Now you should never put all your eggs in one basket.
That's why even though I have a probable job on Wednesday, I have also applied to the IRS. Yes, the IRS. Got a job? Just call the IRS. Got a job...
Love that commercial.
On Saturday afternoon I received a call from H&R Block. Here's how the conversation went. Also, I'd like to mention that they again called me on a Saturday. During lunchtime. Regardless... Oh, and the lady had one of those "accents" where she was trying to be ghetto but still professional. But it comes off as ghetto.
Them: Hi, this is H&R Block and we received an application and were wondering if you were still interested.
Me: Yes, I think I still am interested.
Them: Do you have any tax-preparation experience?
Me: No, I do not. (When I was saying this, I was thinking, "I have experience paying taxes...")
Them: We have a class starting this Monday for tax-preparation specialists. Would you be interested in signing up for this three-day class for a one-time fee or $99?
Me: No, I don't think so.
Them: Well sir, you need the classes if you want a job.
Me: I don't think that I should have to pay to get a job.
Them: Ok, bye sir.
Me: Later sucka.
Ok, well maybe I didn't say "Later sucka," but I felt like it. So here's my advice for today. Never get convinced that you should ever have to pay for a job.
It's with a newspaper in a town about 20-30 minutes away. I know that originally I have said that I did not want to do journalism, even though I graduated with that degree. However, I have come to realize that in this economy, you have to get a job and then ride out this bad stretch.
I would estimate that this bad stretch will continue for at least one or two more years. And clearly, the $1.50 that I've earned this month writing this blog is not going to be paying any bills. On the upside, I have had almost 500 hits. Google told me.
So, even though I did not want to get into journalism, I am going to give it another chance. Don't get me wrong, I like journalism, but sometimes it can be quite frustrating, such as when a source doesn't call back or when I'm having trouble with a story. That, fortunately, does not happen very often.
And, writing for a newspaper will give me the opportunity to continue writing, which is something I like to do. I'm planning on writing a variety of things. I've held off writing for myself (other than this blog, but hey, it's for you after all) since I've been searching for a job.
It's funny because after two months of searching I'm closest to having a job through doing none of the hard work that I've proclaimed. Well, sort of. Networking has worked the best. It's hard for me to say it.
I look at myself and I know quite a few people. It makes me wonder what people do when they do not know a whole lot of people. Oh, wait. I know what they do. They line up at the unemployment office and take my money.
I once watched a video in one of my classes from the '70s or '80s (well, maybe the '90s) that showed people who scammed the US government into getting welfare. I can't even imagine how many people do that now.
Especially in this economy.
If you try hard enough, eventually you'll catch a break. The odds will slowly be in your favor. It might take two months like it did for me or it might take six months like I heard about for one person. It might take two years.
That would suck big time.
So that's my final advice. (For today?) Networking will pay dividends. Let people know you are searching for a job. Don't be afraid to turn down job offers. It might be the greatest thing you ever do.
Oh, and a little anecdote:
I interviewed for this sales position. The guy told me if I wanted the job to call him. I called him a few days later. He didn't answer. I left a message and he called me back a couple days later. I told him I didn't want to take the job.
He acted all cool, saying "oh, well that works out for both of us. I wasn't sure you really wanted to do it." Now, when I was interviewing, he was super pumped to hire me. Like he wanted me to start the next day. But, not wanting to be too pushy he told me to call in the next couple days.
He also told me he wasn't good at sales and all that baloney. Too bad I'm not an idiot. Classic sales technique. (Seriously watch the video connected to "Classic") Always look like the bigger person.
So don't take jobs that you don't want to, just because you need a job.
I see job posts and instead of applying to every one, I focus on a select few. However, the job interviews that I have received have been mostly from the "mass" sending that I've done.
I've got a couple jobs that I think that I'd be great for at my Alma mater. Unfortunately, they have late deadline dates, which is annoying. But I've already talked about that.
Sometimes, and I stress sometimes, deadlines are important to wait for. Federal, state and local government jobs have specific polices they must follow. That makes it more difficult to apply for those jobs right out of college.
I also discovered last week that a plead to the bending of the rules does not work--at least in government jobs. They will not bend. They will not break.
How flippin' annoying.
Sometimes the best jobs are the ones you see too late.
The other thing that I've realized is that other people are really quite lazy. While I might be a motivated person (depending on who you talk to of course) I will call people back. When I say things, I mean things.
