Blogging to Work

Hobbies?

2009-08-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

There are two things I'd like to say about having a hobby you enjoy. First, you should have something you enjoy doing to help you cope with the stress of your regular life. It keeps things in balance.

Second, is there any reason you can't turn your hobby into something that makes money? I'm serious. The guy who owns the Las Vegas Running Company is a running fool -- he has more points in the Las Vegas Track Club sweepstakes thingy than any three other members put together. When I met him he worked for the guy who put on the New Las Vegas Marathon. Boy, there's a soap opera, but long story short, that guy left town shortly before being ridden out on the proverbial rail. So, this guy started his own race promotion and race training company, the aforementioned Las Vegas Running Company, and he is now making a living by completely immersing himself in something he loves, namely competitive running. He's faster than me, too.

And that is my point: be creative. What would you do all day if you didn't have to get paid? How can you do it and still manage to get paid? You don't ever have done it before for a living. Maybe nobody has done what you have in mind. Why not give it a try?

When you get old, and I'm getting there, the things you'll regret are things you never tried to do. Trust me on this: your failures will seem like quaint stories and/or good learning experiences, but the things you never tried will haunt you forever. There's a door open, and it's right under your nose. Gonna go through, or what?

Steve

Dress for Whatever

2009-08-10T09:08:00.001-07:00

Sure, the book said "Dress for Success," but that was a long time ago. When I say "dress for whatever" I mean that you need to be aware of the dress code for the organization with which you are interviewing, and dress accordingly. Some places are easier than others. For instance, in Los Angeles it's casual Friday 24/7/365. Unless it isn't, of course. In the Northeast, which includes San Francisco, they dress up a lot more than we do in the rest of the country. Particularly if you're new to an area, you need to ask around, or visit around unofficially, to determine how to dress for the job.

As general advice, I always say that it's easier to dress down once you're there than it is to overcome the negative impression of not being dressed well enough. That is, you can take off a tie, or a coat, but you can't put one on once you've blown it by not wearing it at the beginning. Sad, but true, there is only one first impression. At the same time, some organizations are fiercely casual, and they will be impressed if you match their dress at the interview. Or, maybe not. Oddly, some firms that are fiercely casual still expect to be shown respect by interviewees, by which they mean that the people coming in will dress up in a way they will never be expected to once they're hired.

Confusing? Yes it is.

On the other hand, maybe you don't want to work at a place where they play games like that in the first place. That's your call. You can buy the book (Dress for Success) and you can attend seminars on the subject if you're so inclined. I don't dwell on how to dress very often because it involves fashion, and fashion by definition changes all the time. However, the general rules can be summarized like this:

Don't shock people.
Look like you came to work.
Try to look like you already work there.
Wear new, clean, fresh clothing to the interview.
Dress better than the interviewer if you have any doubts.

Some books and some people will give you a list of rules that is a lot more specific. What color shirt to wear, how to tie a necktie, that sort of thing. If you use the rules I've listed, maybe you'll decide that you need further training. In which case, go for it. Or, you may decide that you can clean and press your shirts and go it alone.

Oh, and how can you research how to dress for a particular company? Simple, just be there when the day begins and watch people as they walk in. Or maybe do an informational interview with somebody in the department where you'd like to work. It isn't difficult, it just requires, as I keep saying, some research. I just know you can do it!

Steve
steve@stevefey.com

Work!

2009-08-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

This is the one that didn't post on Wednesday. Obviously, operator error. :-)

A topic that comes up in the mind of any job seeker is whether to hold out for the job you really want, or to take a job, any job, if only to tide you over. And the answer is, of course, why, yes, that's exactly what you should do!

Wise cracks aside, everyone has to decide as an individual which way to go. Like having children, there is no manual for how to deal with a job search. But maybe if I list some of the pros and cons it will help somebody make up their mind. Imagine, if you will, that this is a "Ben Franklin" sort of situation, where you list the pros on one side of the page, and the cons on the other. Ben said that doing so helped him make tough decisions. There are worse people you could copy, you know.

THE PROS:

You are employed, with all of the good stuff that implies. No need to make excuses when somebody asks you what you do for a living.
You get money. Maybe not as much as you like, but for anyone but a very select few (Gates, Buffet) that is also true, so it isn't relevant. As I said, you get paid!
You have something to do, somewhere to be, in the morning. That's a wonderful way to keep your self esteem up.
You may be able to use your current position to help you network for one that you really want. It's happened, a lot.
You might find that you like the business you go in "temporarily" better than the one you were aiming at. In that case, you win, don't you?

THE CONS:

You have less time to devote to your job search. In effect, you're working two jobs for one salary.
You may be making little enough money that you are still dipping into savings. This can not, of course, go on forever.
You may be performing duties you consider demeaning or unnecessary. No work truly is either of those things, but if you feel that way, it will hurt, one way or another.
You may have trouble landing this job because you are seriously overqualified.

That's my list. You'll have to make up your own to make up your mind. I'd go ahead and do it. You might surprise yourself when you discover that, yes, a job, even a McJob, is the way to go. Or, you may surprise yourself when you notice that working full-time at finding employment is definitely the thing to do.

Either way, you win!

Steve

Thanks a Lot!

2009-08-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

I have a telephone interview this afternoon at three. Is it another chance to prove my value, or another chance for them to reject me? Yes, it is.

I noticed that yesterday's post didn't post. I'll redo it for tomorrow. Danged computers. Now, on with it.

Today I want to talk about thank-you notes. Most people don't write them. Especially most techies and other genius types. One thing about being a genius type is that you miss some of the normal socialization that regular people get. A thank-you note is a common courtesy, or so goes the conventional wisdom. But it's more than that. It is another chance to state your case, a way to connect with the person you interviewed, and a chance to show that you are thoughtful as well as smart.

So, in the letter goes what?

