Posted by Job Search Expert on Mar 3, 2010 in
The Diary of a Job Searching Woman Make It Happen For Women: The Diary of a Job Searching Woman: Mar 3: Companies are hiring!
Dear JobSearchingWoman:
Companies are hiring, but you have to make it easier for them to hire you. When people put together their resume, it’s an historical account of their career. Companies want to know more. Companies want to know how you are going to help them in these difficult economic times. So, think about what they need and that’s what you put on your resume.
Please remember that women look at their job searches differently than men. I didn’t say “worse” or “not as good”…I said different. If you can realize that a woman is wired differently and embrace those differences, then you can have a competitive edge.
Very few people actually get a job from a job board, so don’t spend all your time there. If you are going to put together a networking plan, do it from a business development stand point. Trying to find the hiring manager is not enough. Also try to find the person above the hiring manager. Remember, resumes don’t travel up the corporate ladder very well. But they do flow down.
Don’t just schedule time at Starbucks and meet someone and ask them for help. It might make you feel good, but it probably won’t land you a job.
Think from an employer’s point of view. We call that “Employer-Centric” and it works.
More importantly, remember that companies are hiring and that someone is going to get the job…it might as well be you!
Don’t give up!!
The Job Search Expert
Tags: business development, career, Companies are hiring, corporate, employer-centric, job, job boards, Job Search Expert, Make It Happen For Women, networking, resume, Starbucks, The Diary of a Job Searching Women, Women
Make It Happen For Women: The Diary of a Job Searching Woman: Mar 1 – Don’t Give Up!
Dear JobSearchingWoman:
I know that you are discouraged. I know that looking for a job is a tough time in a woman’s life. How do I know? Cause I have been there…many times.
Part of a woman’s frustrations is that she is trying to do what she’s always done which is not working in 2010. But, old habits are hard to break and the “Networking is the only way to find a job” isn’t working anymore. Only 4-10% of the people in this country get a job from a job board and for professionals it’s less than 2%. Recruiters are getting reqs from their clients that are asking for everything under the moon and that makes their job more difficult.
So…you have to do something different. But first you have to get control of your mind. Take a few minutes to sit quietly and take some deep breaths. Think of things that empower you in your life. The times when you were on top. Spend some quiet time just trying to calm your speeding heart rate.
Keeping calm and focused is the first step. I’ve asked Our Job Search Expert to blog tomorrow about some tips on helping you….so stay tuned.
Remember…women are resilient . Once we know what to do…we will chew up anything in our paths.
Hang in there….In the meantime…here are some resume tips put together by our team.
Best Regards,
Vicki
Tags: job, Job Search, Job Search Expert, Make It Happen For Women, networking, recruiters, resume, resume tips, The Diary of a Job Searching Woman
Posted by JobSearchingWoman on Feb 23, 2010 in
The Product of You Make It Happen For Women: The Diary of a Job Searching Woman: Feb 23: My soul is quiet.
The truth is that I don’t want to do a job search. The truth is I don’t want to work. I just want to be a single mom that can spend time with my kids. I’m tired of being tired. I’m tired of being scared that I might lose my job. I’m tired of spending time on my job search and nothing happens.
I just want to sit quietly and wait for this all to pass. And I know it will. I want to sit and just listen to my heart, quiet, accepting and willing to just wait. Is this the wrong way to do a job search? Will it affect my career? Are we really reduced down to what we look like on paper on our resume?
I think not. In fact, I’m not going to think today. I will continue to wait. I will continue to be quiet. I will continue to just sit here. I know my heart will tell me what to do.
I will wait.
Tags: career, Job Search, kids, Make It Happen For Women, resume, scared, single mom, The Diary of a Job Searching Woman, wait
Posted by JobSearchingWoman on Feb 18, 2010 in
The Diary of a Job Searching Woman Make It Happen For Women: The Diary of a Job Searching Woman: Feb 18: I’m on the roller coaster again!
Why are my emotions going up and down? One day I think I want to stay with my company forever and believe that we are really ready to grow to the next level and then the next, I feel like the world is coming to an end.
Yesterday was fabulous at work. The energy in the office was good and my boss was in a great mood. We have a new client with a promise of new and continued revenue. We don’t need to lay off, we need to get out there and sell, sell, sell! We just need more new business.
Wish everyday was like yesterday. I actually felt like I could run the mile in seconds! My boss promises things will be better. Should I stop my job search for a while and regroup? Who am I kidding. I haven’t even been sending out resumes or networking because I’m so discouraged about my job search.
What is best for my career?
Tags: career, Job Search, lay off, Make It Happen For Women, networking, new business, resume, The Diary of a Job Searching Woman
Posted by JobSearchingWoman on Feb 17, 2010 in
The Diary of a Job Searching Woman Make It Happen For Women: The Diary of a Job Searching Woman: Feb 17: I hate my Job!
No one wants me! I don’t know what to do. I apply and apply for jobs. No one calls. I don’t know what to do? I keep changing my resume for every job I apply for and nothing is working. What do I do?
My friends tell me I am great and that it’s only a matter of time before I get a new job, but nothing is happening.
Everything at work is crazy. My boss is acting weird and I feel like the whole place is ready to explode. We just lost a client. I think my boss is going to blame and it’s not my fault. They have cut our customer service programs and I don’t have much to offer my clients. Has the world turned upside now?
I’m scared. I’m a single working mom with two kids and I need to have a job. If I get laid off, I don’t have enough money to support myself and the kids. What will happen to me? What will happen to my career?
What do I do now?