Other people are not so succinct in their procedures and execution. Patience, attrition and deep breaths help. It's hard to find a job right now.
Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and realize that you have to keep making progress. Don't get down. Even with this financial crisis that has hit us in the United States.
You just have to understand that some people will not call you back. Sometimes you have to give up on people, even after you have a great interview. It's happened to me once. It might happen twice.
Like today, when I almost made $2 in the stock market. Nice.
What do you do when you feel like you're just wasting the day away, not doing anything productive? I'll tell you what you do. You plan out other days. Like tomorrow. Right now, I have a lot going on for this Thursday. (Yes, I know tomorrow is Wednesday.)
I have a career expo and I'm expecting a phone call back from a civil engineering firm on the same day. Yesterday I made a couple of phone calls, one to a local yellow pages publisher. They were not nice. I'm not really sure why people are such jerks for no apparent reason. I literally called this one place five times and was told that the person I was trying to reach was unavailable.
I finally got fed up with that and asked when she would be available. Then the receptionist blew up. Maybe because I said she specifically always said the person was busy every time I called. Eh, that's ok. Guess I won't be getting a job there.
Ideas for "wasted" days: -Find businesses on manta.com -Search for other career expos -Print out resumes -Take speed typing tests -Clean your room -Send out a couple e-mails -Apply to a couple other jobs that you find -Follow up on a job or two -Set goals for employment on a calendar you can see from your computer
Some of those things I did. Some I need to do. Not only does this blog inform you about job help, it also helps to focus me.
It only takes one opportunity to get a job. But it takes a heck of a lot of attrition to really find a real opportunity.
Unfortunately, Wall Street decided to continue to screw me. But, if you're in with the stocks, you know that it is a slow process. It's not an instant moneymaker. It's a gamble. Also, if you're more of a real estate person, know that traditionally, the stock market and real estate have given the same returns for investments.
However, the job search is looking slightly up. With my Internet sleuthing, I have uncovered that there is to be a Career and Education Expo in my city this week. That's good. That is something you should search for.
When I first saw the Expo, it stated that it was for workers over 18 who have limited education. But, after some digging, I uncovered a flier/news release that said that it is actually a career expo for entry-level to professional.
Expos are another resource that every job-seeker should examine and participate in. I personally have never been to one. But, after this one, I hopefully won't have to attend another one.
I'm a bit reluctant to put all my eggs in the Expo basket. I get the feeling that some employers just go there to look good. We'll see though. I've never been.
Searching on a city website is a great place to find out about career expos. Also, college career services websites are great places to look. Many college grads, I would think, would only look at their university, not specifically the city they live in.
Opportunities are out there. Kind of.
The thing that you should never do is jump at the first opportunity that comes your way. I didn't. And look at me now. I'm happily unemployed. And I'm...wait. Uh, don't jump at every opportunity that comes your way, if you can afford it.
You don't want to miss out on a sweet job.
You don't want to be miserable. Having a job is good.
The problem is that people feel bad that they are secretaries. It's segregation, isn't it? I always love how they have these posts and they list out the jobs of the administrative assistant. They try and trick you.
-Able to lift 25 pounds. (Ream of paper or the boss' briefcase)
-Verbal and communication skills (Answer phones and e-mail)
-Communicate with a wide variety of employees (Transfer phone calls and forward e-mail)
-Drive a corporate vehicle (Be a chauffeur)
-Participate in marketing (Forward calls)
Here's a hint. If you see any "Assistant" at the end of a title, avoid at all costs. (with the exception of a select few)
There's nothing against secretaries. It's against the posters who try to trick overqualified people.
I actually have a sweet prospect that has Assistant at the end. But I did good research on what it was before I made the send. Watch out for the "ASSistant." And hot cement.
I have another one in an hour. Don't worry though, it's a phone interview.
I'll tell you this. Some interviewers are good and some are bad. Some just sit there. The most awkward thing is when you have finished answering a question and there are like 3-5 seconds of silence.
That happened to me today. About 10 times. I would finish answering a question and the interviewers (there were two) would just sit there staring at me. I almost wanted to look behind me and check if there was someone over my shoulder.
Did they expect me to talk for ten minutes for each question? I would give my answer, or my little anecdote and they would just sit there. Part of the problem might have been that one of the interviewers was friendly and one was a robot.
They had a sheet of paper where they asked predetermined questions. They read them straight. It was awkward. Some of the questions it seemed like they didn't even know the answer. I think that one of the reasons that it was so awkward was because the friendly lady kept waiting for the robot lady to speak. I'm guessing that the robot is a bit more talkative when she gets to know someone.