First, thank the person for the interview.
Then, refer back to some positive thing in the interview.
Also, name everyone you talked to. Even the receptionist. They all did you a favor, and you are now acknowledging that fact.
Offer a suggestion. That's what they'll hire you for, after all, is knowing how to solve their problems. So, solve one for free. Why not? Does it cost you anything? Exactly!

Speaking of free, here's a free example. It's for an interview with only one person besides yourself involved, so it's simple. But, it illustrates what I'm saying.

*****

Thank you so much for meeting with me yesterday afternoon. I really appreciate a busy person such as yourself taking time to answer my questions.

I especially liked the tour of your facility. As I was saying yesterday, I think it would be a good thing to consider an additional wireless hub in that back room. I look forward to the chance to help with that installation.

I hope you are well, and thank you again for your consideration.

*****

See that? An honest thanks, a suggestion given for free, and a polite close. You may need a longer note, depending on the details of the interview, but those are the basic components. You'd put the other people's names in the first paragraph, as in "I also want to thank Sue and Ed and Whomever for their time." Something along those lines.

For more, mail me for details about my online course.

Have a good Thursday!

Steve

Keep Them Hard Times Away From My Door

2009-08-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

The news is that the economy is starting to turn. Las Vegas is a lagging indicator sort of town, so we may have a while yet before we notice. Real estate investment is back, but this time for cash flow, not for flipping. If you rent for cash flow, you may well do okay, so long as you maintain the property and keep good tenants. All of which is saying that nothing, even the worst of times, lasts forever, and the light at the end of the tunnel may actually be something other than an oncoming train.

But, you still need a job. I read in today's Review-Journal about a woman who took twelve months to find a new job, and then she found three at the same time. She took two of them. Two jobs? Why not, if you've got the time. She said it was nice to feel "useful." Boy, I know what she means. That's why I've listed some of the advice I have previously, because "useful" is a way of describing a reasonably happy life.

So, it's Tuesday and you're rolling for the week. There's a career fair coming up Santa Fe station. If you're not familiar with the Review-Journal and the job seeking help it provides free, you should be. Check it out right here. I have found employment through this source, and you may as well.

The moral of that story is to leave no stone unturned. Sure, network your butt off, but remember that advertisers do want to hire someone, and it might as well be you! Besides, it gives you an excuse to sit at your computer, you geek you.

Steve

Happy Monday!

2009-08-03T07:54:00.001-07:00

I trust you had a good weekend. Myself, I attended an Elvis club party and Mayor Oscar Goodman's 70th birthday celebration on Fremont Street. If you're anywhere near Vegas, go see the summer of '69 before it's gone.

So, I did find some new leads over the weekend, that I'm following up on. I hope your luck was good as well. Now that it's Monday, be sure to go over your list of things to do last week and make sure that you did them all. If not, make them #1 on your list of things to do this week. I know this sounds idiotically simplistic, but it will help you to succeed in the long run.

A Question for Readers

If you have a topic or series of topics you'd like to read about here, let me know what it is and I'll try to accommodate your wish. Heck, you can't expect me to think of everything here, now can you? There's still time to change tomorrow's posting, so if you get back to me today (August 3rd) I may be able to start on your request right away. First-come, first-served, of course.

So, on that hopeful note, I bid you good searching!

Steve

Warning and Stuff

2009-07-31T08:54:00.000-07:00

I read in this morning's paper about cell phone hackers. Particularly iPhones, if that includes you. Smart phones in general are what get hit. They're relatively easy to hit, and difficult to defend. Just thought anyone whose looking for work, and presumably using your phone quite a bit, ought to know. You could have your phone shut down, or worse, used in some sort of malicious attack against somebody else. Trouble is, with your legitimate and paid for phone, you will be found as the source of part of the attack. That could be bad, given how law enforcement is when it gets on a scent, so to speak.

Well, anyway, how was your week? Get anything accomplished? Myself I found a couple of instructional design jobs at UNLV and thought of an entrepreneurial educational enterprise I might be able to get off the ground. I officially applied at Nevada State College to that I can student teach and get permanently credentialed, too. And I continue to work on the mid-century house we bought in April. Things have proceeded apace for me all around. I hope your week was as good.

As always, write me with questions or to sign up for my course. See you on Monday!

Steve

Networking

2009-07-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

There are oodles of books about the virtues of networking. Advocates of networking wax eloquent at length about how networking is the only way to find a job. Well, maybe. I've gotten as many jobs responding to ads as I have networking, so I'm skeptical of the magical virtues of schmoozing. However, I have gotten positions that way, so it's worth knowing how to do.

Essentially, you take advantage of every social situation that you can. In those situations, you let people know what you're trying to accomplish, and keep your senses alert for any helpful suggestions. When you notice a helpful suggestion, you act on it. It's sort of like that "Kevin Bacon" game: you probably know somebody who knows somebody who knows the person who can hire you into the position you want. And that's true. Besides that, networking can be a great way to do research.

If you need to know what's happening in a particular industry or company, you can do the formal "informational interview" thing, or you can just ask around and keep your ear to the ground, so to speak. You might hear a casual comment that "the old man is leaving in August." If the old man is the department head, that means that they'll be a promotion from within, and a subsequent vacancy in the department. See? Now you have a new direction to pursue. Maybe the "old man" wants to hire someone so he can start training in his replacement right away? You should check it out. Call the department head and get a meeting. You never know, do you?

On the other hand, I'm leery of people who proclaim the magical virtues of networking. Maybe some people can work it as slick as they say, but most of us can't. That puts networking in the same category as the rest of what you do when you're looking for a new job: it's work that must be done. Put networking in your list of "things to do this week," and be sure that you do some networking while you're contacting potential employers, applying for advertised positions, keeping your documents fresh, and honing your skills. It's all a part of the process, and it will all do you good over the long term.

