Who's Really in Charge?

So often when we face job loss or the prospect of job loss we focus on the financial impact of the job loss. We make statements like we live from check to check or if we miss one check we are going to be in trouble. This is common because we oftentimes believe that our job is what holds the key to our existence.

However, I contend that God is the key to our existence. God gave us the job that we have or had. God also gave us the skills and talents to perform that job. God will give us our next job. You have probably heard the famous statement that when one door closes God will open another door. I truly believe that statement.

I believe that job loss can be a scenario that God is trying to get our attention. Maybe God has been trying to get our attention and we have ignored God. Furthermore, job loss can be a faith test from God to us. It is easy to believe in God when things seem to be going your way but the true test of faith is how you react to struggles such as job loss.

We must remember that God will not give us more than what we can handle. I am not saying that you won't get discouraged from time to time. You are a human being even when you have great faith and belief in the power of God. But as a child of God your condition of being discouraged should be temporary. So ask yourself now who's really in charge in my life?

Don't Give Up

With the holidays and the year end approaching this is not the time to give up. I realize that you may have been searching for employment for months. You might not be able to find a job that is a good fit for you. Your skills may not be sufficient to get the job you want. You may have been downsized or recently laid off. Take the last two months of 2009 and prepare for 2010. 

Find someone that you trust to review your current resume. Your resume is your calling card and it has to be tight. Your resume will generate calls for interviews which lead you to getting the job. When you finish with your resume, create a cover letter and a list of your references.

After you are done with those steps it is time to develop a Job Search Plan. Your Job Search Plan will be a detailed report that will list activities that you will engage in to find employment.  You can plan to utilize online job boards one day, and network with contacts on another day. Set goals for yourself that are attainable.

Determine what you want to do! Take a skills assessment if you are unsure of what your next career move should be. Investigate the possibility of going to school or getting specialized training. If you can' t afford school seek financial assistance or develop skills that you can do at a limited cost. You can improve your typing skills with little cost to you. You can also improve your knowledge of Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Improving your basic computer skills can help make you more employable.

 

How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search

In this blog I will briefly examine how to use social media in your Job Search. I will start with a website that many of you may be familiar with Linkedin. Linkedin can be found at www.linkedin.com. Linkedin allows you to network within a community of professionals.

Linkedin allows you to post a picture, your resume, and it allows you to obtain professional recommendations. Linkedin provides you a platform to showcase your accomplishments and skills. In doing this you are allowing yourself to be discovered by employers. Job seekers oftentimes focus their energy on finding job leads and potential employers.  Social Media provides job seekers a way they can be researched and discovered. For this reason you should proofread and update your profile on a regular basis so you can protect your image.

Linkedin also has a Job Search engine that you can use to search for jobs. You don't have to pay to use this service either. Linkedin is also helpful when you are trying to address a cover letter. It gives you information pertaining to who posted the job, when the job was posted, and the position of the person who posted the job. This information will allow you to personalize your cover letter.

Linkedin is well respected by many professionals and I feel that it should be used in your Job Search. In order to make Linkedin work, you have to invest time in it. When it is hot continue to use it and if isn't working try something else and come back to it at a later time.