Granted, it wasn't a bad interview. They asked me a question or two that they probably thought I couldn't answer. Stuff like: What is a grant. I nailed it. Go me.
Here's the thing though. The best interviewers are the ones who talk to you and ask you questions in a normal voice, in a normal tone and in a normal manner. It's perfectly fine to have a guide as an interviewer. But use that sheet of paper as a guide, not as a script. Improvise a little bit.
Plus, it looked like they had never read the questions before, so they didn't quite flow.
I'm just saying this stuff for the potential interviewers out there. Now I know what I don't want to do.
The best interviews that I've had were the ones where the interviewer had a conversation with me. So, that's what you should try to do.
That's what I tried to do today. I tried to steer them away from their script. It worked in a few instances. I tried to look them in their eyes and tried to get them to respond back to me in a conversation. I used a conversational tone.
A conversational tone is what you will use in most all settings. Conversations tell you so much more than a formal interrogation ever will. Also, instead of predetermined answers to questions, as an interviewer you can actually focus on what the interviewee is saying.
Also, many of those pamphlets and books lie to you in regards to what the interviewers will ask. Many of them will ask maybe two or three of the questions that you are prepared for.
I'm waiting for someone to ask me about my strengths/weaknesses. In the four interviews I've had so far, nobody has asked me those.
If I'm ever an interviewer, and I'm sure I will be someday, I'm totally not going to ask the questions that they tell you the interviewers will ask. Why?
And hey, aren't those more important than figuring out someone's practiced answer about their weaknesses (that are probably actually strengths) or strengths (that are just the opposite side of their "weaknesses")?
At the interview I went to yesterday, the guy pretty much told me to go think about it, and if I wanted to he would give me a job. I would come in to solidify some things up and then I'd start my training. The only problem is that it's sales. I'd be miserable. I'd rather have a part-time job than a sales job. Plus, I'm a writer, not a salesman. Excuse me, salesperson. And I've already explained that I'm not a salesman. I'm somebody who wants to buy, not someone who wants to sell. But, I have realized that I might have to take a part-time or a lower-income job just to get in with someone.
Since I did not have an internship that led (or had even the opportunity to lead into) into a full-time job, I'm a bit SOL.
But that's ok, because I have two interviews tomorrow. Seriously, this new technique of directly contacting people is working. The trick is this.
If you see a job on craigslist, careerbuilder, monster or yahoo that you like, look for the job posting on that company's website. I know I keep pressing this issue, but it's absolutely true. Unless you have a website that is focused on your profession, it's too tough a market. I saw a statistic somewhere where it listed the amounts of applications that are sent into craigslist for a post.
It was something like around 40. And it was for a specific graphic designing job, not even a "general" job. Now, think about what a regular job poster gets.
That means a couple things. You either have to have a killer resume or a good cover letter. I'm all about the cover letter. I think people/employers can see tons of resumes that are alike.
If you send a cover letter that is direct and focused for the job you are applying for, you can get much better results. When people send resumes saying that they are looking for a job in "business," that doesn't do a whole lot.
Here's three tips: -Focus the cover letter to EVERY job -Give a little bit of personality -Try to add a title recipient
About the personality. You want to give a little bit. Seriously. Just a little sentence here or there that shows that you are a person, not a generic machine that's pumping out letters like these by the tens and tens. If you add a title recipient, that's even better. Even if you get the gender wrong, it's better than putting "To Whom It May Concern."
People like their names. On the subject of names, check out this website. It'll show you who/where has your last name in the world. It's kinda cool.
One more thing.
Rock Band 2 comes out on Sunday. That said, I might not post on Sunday. Because even in my unemployment, I think that I'm going to find a way to afford it.
I've realized that I might need to do sales. That sucks, because I'm not a sales-gifted/oriented guy.
I'm no Dwight Schrute, the greatest paper salesman ever at Dunder Mifflin. The Office returns on September 25, just to get you in the know.
When I'm selling people on things that I know I wouldn't want if I were them, I take "no" as an answer very easily.
I'm sure there are great techniques that people have that they could teach me. The problem is, I think that I'd feel like crap if I tricked someone into buying something they really didn't need.
Well, maybe until I got a paycheck. Which is really the only reason that I think that I might have to do sales. You see, sales and health care are about the only opportunities out there.
Which is how I have an interview today. It'll be my second "professional" interview. Here's how I got it.