You know, the long term, when you're working in that new career? That's the ticket!

Steve

Interviews

2009-07-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned that I try to get interviews. So should you, of course, But, what goes on at an interview? Well, I'm so glad you asked.

An interview is a very stressful situation. Maybe you've never hired a new employee, but take it from me, it's nasty from both sides. It may even be worse for the interviewer, because if they screw up, it (you, if you don't work out) will haunt them for an indefinite period, maybe screw up their next evaluation, cost them a raise, give them daily trouble, whatever. It's stressful, that is, from both sides.

Knowing that, there are two things you need to do: Manage your stress, and manage the interviewer's stress.

An interview as stress management? In the words of a famous ex-governor, "you betcha!"

First, your stress. Reminding yourself that the interviewer is just as stressed as you are will probably help you feel better. And, this is very important, go ahead and be nervous. That nervousness is energy that will come across as you looking energetic and eager, so it's a good thing. Do not, however, become obsessed with worry about being nervous. That nerves about being nervous is what will screw you up. So, be happy that you're worried. It's a good thing!

More important is managing the interviewer's anxiety. As a matter of fact, if you can make the interviewer relax, you've won. You get the job. You're in. I'm not kidding. The interviewer is talking to you because he/she has a problem that he/she can't solve. The problem makes the interviewer nervous, and worry about finding the right solution (proper person to hire) increases the anxiety level. If you can get them to relax, it means that they see that you are the solution to their problem, and that you are the right person to hire. Thus relaxed, they are quite likely to make you an offer.

Probably not on the spot, but later. They'll interview more than one person, and then afterwards they'll go over the interviews in their mind. You were the one where they felt good. They like feeling good. They should hire you (they'll think.) See?

You get them to relax by pointing out how you've successfully handled analogous problems in the past, by how you're comfortable with that sort of issue, and with how you're such a good, relaxing person to work with. Got it? Good.

This requires research, as does everything about your job search. For specific help with your research, mail me for details about my $50.00 online course.

Steve

Don't be Lonely

2009-07-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

First a note -- after using Blogger for five years, I finally figured out how to schedule and date a post any way I want, so I can quit putting the date on by hand. Boy, some people's children, huh? Now the post:

I mean it, there's no reason to suffer through a job search alone. First off, you have friends and family, right? Involve them in what you're up to. You never know who might know something helpful. If you are working the process, you can demonstrate that fact, and family who are probably worried that you're never going to find another job will see that you're doing your best, and stay on your side. Sounds better than having fights about your job situation, doesn't it?

Then there are outside groups. Any group you belong to, be it a club, a church, a service organization, or someplace you volunteer your time, has people in it who can potentially help you. If nothing else, volunteer to help out somewhere. Believe me, there are plenty of places with undone work lying about that you could help them get done. If nothing else, it gives you experience in an area you need experience in. Think about it: somebody gets some free help, and your career gets a boost, simultaneously. And you can use the fact that you're working in that sort of job to promote your ability to, well, work that sort of job. Right?

Being alone all the time leads to depression. Depression leads to doing nothing at all constructive. Doing nothing at all constructive leads to more depression. Eventually you may really end up living out of a box under an overpass. Or on expensive medications. Or institutionalized, or worse. So, if you're not already a part of a group, for heaven's sake join one. There's Toastmasters, for example, which will give you useful skills and let you meet some people you'll probably like. Or pick some other group, it doesn't matter. Just be sure to get out and do something useful each day so that you will be upbeat and feeling good about yourself when you go to interviews.

Interviewing is a subject worthy of entire books. That's why I intend to talk about it tomorrow. Hey, a book, a short article, same thing! ;-)

Steve

2009-07-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

I'm fresh back from being Shakespeared and Cowarded by the folks at the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Click over to my regular blog to read a full report on my weekend.

Of course, while I was enjoying the plays, I was thinking about my job situation. I really want to teach this fall, but so far no position. That is a bad thing. The good thing is that it's only July, so there are still things to be done.

For instance, I will be contacting all of the charter high schools in Las Vegas (again) within the next two weeks. I will also be checking the listings for public high schools to see which school is desperate for a science teacher. In education, many principals take their vacation in July, and then in August come back desperate to fill their staff. I plan to take advantage of that fact. Then there are the potential opportunities in other areas, such as training and development. I'm also studying to renew my real estate license. I am, in other words, keeping usefully busy.

And that is the key to the entire effort. By constantly focusing on doing things that advance you toward your goal, you stay not only focused but upbeat, and you know that you'll get to your goal sooner or later. The economy is showing signs of turning a corner, so this is a good time to feel optimistic about things. Start with your own prospects. You will get that job you crave, you will succeed at it, and you will look back at this period in your life as a time of learning and relaxation. Trust me.

And if you want some specific help in marketing yourself, mail me for information on my $50 online self-marketing course.

Steve

No Lecture Today

2009-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

July 24, 2009

Happy Birthday to Lois!

Last Friday of July. Your last chance this month to take stock of what you did this week and how well it is working out for you. I urge you to do just that, so next week can be even better!

Since it's a weekend, I'm not going to lecture today. I'll tell you that I'm about to leave for Cedar City Utah to see some plays. As I said a while back, you need to keep recreating even as you seek for new work. The Shakesperean Festival in Cedar City is an unfailing source of well done plays by Shakespeare and others. They're offering great deals this summer because tourism in general is slack. Same is true of Vegas, by the way. If you're from here you know, but if you're not, you can get by incredibly cheaply just now. There's tons of free stuff to do on the strip and nearby, in case you didn't know. Nobody has to gamble at all, either. There are non-gaming hotels, even.

The weather continues muggy (for the Mojave -- 30 percent humidity or so is nasty at 105 degrees.) Rain most evenings. This is not a negative thing to say. In fact, even for a desert, we've been in a nasty drought for the past five years or so. Rain we can use. In fact, if anyone from Chicago reads this, how about you drive to Vegas, trailing a big old straw with its end stuck in Lake Michigan?