Tags: boss, career, customer service, friends, job, laid off, Make It Happen For Women, money, resume, single working mom, The Diary of a Job Searching Woman
Posted by JobSearchingWoman on Feb 12, 2010 in
The Diary of a Job Searching Woman Make It Happen For Women: The Diary of a Job Searching Woman: Feb 12: My friend found a new job!
After being unemployed for over 8 months Renee, my friend, has a new job! I’m thrilled for her. You should have seen her face. She was so excited and relieved that all the stress was over. She’s the new Marketing Director for a great company here in the city and has a bright future.
Watching her at Starbucks last night, as we celebrated, made me realize that I am being left behind. I am going no where. I thought my boss and the company cared, but who am I kidding? I really need to jump start my job search because my career is going no where. I don’t believe my boss when he says that my job is safe….
Wonder what’s happening to me? Has the fear of unemployment made me not trust people anymore? I hope not because I am a positive person and I always see the glass half full.
I’m going to work on my resume again this weekend and see if I can get out there and find a new job!
Tags: boss, career, job, Job Search, Make It Happen For Women, Marketing Director, new job, resume, Starbucks, The Diary of a Job Searching Woman, unemployment
Posted by JobSearchingWoman on Feb 6, 2010 in
The Diary of a Job Searching Woman Make It Happen For Women: Diary of a Job Searching Woman: Feb 6: Will I ever get a job?
I’m tired of banging my head against the wall. I feel like giving up. I’m so discouraged. I don’t know what to do!
I’m angry! I’m frustrated and tired of spending hours every night and weekend looking for a job and worrying about my career, what my resume looks like, what my cover letter looks like and trying to find out where the jobs are!. I don’t know what I am doing wrong. Is there something wrong with me? Do I not have anything to give to a company? Am I losing my mind?
Has the world turned upside down? Nothing makes sense any more.
I’m about to give up…
Tags: career, cover letter, job, looking for a job, Make It Happen For Women, resume, The Diary of a Job Searching Woman, where are the jobs
Posted by Vicki Brackett on Jan 25, 2010 in
The Diary of a Job Searching Woman JobSearchingWoman: The Diary of a Job Searching Woman: Jan 25: The job market? The world has turned upside down!
Dear JobSearchingWoman:
I know that the job market is a tough one and that fear grips a lot of us, especially at night when we can’t sleep and we are worried about paying the bills and feeding our children.
My suggestion is that you treat your job search like a business problem. There could be a few reasons why you are not getting many calls about your resume. Perhaps your resume is not search engined optimized and is not getting pulled up in the database search. To fix that, most people cut and paste the “buzz words” from the job description into their resume so it comes up when HR or a recruiter does a search. However, what people fail to realize is that is not the only problem. If you do come up in a database search and your resume looks like the job description, your resume will not communicate what the company wants to hear.
In this market, companies are looking for three (3) things: 1) Make them money. 2) Save them money. 3) Minimize their risk. Make sure your resume is communicating what the company needs at this time during a recession. Be the solution to the problem. Do your research so you know what the problem is and convince them you are the solution.
These are some of the keys to getting in the door and winning the offer.
I’ve been there. I’m a single mom and have had all those fears – You know the ones that make you wake up in the middle of night; the ones that immobilize you . The fears that cause us to panic and keep changing our resume.
Your career is important to your family and to your future. Look at your job search like a business problem and that might help you put things into perspective and understand what employers are looking for.
Wishing you all the best,
Vicki
Tags: career, employer, HR, job description, job market, Job Search, Make It Happen For Women, recession, recruiter, resume, single mom, The Diary of a Job Searching Woman
Posted by JobSearchingWoman on Jan 20, 2010 in
The Diary of a Job Searching Woman Make It Happen For Women: The Diary of a Job Searching Woman: Jan 20: Why can’t I find a new job?
Why won’t anyone hire me? I am GOOD at what I do! I feel like I am looking for a needle in a haystack and I’m not sure what to do at this point.
I’ve talked with a few more recruiters and they say my resume is good, but they can’t help me either. The competition is fierce! I mean I can’t even get the phone to ring!
Not sure what to do. What if I lose my job and I can’t find a new one? I’m just panicking I guess. Everything is going well at work, so why am I freaking out about my job search?
I spend hours on the internet after the kids go to bed searching for jobs and reading resume tips, information about my cover letters, job search and what I can do to move my career forward. Forward? I just want to maintain at this point and not go backwards.
Maybe I should go back to school and get my MBA? Heck, I don’t know what to do….
Tags: cover letters, job, Job Search, love my job, Make It Happen For Women, MBA, new job, recruiters, resume, resume tips, The Diary of a Job Searching Woman
Posted by JobSearchingWoman on Jan 19, 2010 in
The Diary of a Job Searching Woman Make It Happen For Women: The Diary of a Job Searching Woman: Jan 19: I’m sick and tired of the emotional roller coaster!
I’m tired of working hard at work only to have it be “not enough.” I’m tired working, trying to make ends meet, trying to take of my kids and doing a job search at the same time. I’m tired of changing my resume and I’m tired of thinking day and night about my career and how I’m going to take care of my kids, send them to college AND save for retirement on only one salary!
HR doesn’t call back. The interview I went on – What a fiasco! No one is calling back or returning my phone calls. This is ridiculous! What has happened to common sense?
I’m tired of all the networking meetings. They are depressing! I’m surrounded by miserable unemployed people and come out even more depressed! I don’t know what to do or where to go.
I can’t seem to get my emotions into check. I had better get a grip on myself, because there is no one to take care of me but ME!
Tags: career, depression, interview, Job Search, Make It Happen For Women, networking, resume, The Diary of a Job Searching Woman