Since I've been running out of companies, I've taken to finding small companies. The odd thing is, I followed none of my techniques. I sent an e-mail. Where I titled the receiver "Mr." It was not a dude.
Randomly, the owner of the company called me. He acted a little bit angry with me. He was wondering how I'd heard of his company. I could tell he was a bit peeved. However, I was also confused. Why did he call me? He could have ignored me.
I told him about my background and how sometimes advertising and printing companies need proofreaders. He told me that I was confused about what his company does. I was like, "ok, sorry to bother you then, sir." Then I decided to take a chance.
I told him that if there was another opportunity that he was looking for, I'd love to be considered for it. He told me ok. And that he'd like me to come in for an interview. So weird. The owner was almost attacking. I did not get defensive, because hey, he called me.
If anything, it'll give me some interview experience, which will be invaluable in my job search. My last job interview at a website-development company was not the traditional interview that career services advisers try to prepare you for.
But, I will tell you something. Replying and sending resumes to the craigslist-supplied e-mail or the careerbuilder apply functions do not work as well as sending something directly to a company.
I think that many times, companies post on those sites because they are required to by company policies or because HR peeps are lazy.
Slowly, each day I gain just a little bit more knowledge in what to do while searching for a job.
Well, we'll see if it pays off. Literally and figuratively.
UPDATE: I just got an interview at a public television studio in my town for Friday. I sent the e-mail directly to the source...surprise, surprise.
It turns out, the phone might be the wave of the future.
Since I've been on a binge to use this manta.com service and actually call the companies themselves, I've found out a couple of things.
First, calling can actually save me time from having to send an e-mail. Now, granted, most of the companies that I call just tell me the same thing. They are not hiring. Well that's fine, but at least I know not to send them my valuable resume. However, get this. Some of the e-mail that I have been sending are not actually getting to their correct recipients. Nobody wants that. Or this.
I called a company today where the HR person said she didn't get my e-mail. That's odd, because she told me the exact right e-mail that I sent it to. But, she told me to call her later this week.
Call, not e-mail. I think that while I've realized that e-mail is really easy and it can get results, person to person can do much more than an e-mail can. Calling somebody, who then asks for you to send your resume does much more than just sending a resume.
Unfortunately, I've realized also that I don't really like calling people. It can be awkward and make me feel self-conscious. I also am not always sure what to say. Regardless, it is a valuable technique.
A gentleman just yesterday said that it was good that I called because no one ever calls to check up. That inspired me. Sort of.
Calling may be tedious and strange and awkward, but hey, at least you can get practice speaking to people on a professional level.
That's what it takes.
Too bad that I'm sort of running out of companies.
The weekend does not mean that the job search stops for me.
It just means I have an excuse to be lazy. It's going to be tough to search for jobs on weekends when I have fantasy football. I mean, how am I supposed to search for jobs when I have useless NFL games to watch.
Regardless, even though I may be slightly lazier on the weekends searching for jobs, it is only because people (that I would want to work for) do not post jobs on the weekends. Unless, of course I want to take up that nursing job that I'm oh so qualified for.
However, I did discover a wonderful new way to search for jobs that I can almost guarantee you do not know about. Here's the trick:
Manta is this website that is all about business. It has some cool features that you can use as resources. But that's not what is cool. It has business profiles. Like tons of them.
What you do is define a country, then a state, then a city. From that you can define an industry. Now, the next step takes some thought. And a whole lot of patience and attrition (yep, attrition) and probably the Internet.
Now, you can also define the searches to give the highest revenue for some of the companies and also other qualities (is that the right word?) such as highest number of employees and so forth. Then, you can find companies in your city.
Companies that do not post on dumb engines like monster, yahoo, indeed, simply hired and yes even that wonderful craigslist.
From there, all you can really gain is the name of the businesses, which you then have to search for on the Internet. But, at least it is a tool that is not traditional and is more focused.
Many of the businesses have their own job section that lists jobs that are not on the feeds. Also, it is then possible to get e-mails directly to people. Like not HR. What a wonderful technique.
Graduated from college in print journalism in May 2008. Likes sports, movies, computers, Dwight Schrute quotes, not chapstick, frisbees, underdogs, fake sunglasses, summertime, wintertime, robotics, tide, editing, ice, camping, rock band and cnn money. Only some of that is true.
Contact: driveaforklift@yahoo.com
Them: Hi, this is H&R Block and we received an application and were wondering if you were still interested.