Okay, enough rambling for one month. I'll be back Monday with some actual advice. Have a great weekend!

Steve

Waiting Around?

2009-07-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

July 23 2009

So how's it going with you? The monsoon season is in full swing here in Las Vegas. Rain last night. Big storm a couple of days ago. Good stuff when you live in a desert.

So, no word yet on my presumptive interview. That's the hardest thing about looking for work: the waiting for somebody else and there's not a thing you can legitimately do to get them off the dime. If it hasn't happened yet, it will: you just know you've grabbed that clinching interview, the person said so explicitly, but they never call. You feel like the stereotypical Jewish mother: you never write, you never call, oy, kinder! Yeah, well, you may be tempted to rattle cages at that point. The thing is, you probably shouldn't, in most cases. Unless it's for a sales job where that sort of persistence is admired. You need to be persistent, but you also need to be courteous. If you look grasping and overeager, you'll be like the little nerd who can't get a date because he's, well, grasping and overeager. Sorry, but that's the way it is.

If, on the other hand, a deadline passes and nothing has happened, you have a legitimate reason to inquire as to why that is so. Now you can call or email and find out. It may be that some crisis came up and they couldn't do anything else for a week. It happens.

The best way to get through a situation like that is to keep working along as if there were no interview scheduled. You are not employed at least until their first check clears the bank. Maybe not really even then, given modern realities. So, rather than obsess about that one interview that should happen shortly, keep working your process. Do that and you will get a great interview, sooner or later. I promise.

Steve

Further Research

2009-07-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

July 22, 2009

So you've figured out who you are and what you have to contribute. Great! Way to go! Now comes more research, of course. Now you have to figure out where your market lies. That is, who will hire you do do what you do best?

Lucky you: most of this research can be done from right where you're sitting as you read. Open a new tab or window and go to http://www.bls.gov/emp/home.htm. That's the index of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor Statistics? But I'm Management, dammit! Okay, yes, but even a manager performs a job, so strictly speaking, everyone, from the CEO on down, is a labor statistic.

On these pages of the BLS you will find such gems as exact descriptions of what a person does in a given job. In particular, you'll want to surf over to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. You could order a hard copy to have for your very own, but why clutter up your bookshelf? The handbook can be searched several different ways (the instructions are on the first page.) The handbook lists not only the duties of various occupations, but the employment outlook for the years up through 2016. It would be nice to pick something that's about to grow, wouldn't it? You don't want to be like the poor guy who went into buggy whip twisting the same week Henry Ford introduce the Model T, do you?

Since you're at the Handbook page, try it out. Look around, search for your skill set and see where it gets used.

For more specific guidance, try my online course at only fifty bucks! Mail me for the details.

Interview This Week?

2009-07-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

July 21, 2009

I've been applying to various schools around Las Vegas myself, and yesterday I received a notice that I'll be called in for an interview this week. This is good news, of course. It's a small private school, but as a licensed science teacher I'm interested in what they've got. I'll let everyone know how that goes after it happens.

Besides that, in general, I plan to jump on the principles need for science teachers after the first of the month. Many principles take July off, and then are desperate come August. Because one always needs a plan B, I also am signing up to substitute this year. It doesn't pay as well, but it lets me work, and that's a good thing. At the same time, of course, I must pursue a program to ensure permanent licensure.

Maybe I'm lucky. I know my product, and I knew who needs my services. From time to time I'll post updates on my own progress here so that you can see I'm not just some tired academic spouting platitudes.

Remember, the full story on marketing yourself is always available. Just mail me for the details. Fifty bucks cheap!

Steve

Monday Blues?

2009-07-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

July 20 2009

So it's Monday again, and if you're out of work, chances are that you're not feeling on top of the world this morning. Never thought you'd wish you had a job to go to come Monday morning, did you? Well, it's true that Monday can be rough if you're looking for work. Everybody else, the employed people, the "real" people, is off to work and there you are. It can be depressing, and I mean that literally. Depression is a problem with unemployed folks, and it can keep you unemployed for longer than you need to be. So, what's a person to do?

What you must do is remember that you have a job. Your job is marketing yourself. If anyone asks you what you do for a living, explain that you're "in marketing." If they ask anything else, explain how you are marketing yourself and briefly mention your skills. Maybe they know somebody, or somebody who knows somebody. You don't have any idea who can help you out, so you need to continually be paying attention, and keeping the message out about your efforts.

On Monday morning what you do is get dressed for work, whatever work is, and then do whatever needs done to market yourself today. Have you made all of the contacts you can possibly make? Have you sent all the emails, or maybe even letters, that you need to? How long has it been since you've contacted the people you've talked to previously in your campaign? You can always touch base with a thank-you mail, or even ask for another informational meeting.

My point is that if you're doing your job, you have nothing to be ashamed of on Monday morning. You are working as hard as you can at promoting yourself in the ways that work best for you. No one can ask you to do more than that, can they? Do your campaign well, and before you know it you'll be complaining about the "Monday Morning Blues" with your co-workers. I just know it.

Steve

And a Good Friday to You

2009-07-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

July 17, 2009

Research. I keep plugging research. Time to do some. Time for you to do some, I mean. The first P is product, you'll recall. Your product is you. So, what do you offer?

I want to start in a really basic place: what you want to be when you grow up. You say you're already grown up? Of course you are, but the average person changes careers, not just jobs, four to seven times. So, like I said, you have to decide what you want to do for a living. Here's how.

Pay attention, because some of the information you're about to discover can go straight onto your resume.

