15 Jul 11 The Pursuit of Happyness

 

 

Few movies have moved me on such a visceral level like “The Pursuit of Happyness” starring Will Smith. The movie is based on real-life events of Chris Gardner.

I recommend seeing it. Again. (more…)

Tags: achievement, attitude, interviewing, job search, movies, Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith

05 Apr 11 TweetMyJobs – Using Twitter in the job search

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.

Related articles

• Using Twitter in Your Job Search (psychologytoday.com)
• Facebook-Infused Job Search Site Finds Listings From Your Social Graph (mashable.com)
• How to Use Twitter to Help You Find a New Job [Jobs] (lifehacker.com)

Tags: job hunt, Job hunting, job search, TweetMyJOBS, twitter

06 Jan 11 How’s Your Job Search Going?

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?

Related articles

• Memorable 2010 job-search stories (sfgate.com)
• Job Seekers, Forget About LinkedIn: The Ultimate Guide for Your Twitter Job Search (customerthink.com)
• Looking for a job in 2011? Here’s how to stand out (msnbc.msn.com)
• Shake Up a Job Search Success Cocktail This Holiday (personalbrandingblog.com)

Tags: big idea, Breakthrough! (book), career development, Dream Manager (book), innovation, job hunt, Job hunting, job search, Matthew Kelly, Paul Kurnit, Steve Lance

21 Sep 10 Filing for unemployment in Ohio

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.

Related articles by Zemanta

• How to Survive Unemployment (socyberty.com)
• Long-term unemployed workers grow (news.cincinnati.com)
• Resuming unemployment benefits after work? (ask.metafilter.com)
• Unemployment payments on way (dispatch.com)

Tags: Business and Economy, Employment, job search, ohio, Ohio Means Jobs, SCOTI, Unemployment benefits

25 Mar 10 What is unemployment teaching you?

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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Tags: emotional support, job search, Underemployment, unemployment, Unemployment benefits

22 Jan 10 Looking for a non-profit job?

Could a job with a non-profit be in your future? I’ve interviewed a few people who landed jobs at non-profits. They’ve shared that the biggest difference between working at a non-profit versus a for-profit is that at a non-profit you don’t work to make money; you work to make a difference.

Here’s a comprehensive list of job boards for non-profit job seekers:

http://www.mycollegesandcareers.com/2012/04/the-ultimate-non-profit-job-guide-97-job-boards-that-cover-it-all

I wish you the best in your search. Let me know when you’ve landed so that we can share your story with others.

 

UPDATE: The link to the job boards list has been updated to reflect the current location.

Possibly related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• Flexibility, Freelance Key for Journalism Grads in Tough Job Market (pbs.org)
• Opportunity Knocks Releases 2009 Most Demanded Nonprofit Positions Listing (prweb.com)
• How can non profits increase their funding opportunities? (startups.com)
• Posts tagged ‘non-profit’ (howigotmyjob.com)

Tags: Business and Economy, Employment, job board, job search, Non-profit organization

04 Dec 09 Series Wrap-Up – NaPodPoMo Day 30

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’ve released a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I practiced answering a typical interviewing question.  Were my answers perfect? Probably not.  This experiment had the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the last installment of the series, as Day 30 of 30:

NaPodPoMo Day 30: Series Wrap-up

Feedback

Dawn from Cincinnati sent in a great critique of how I did with the videos, mentioning that the idea was great and shared some suggestions for how I could get better. Chris Meyer from Las Vegas sent in some audio feedback that this series came out at a time that he was interviewing for a job, and the interviewers commented that he was well-prepared. This series helped him be prepared for the interviewing questions.

Lessons Learned

• Seeing the return on my time investment. Producing video content to go out every single day was rather strenuous. If I didn’t see the benefit of me getting practice answering job interview questions, I probably wouldn’t have done it this way.
• Producing in bulk, scheduling to be published later. Many of these videos were recorded and produced in bulk, and then scheduled to be published on the days they went out.  Creating content, whether video or blog posts, in bulk while in a creative frame of mind, was very helpful.  Being able to schedule the blog posts ahead of time was also very helpful.
• Learning to produce and edit video. I feel much more comfortable recording, editing, publishing, tagging, and in general producing video now. The tools I used were
  • Lenovo Easy Capture for the webcam recording, built-in laptop mic
  • Windows Movie Maker to edit, add titles, and publish
  • Free Video Converter utility to convert WMV files to MP4
  • iTunes to add ID3 tags
• Promoting through social networking. Promoting the videos on Facebook and LinkedIn, and occasionally on Twitter, helped drive traffic.
• Would I do this again? I don’t know if I’d commit to producing video every day like this. We’ll see. NaPodPoMo 2010 is a ways off.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 8:27, 16.4 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• Free Video Editing Tools: Guide To The Best Software And Web-Based Services (masternewmedia.org)
• National Podcast Post Month (NaPodPoMo) (danieljohnsonjr.com)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (16.5MB)

Tags: Derek K. Miller, feedback, interviewing, job search, lessons learned, NaPodPoMo, video, video production

29 Nov 09 When have you had to deal with an upset customer or coworker? – NaPodPoMo Day 29

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 29 of 30:

Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-worker.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 5:30, 10.6 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• What would your previous coworkers say about you? – NaPodPoMo Day 05 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Persuade me that you have strong analytical skills. – NaPodPoMo Day 17 (getthatjobonline.com)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (10.6MB)

Tags: customer service, Derek K. Miller, interpersonal skills, interviewing, job search, NaPodPoMo, video

28 Nov 09 When have you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done? – NaPodPoMo Day 28

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 28 of 30:

Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 4:52, 9.4 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• What would your previous coworkers say about you? – NaPodPoMo Day 05 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Persuade me that you have strong analytical skills. – NaPodPoMo Day 17 (getthatjobonline.com)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (9.2MB)

Tags: Derek K. Miller, interviewing, job search, mistakes, NaPodPoMo, problem-solving, video

27 Nov 09 When have you missed an obvious solution to a problem? – NaPodPoMo Day 27

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 27 of 30:

Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 4:52, 9.4 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• What would your previous coworkers say about you? – NaPodPoMo Day 05 (getthatjobonline.com)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (9.4MB)

Tags: Derek K. Miller, interviewing, job search, mistakes, NaPodPoMo, problem-solving, video