them, let them go.”

via ClarkHoward.com

More call-center jobs coming home

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 22:04:00 +0000

This could be some great news to anyone who wants to work from home!

Chron.com | More call-center jobs coming home

via e-mail

The lowest paying jobs out there

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 19:37:00 +0000

Money isn’t everything in job satisfaction – you should do what you love. From ClarkHoward.com, consumer warrior Clark Howard provides a list of the jobs that pay the least: clarkhoward.com: Clarchives clarkhoward – Clarchives August 22, 2005

Financial hiring to slow, but local IT job market heating up

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 15:51:00 +0000

The Cincinnati Business Courier reports on a recent study of Chiefl Financial Officers in the Greater Cincinnati area indicates that while the accounting and finance job markeet in the area may be slowing down, the local IT job market may be heating up. See the article for more details.

Bankruptcy overhaul nearing passage by Congress

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 16:44:00 +0000

The U.S. Congress is close to passing major bancruptcy legislation, which would make it impossible for thousands of people to wipe away their debts:

Opponents say the change would fall especially hard on low-income working people, single mothers, minorities and the elderly and would remove a safety net for those who have lost their jobs or face crushing medical bills.

…

Going into effect six months from enactment, the measure sets up an income-based test for measuring a debtor’s ability to repay debts. It also requires people in bankruptcy to pay for credit counseling.

…

Those with insufficient assets or income could still file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which if approved by a judge erases debts entirely after certain assets are forfeited. Those with income above the state’s median income who can pay at least $6,000 over five years — $100 a month — would be forced into Chapter 13, where a judge would then order a repayment plan.

Critics say that’s unfair because many people who file for bankruptcy have lost their jobs, or are going to lose them.

Under the current system, a federal bankruptcy judge determines under which chapter of the bankruptcy code a person falls — whether they have to repay some or all of their debt.

via USATODAY.com – Bankruptcy overhaul nearing passage by Congress, spotted on K-LOVE’s News Page

Career Search High Level Process Flow…

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 17:50:00 +0000

A well rounded career search strategy needs to utilize a number of different tools to be successful. In this diagram, I try to outline a high level proces flow for “Getting That Job”.

Two of these tools may be new to you: WebSites and Blogs. I’ll address these in an upcoming GetThatJob entry. In the meantime, keep in mind: creativity and leveraging all available tools will give you an advantage in the job seeking market.

Ready to Get That Job? Re-energize your Campaign

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Tue, 12 Oct 2004 11:22:00 +0000

Are you doing the same old thing in pursuit of that great new job? During my own journey through the “transition-zone”, I re-energized my campaign on a frequent basis. Sound easy right? It is. First – stop and take a break and reflect on what worked well for you and what did not. Holidays are often a great time for this, as the job market slows as the holiday approaches and for days after.

Use this break time (or anytime) to try something new. Attend a different type of network event, where you might not know as many people. Take yourself out of the comfort zone.

And consider taking a quick holiday! Getting That Job is hard work – maybe harder than working at that job. You need to be focused and sharp to win that interview. The look of desperation or frustration will hurt you chances considerably. Walking away from your search for a few days is time well spent.

Next week we’ll tear apart some resumes and get folks re-focused on PAR. To read ahead click here and here.

Stephen

JobStuff, a Blog for Your Career

Zerotonetwork, a Business Networking Blog

Unhappy at work, but unwilling to change

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Wed, 01 Sep 2004 03:36:00 +0000

A recent telephone survey of 2600 respondents indicates that while many American workers are unhappy with their jobs, the condition of the current job market precludes them from moving on.

The article also describes the growing prevalence of blogs as a way of sharing one’s gripes about work:

With more than 2.5 million blogs online for all the world to see, this trend can create numerous legal problems, warns Michael D. Karpeles, head of the labor and employment law group with the Chicago law firm Goldberg Kohn Bell Black Rosenbloom & Moritz Ltd.

“The biggest problems can arise when employees … accidentally or deliberately reveal proprietary information, vent frustrations with company policies or a particular manager or executive, or otherwise publish information that the company would prefer to keep internal,” Karpeles said.

Many companies are still trying to sort through the new terrain and answer some tough questions:

Does it matter if the blogger is writing from work or home?
Do First Amendment free-speech rights apply?
Is it legal to broadcast embarrassing company information, as long as it’s true?

Karpeles noted another potential headache, this one for the workers — future employers might be leery of hiring a prolific workplace blogger.

What do you think?

You’re not the boss of me!

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Wed, 11 Aug 2004 15:08:00 +0000

Be Your Own Boss

Even though the small-business failure rate is daunting, this is an opportune moment for budding entrepreneurs. Low interest rates and a still-soft job market have made capital and employees available at affordable rates. Credit is in ample supply, and banks are looking to lend. Factor in strong consumer and government spending and a pent-up demand for new wares by companies, and the picture becomes even more attractive. “I can’t imagine a better time, from a broader economic perspective, to start a small business,” says Mark Zandi, chief economist of Economy.com. He also points to strengthening sales figures across most industries as another reason to hang out a shingle now: Competition is less tight as many established firms have all the business they can handle.

Yahoo! News (reprinted from US News and World Report)

[cross posted to Jobfiler]

Why Your Boss May Start Sweating The Small Stuff — Mar. 20, 2006

Off the Clock Job Market! Events

Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Tue, 20 Jul 2004 07:26:00 +0000

I had just finished some browsing for some positions at the local paper’s website, and I clicked the link in their sidebar that says “Off the Clock”. It turns out to be a list of upcoming Career Fairs, etc. in the Dayton area.

Hmm.

Somehow You Got Here, the GTJ! Version