What's important in your background isn't what jobs you've held, or what school you went to. (I know, if you're Harvard or Yale it means something, but most of us aren't.) What's important is things you've accomplished. But not just any accomplishments, because you might have done a great job on something you truly hated. I doubt that you want to do something you hate all week, so my criteria for an accomplishment are as follows: An accomplishment is something you achieved that got a positive result, that you enjoyed doing, and that you're proud of.

You may notice that nowhere in that sentence is anything about getting paid for it. All you need is a positive result, enjoyment, and satisfaction on your part. Even if you've never had a job, you have accomplishments. All you need to do for this part of your research is write them down.

Proceed by getting a piece of paper and something to write with, or better yet, by opening up your word processor. Now make a list. The list consists of two-part entries like the following.

I'm proud of (name accomplishment here.)
This is what I did to bring it about: (list the actions you took to accomplish whatever it was.)

Make your list as long as you can. This list of accomplishments will tell you what you enjoy doing (if you didn't know already) and also will give you a list of accomplishments to put into your marketing materials (your resume, I mean.)

If you need more step-by-step help, there is a form to fill in with this very information in my on-line class. Mail me and I'll send you the details.

Until Monday, Enjoy your Weekend!

Steve

Let's Talk Resumes

2009-07-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

July 16, 2009

An artist can take months to paint something wonderful. You should plan on taking some time to prepare your documentation as well. Your resume is really a brochure describing what you're offering in a format that can be understood in a few seconds. It is possible to distill information down to a very compact form. Consider billboards that affect you as you drive or ride around. They say a lot more than the number of words on them would suggest. A billboard is a giant, outdoor, brochure that describes something being offered for sale. Your resume has to compete with that sort of brochure. Can you see, a little, why it's important to take the time to make it good?

Let me stress it once more: people are used to seeing some damn good marketing on a daily basis. If your brochure looks lame, you look lame. If you look lame, they keep looking. Got it? Good.

There are two types of resume out there. They are chronological, which is the traditional way to do it, and functional, which is organized by skill sets rather than by time. Some people have used functional resumes to try to hide a lack of experience or education. Do not do that! You will be found out anyway, and they'll think you've lied to them. Ever seen an ad that you found out later wasn't really honest? How did that make you feel about the product? Not good, I'll bet. It's the same with a resume. It must be honest. If you use a functional resume, you must still list your education and work experience in chronological order.

Huh?

Bear with me and you'll see what I mean. On a chronological resume, you list each position you've held, and underneath that position you list what you accomplished in the position. In a functional resume you list the accomplishments separately, but still list the positions in chronological order. See? Same information, different organization. How about a quick example?

Chronological:

1995 - 2007, Acme Widget Company Head of Widget Shipping Department.
Packed and shipped bombs, anvils, slingshots and miscellaneous items to toon customers using patented "insta-ship" technology developed by a team of four people under my supervision.

Functional:

Leadership Success

A team of four people under my supervision developed patented "insta-ship" technology used to deliver products to a toon in California while I was employed with Acme Widget Company.

and in another section:

Employment History

Acme Widget Company, 1995 - 2007. Team leader and supervisor.

Which one you'll use depends on things such as whether you're changing industries, whether your job titles reflect your duties, which company you're applying to, and I'm sure you'll think of other things. Since you never know which one you'll need up front, the smart thing to do is to create one of each!

And as usual, I'm advocating plenty of research, so that you know what and who you're going to be addressing before you write your documents.

See? Easy as pie!

Steve

Economics

2009-07-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

July 15 2009

Since looking for work these days mostly involves at least having to hear about "times like these" I thought this would be an appropriate place to put in my two cents worth about what makes the economy tick and tock.

I think that one of the big problems with a "bubble," like the dot com bubble, or the real estate bubble, is that they involve people being out simply to make money. What I mean is, what we do all day is important. So important that it generally involves money moving in one direction or another. It might be that the problem with people who simply want to "make money" is that they misunderstand just what money is in the first place.

In any of its many forms, money is an abstract thing. It isn't real. Sure, you can touch a dollar bill, but the intrinsic value of a one dollar bill is exactly the same as the intrinsic value of a hundred-dollar bill, since they're made out of identical materials. And, frankly, it isn't much. If a dollar bill didn't represent money, what could you do with it? Start a fire? Sneeze into it? Maybe, but not much else. To understand what money is, you have to look at the broad history of money.

Back in the day, and I mean way, way back, people would do favors for each other knowing that the favor would be returned when the need arose. In a hunter-gatherer group of twenty-five people, it was pretty simple to keep track of who owed a favor to whom. In fact, most of the time I imagine the entire group knew the score, so there was no money at all, just favors and good will being traded around. Sort of like "I'll carry that extra flint if you make me real nice set of arrow points," I suppose.

But eventually people started settling down, and, well, it worked. Once in towns and growing food, population grew. Now you might be in a town with a thousand other people, maybe more. How could a thousand people possibly keep track of who owed favors to whom? They couldn't, of course. So instead of everybody knowing it all, tokens were invented to represent favors given. That is, you do me a favor, I give you a token. Now you can give that token to someone who does you a favor, and they can use it for somebody who does them a favor, and most likely that same token will come back to me sooner or later and I'll pass it on again. Those tokens are what we call money. A dollar bill is a token, and it passes from hand to hand.

A token for a favor is an abstraction already. It represents a favor, even if it has no real value itself. Like a dollar bill, it could be essentially worthless except for what it represents. We now, of course, have invented many sophisticated, and in some cases non-material, tokens that are so abstract that they're hard to think about. That's the sort of money that gets involved in a bubble, where people are trying to make money off of simply investing money.

In theory, the favor involved in an investment is the use of your money by the person you invest it with. They get to use your tokens, but they you profit when the enterprise profits, and with luck, you make a profit back. That's great, that's common stock ownership, and it works. In a bubble, though, people try to make money off of the abstract value of the investment, which like a dollar bill, is in reality very little. In the housing market we saw investors "flipping" houses by buying, repainting, and reselling them quickly for a profit. For a while the abstractions worked, but as they had no intrinsic value, the bubble, like all bubbles, burst. You can get a house in Vegas today for one-quarter what it would have cost you two years ago. That three-quarter value (it's not that bad in most cases, actually, but I like a good extreme example) was the abstract value of the investment itself, not the intrinsic value of the property.

