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.

Strategies for Dealing With Unemployment Part IV

In this fourth and final installment of "Strategies for Dealing with Unemployment" we will look at how unemployment can impact your mind.

Dealing with unemployment can have a tremendous effect on your mind. You go from being employed and having a definite purpose everyday to being unemployed and wondering what you should do to find your next job. For some it can be easier to deal with unemployment at its onset, but as time passes uneasiness and panic can settle in if you allow it.

Unemployment can have a great effect on their mind of men and women. Men are the expected leaders and bread winners of their households. Many women are the leaders in single parent homes or the leader in their own household. Without the security of knowing where the next dollar will come from it can cause anyone to question their worth.

To help you cope with the mental aspects of unemployment try these tips:

1. Seek to develop your relationship with God. (He will be there with you!)

2. Keep your friends and family around for you for support.

3. Take advantage of counseling if it is available.

4. Journal or keep a diary so you will have an outlet to express your feelings.

5.  Never lose faith in yourself!

 

Strategies for Dealing with Unemployment Part III

In this third installement of "Strategies for Dealing with Unemployment" we will examine the financial issues created by unemployment.

You should create a budget for yourself so you can survive on less money than you are accustomed to. It would also be a good idea to sit down with your family and let them know of pending lifestyle changes that may be forthcoming. Develop a plan "B" that can generate some income and implement it immediately.

Five things most people can consider to earn extra income while you are unemployed.

1. Landscaping
2. Car Detailing
3. Babysitting
4. House Cleanning
5. Personal Services (running errands, transportation service etc..)

If you were fired then you need to apply for unemployment benefits as soon as possible. You can sometimes take care of this online and sometimes you have to go to the state unemployment office. Know matter what handle this task immediately. If you have a 401k seek the assistance of a financial professional to determine if or when you should rollover your 401k proceeds.

If your company is downsizing and your position is being eliminated you need to find out if you are going to be offered a severance package. A severance package is a portion if not your full salary that you will receive for a specified amount of time.

Strategies To Deal with Unemployment Part II

In this second installment of "Strategies To Deal With Unemployment" we will examine Job Search Techniques and Networking. In an employer's market it is critical that you have excellent job searching techniques. Gone are the days of going to websites like CareerBuilder, Monster, and HotJobs and posting your resume and getting calls for interviews right away. If you need to start a job search consider the following solutions:

(1) Go directly to the websites of companies that you are interested in. (There are jobs that are posted internally that are never posted to the public.)

(2) Utilize community resources such as churches and libraries! Many churches have career ministries that are comprised of volunteers who are either business professionals or human resources professionals. Their insights can be invaluable to job hunters. Your local library can be an excellent resource to fuel your job search. The library has computers that are FREE for public use for those who do not have a home computer. They have a wealth of material available such as online resources, and books. Many libraries are bringing in professionals to speak on career related topics. You can find out pointers on resume writing and interviewing which can help you during your job search.

(3) Networking with everyone you can network with. Start off with family and friends and let them know the type of job that you are seeking. Instead of it being just you involved in your job search you will develop a team to assist you in this process. If you are a member of any professional organizations seek the help of the organization. For recent college graduates who are searching for employment continue to network with college job placement offices and alumni associations. If you have a lot of pride and prefer not to network with people who know. You may consider networking within talent communities such as BrightFuse.com or Linkedin. Both websites give you an opportunity to post an online resume with a picture of yourself. You can network with colleagues within your industry an earn recommendations.

Ultimately, a job search in today's times requires creativity and a variety of activities. Check back next Tuesday when we will examine Setting Goals while you are unemployed.

Strategies to Deal with Unemployment Part I

This is the first installment of a four part series brought to you by Resume Solutions, LLC on " Strategies to Deal with Unemployment". The first topic we will examine is Time Management. When you are working your time is planned for you. You are hired in as a full-time, part-time, or contractual employee. In any case you have a defined amount of hours that is assumed that you will be working. 

Once you are unemployed you no longer have a work schedule and for some of us that means we lose structure. Most of the time you have things to do. Some of those things may include searching for a job, catching up with family, or finishing a project that you never had time for while you were working.

Finding a job in this economy is tougher than ever before and if you waste time it could cost you big. You could become discouraged after the weeks start to pass and you don't get any calls for interviews. My solution to this problem is creating a calendar or planner of your daily and weekly plans. Keeping a planner will help you make the most of each day. In addition to that it will give you something to look back at when the week is over. You should be able to identify activities that are working and ways that you can make better use of your time. Be sure to log all your activities daily so that this exercise can be most effective.

As you manage your time make attainable goals. Start off by setting a goal for the number of interviews you will go on for a month. Follow up that goal with setting a goal for the number of jobs that you will apply for each day. You may also want to set a goal for the number of people that you will network with within a week.  The whole goal of your activity is creating activities that will help you make the most of your time and help you find a job.

Check back on next Tuesday when I examine what strategies to use while you are conducting your job search and the art of networking.