Those are some nasty big words. Here it is in simple language: When the value of an investment is rising like crazy, and people are saying things like "there's no telling how high it will go," you're looking at a bubble that's bound to burst. If you have money in it, sell now while there are still fools willing to buy. A real investment, and I'm getting this figure from the book Securities Analysis, will repay you a modest amount over a rather long time. If you reinvest your profits, you can eventually make a living off of investments. You may even get rich, slowly.

There is only one way to get rich fast: luck. Comstock was lucky in Nevada. The early oilmen were lucky in Oklahoma and Texas. And so it goes. The alternative to luck is steady investment looking for a steady return. And that, friends, is how I bring this back to job seeking, which is actually nothing more than a steady investment in yourself that will pay a steady return in the form of a career you're glad to be in.

There will always be fools falling for bubbles, but you don't have to be one of them.

Steve

Attitude

2009-07-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

July 14 2009

Happy Bastille Day!

It is, you know, Bastille day. It's the French equivalent of our Independence Day. (So they do have a 4th of July in France!;-))

The line at the top of the page refers to the old joke "Do they have a 4th of July in England?" Well, of course they do, right between July 3rd and July 5th. I used it deliberately to inject a little humor into things because I think it's important to keep a sense of humor no matter what's going on with your life. I know, it's a lame joke and only a little funny, but it's a joke and that's the point.

The best way to keep a good attitude is to take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself means that you need good food, exercise, recreation, and a reason to get up in the morning. Eat well, enjoy your relationships, play softball, go to movies, shop, whatever it takes for you to enjoy life. And remember that your job, your reason to get up in the morning, is to find employment. So what you do is get up, get dressed for work, and have at it, every day Monday through Friday, and quit after a full day's work, say eight hours or so later.

And what do you do? Why, you work in the five P's, of course. You research, probe, think, write, call, visit, whatever is up for today in the marketing campaign. It's probably a good idea not to take any time off at the beginning of your campaign, but to leave yourself a week or so at the end before you start your new job. Then you can reward yourself with a nice vacation, which you've earned, before you start your new career.

Things to remember to help you keep it going:

Stuff happens to everybody. You weren't singled out. Honest.
You can help other people, so you can get help back.
You already know somebody who knows somebody. If you live in Vegas, I mean you have juice.
It's a regular job, looking for work. You're entitled to time off the same as any other worker. You have a right to your weekends, if you want them.
You can do what you need to do. This blog is here to help. So are lots of books and web sites. Even I have an online course you can use.
You may well be on the verge of a new career doing something you've never thought of doing before. Go with it and see where it leads!

Attitude is the one thing you really can control. For me, the best way to improve my attitude is to be up and doing. Maybe you're different, but you could give that a try. Whatever you do, remember to keep smiling, because you can fool yourself into thinking you're happy if you work at it.

Until tomorrow, then,

Steve

Promotion!

2009-07-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

July 13 2009

Like I said, ladies and gents, this one is the big one. This is the one that's near the back of the book that everybody turns to first, just to see what's there. This one's so big that,

well,

It's pretty much what a job search is all about, is what.

I think that whomever thought up that 5 Ps thing probably put Promotion in just to make it sound good. Some people think that there's a mystical significance to the number five. Maybe that's why they did it. I don't know, but I do know, that promotion is a synonym for marketing in your average thesaurus. (Try it with Microsoft Office if you don't believe me.) That means that promotion is what this blog is really about.

But I didn't lie, and neither did whomever thought up those 5 Ps. Promotion, the P, means how specifically you plan to get people to buy your product. Stuff like, how are you going to advertise that you have the product to sell? How are you going to let people know that your product is better than everybody else's? What media will you use to get the word out?

So what is your Product? It's You, and what You and only You can offer the prospective employer. How are you better than other people for the job? Well, that's your Position, right? Asking which employers you should go after is the same as asking how you should Place yourself. And, of course, there's your Price, or what you expect to get paid for your contributions. Your Promotion is the total package you develop and present to your prospective employers in order to persuade them to hire you, and not some other job seeker.

None of this gets done without you, personally, doing some actual work on your own behalf. If anyone tells you they'll do the hard part for you, they're not being straight with you. Someone can teach you how to do the work, but only you can do it. So, from now on, I'll be offering daily (well, week-daily) bits of advice or encouragement, maybe sometimes entertainment. These first posts will always be in the archives, so you can refer back to them at any time. Over time, if you stay with me, you'll learn everything you need to know about how to do an effective employment campaign. If you're in a hurry, mail me and I'll write back and explain how you can take an online course covering the same thing for fifty dollars cheap.

Until tomorrow, keep your spirits up and your good clothes pressed!

Steve

At What Price Glory?

2009-07-09T09:22:00.001-07:00

Or, you know, a job?

July 10, 2009

Price means what you will charge for your product. You don't always get to decide price the way, say, the guy who pops labels on soup cans does. But you can aim at a price range for yourself, maybe making adjustments to your product (take a course, for example) to raise what you can ask. Your price is just your pay, of course.

** Aside ** Something you need to be aware of as you look for work is the phrase in ads "unlimited earning potential." The translation is "we ain't gonna pay you diddly." Thought you'd like to know. ** /Aside **

Unlike a supermarket, you don't want to post your asking price on your resume. As a matter of fact, your compensation is the last thing you want to talk about with your potential employer. There are ways to make yourself seem more valuable during the process leading up to the job offer. Taking that course, for example. Showing samples of times you've benefited people in a big financial way, for another example. Just being a likable and good-to-work-with sort of person is a third way to look like you're worth more as well.

When you get a job offer, you have some leverage on your price for what may be the only time in your new position (assuming you take it in the first place.) They want something from you, which puts you at an advantage over them. Maybe they have a rigid pay structure, so you'll have to ask what you could do to enhance the value of the job you're going to do. Mostly pay has some flexibility built in, so here's where you can negotiate a pay package that will keep both you and your new employer happy. Maybe you'd like a few extra days off? A bonus structure? More pay to begin? Deferred salary, so they're at less risk while they size you up? There are a lot of things you can try. Just remember that a negotiation always results in both sides thinking that they did well on the deal. (Or it should, in an ideal world.) You need to give something to get something in every case. That keeps them happy, and they'll keep you happy. 'Kay?

Of course, if you did your research, you know pretty much what the person who interviews you has in mind to pay you in the first place. Then you ask for a bit more than that, and let them negotiate you down a tad. This works on selling used cars, too, by the way.

That's four: Product, Position, Place and Price. Tomorrow, the biggie: Promotion!

Steve

Places, Please!

2009-07-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

June 9 2009

In case you're wondering, I'm putting the publication date in red in the body of each post because I usually prepare these things in advance. The date the blog displays is the date the post was prepared, not the date I posted it. So, I adapt.

Placement refers to how you present your product (you) to your market. Some products get placed by getting put on the end cap in a Home Depot. Some products get placed by having a pitchman (Billy Mays was my very favorite; I'll miss him) talking on television. Some products get placed by someone going door-to-door. People have placed themselves by those methods, plus virtually anything else you could think of. Stand along an intersection with a sign? It's worked. Take an ad on a web site? It's worked. Papering the entire tri-county area with resumes, well, that's worked, too. Still, you need your campaign to be affordable, right? So here are some things you can do to help save yourself some money.

Research, research, and research! Know yourself, know your target market, and know the best way to reach that market. Most of the research you can do on line, for free. The US Department of Labor has all sorts of information about industries and trends. I'd recommend checking it out today! Later, I'll write a lot of specifics about research. For now, just know that you need to to a lot of it so that you can target your campaign effectively and efficiently.

As a quick example, if you wanted to work for a creative company, maybe Disney, you might want to be creative in your marketing materials. An animated resume, maybe? You be the judge. On the other hand, to work for an old, conservative accounting firm will require an entirely different approach unless you want to turn them off to you completely.

Your marketing materials will most likely be a resume, some form letters that you'll individualize for each prospect, and the results of your research. For more specifics, keep coming back, or mail me using the link at the bottom of this page for information on how to take my online course for a mere fifty dollars.

Amateur job seekers probably rush straight to this P. They place themselves without considering who they are, what they have to offer, or who is their target market. Lucky you, you know better. You know that, before Placement, comes Product and Positioning. Such a sly dog you are!

Steve

In Vegas it's getting hotter. Well, it is July, after all. But most of what you have to do to market yourself involves being indoors, in air conditioning, probably in front of a computer that, for all I know, is pretty cool. It may seem pretty hot to be up and working hard, but hey, I've never once had to shovel a bit of heat here in the Mojave.

If it helps, here's something cool to look at. It's Big Bear Lake, California, at sunrise. The temperature that August was about fifty degrees. Nice jacket weather.

photo by Steve Fey

Position!

2009-07-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

June 8 2009

Position is how your market sees you in relation to your competition. Position is what makes you unique. In terms of job search, position is why they should hire you and not somebody else. This makes position extremely important. If position is important, that means that the way you present yourself is extremely important.

Here are some aspects of position you should consider:

o Distinctive: Competitors do not offer what you offer, or you offer it in a more distinctive way.

o Superior: What you offer is better than what other job seekers offer.

o Communicable: The advantage you offer can be explained and communicated to the target employers.

o Preemptive: Competitors cannot copy the difference, at least not easily.

o Affordable: Employers can afford to hire you. (You're worth it.)

You will generate position amongst one or more of these general market segments:

a. Innovators

b. Early Adopters

c. Early Majority

d. Late Majority

e. Laggards

You know those people who camped out to get the first iPhone the day it was introduced? Those were innovators. They have to have the latest stuff, no matter what it costs. They are the first 5% to 10% of people to grab something new.

Early adopters waited until the lines around the iPhone store had dissapated. Maybe read a few reviews, then they went to get that latest gadget. These folks represent the next 10% to 15% of customers.

The early majority are those people who wait until the gadget is proven to be worthwhile to get on board. These people have an iPhone by now, but not the latest model, yet. They are 30% of buyers.

The late majority follows along, maybe staying a generation behind. They want to be sure of what they're getting. They represent another 30% of buyers. A lot of employers are Late Majority types when it comes to hiring. That's why you have to prove yourself to them.

The the last are laggards, who may just be warming up to that new fangled CD technology as I write. Some employers are like that, though, so you need to be aware of them. These people represent the last 20% or so.

To sum up the rules that grow from this list: you have to stand out from the crowd. You need to offer skills and abilities that others don't. You need to get employers to notice you among the huge crowd of job seekers. As I go along, I'll write more about how to do each of these things. Next, though, I'll be continuing this discussion of the 5Ps of job search. Check back tomorrow for more!

Until tomorrow,

Steve

How Smart People Mess Up a Job Search

2009-07-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

July 7, 2009

Today, an aside about really smart people.

You'd think that especially smart people, you know, the ones who worry about being late for the Mensa meeting and stuff like that, would be really good at getting jobs, wouldn't you? If you do, you're wrong. Especially smart people are especially vulnerable to some amateur mistakes.

Specifically, some of the things smart people do to mess up their job search are:

• Not paying attention to basic marketing principles.

• Thinking of what you want more than what your market needs.

• Messing up the résumé. How do I mean messing up? I mean, not making it the way it needs to be to do the best job. A lot of really smart people don’t especially like marketing. And, yeah, it can seem pretty vile in some cases. But marketing is what makes America run. You don’t need a résumé, you need a marketing piece.

o That means, my friends, that you need to talk about benefits not features.

o Benefits are what you can do for the person who’s interviewing you.

• Messing up the interview. Yes indeed. How does a used car salesman sell cars? By asking questions and listening to the answers. Don’t tell them all about yourself, let them tell you all about themselves. When they mention a problem, mention a possible solution. (There are a lot of bad used car salesmen around; I'm talking about ones who succeed over time.)

• Possible? Being smart doesn't mean that you know anything. Be open to trying things.

• Messing up the follow-up. Always send a note or something!

Being smart confers a great advantage. Why not use it in being smart about how you look for work?

Steve

Tomorrow, the second P of job searching.

Yesterday I mentioned getting out and doing some of the free things available to Vegas locals. Here's a picture I took on Fremont Street over the weekend. Fremont Street is fun to visit, and it's always free. You're on the Internet anyway, so try searching for "free stuff in Las Vegas" and see what you come up with! (For that matter, try that trick anywhere. I'll bet you'll be surprised!

Product!

2009-07-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

July 6th 2009 --

The first P of marketing is "Product." Since you're the one looking for a job, you're the product this time. Some people can sell anything. Most of us need to know and believe in our product if we're going to sell it. How well do you know yourself? Here are some things to help you learn more.

Before going on, consider these two facts:

Not everybody is like you, and
If they were, they still wouldn't buy your product (hire you) unless they thought they were going to get something out of it.

The first point means that you can't assume things about the people hiring you. The second point means that you're going to have to be specific on what you're going to do for them!

In marketing yourself, you must first of all do all of the steps. Don't skip one, because if you do, you're ignoring the point that not everyone is like you. Second, remember that a product only sells if it solves a problem. General Motors ignored that point and look where it's gotten them. You, the product, must become a problem solver for your future employer. In marketing, they tell you to stress benefits, not features. The "sizzle, not the steak." That principle gets abused sometimes, but it's still valid. You need to stress what you're going to do for your new employer, not just how many degrees you have, or what your job titles have been. Your problem solving is the "sizzle," those other things the "steak."

You need to do research in order to market yourself. You need to know things such as:

What you can do
Who can benefit from what you can do
Who you are talking to
How to ask effective questions

All of these things involve knowing who and what you are, and just what you bring to the table in terms of problem solving skills.

If you're really smart, you can do all of this without even breaking a sweat, right? Well, next time I'm going to talk about some things that smart people in particular do to screw up a job search. You won't want to miss it!

Steve

PS -- If you live in Vegas, be sure to take advantage of the free stuff that locals can get. Shows, extravaganzas, they all can be had for zero cost if you work it right. You're looking for a job, not hiding in a hole: go out and have some fun!

Marketing 1.0

2009-07-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

I did not make any of this up. This is all right out of the standard marketing text market.

Marketing depends on the 5 Ps.

1. Product
2. Positioning
3. Place
4. Price
5. Promotion

Here are the brief definitions of what the 5 Ps are.

* Product is whatever you are selling. Simple enough.

* Positioning is the way your target market sees you as compared to your competition.

* Place is the way you make your product available to your target market. (You place potatoes in a supermarket, for example.)

* Price is what you charge for your product.

* Promotion is what you do (advertising, contests, etc.) to interest your market in your product.

Consider, if you will, the 5 Ps as applied to your job search. They will look like this:

* Product is you and your services. You’ll say, “To (potential employer): I am the sort of employee that can get the job done!"

* Position is your special skills, experience and attitude that set you apart from everyone else.

* Place is just the fact that you are available and willing to do the job for them.

* Price is what they’re going to pay you. Discuss this one last.

* Promotion is your résumé, cover letter, thank-you notes, and other things you use to get the word out about your services.

You see? Finding a job is marketing yourself! I told you so! Starting tomorrow, I'm going to discuss each of of these 5 Ps in depth. Be sure to check back!

Steve

Tomorrow is the official Independence Day Holiday, so I won't be posting until Monday July 6th. Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Marketing

2009-07-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

As this is the beginning, I'm going to start at the beginning. To put it simply, getting a job is marketing and selling your services. If you can't market and sell at least yourself, you're out of luck. Screwed. Around the bend. Gonzo.

Some people hate marketing. A lot. Some people won't gas up at a station with those little televisions plugging shows at Primm. Marketing is unfair, it lies all the time, and it intrudes on my right to live a peaceful life. Am I close? I think I am. And sometimes that's all true. Some marketing does lie. Bernie Madoff lied in his marketing materials, I'm sure. Ponzi sure lied (there was someone named "Ponzi" for whom the scheme is named.) I could even make a case that auto manufacturers lie in their advertising, because no matter what you do, you'll never be able to pull right up in front of the big office building and park on the plaza. They don't even let celebrities do that.

But I'm telling you that you've got to market and sell yourself. Does this mean you need to be a lying, conniving, sneaky bastard about things?

OF COURSE NOT!

Good marketing is slick and easy to understand. It doesn't lie, it presents. My first series of articles is going to be about marketing in general and how to research, develop and organize a marketing campaign for anything. Later on I'll write about how to research, develop and organize a personal marketing campaign: a job search.

Who knows? You may even decide you like marketing so much that you get a job as a marketeer!

Steve
steve@stevefey.com
more help here

Hello, World!

2009-06-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

Tired of looking for work? Yeah, me too. But I still manage to have to do it all too often. I'm going to be offering free advice on this blog. Advice on how to find a good job. Advice on how to decide what a good job is in the first place. Even advice on who to talk to and how to talk to them. It all starts on July 1, 2009.

Be here!

Steve