What's behind that question

Interviews

When an employer says "Tell me about yourself," she's really asking "How will my business improve with you in it?"

If you can't demonstrate with examples that your experience or ideas can make (or save) her money, don't interview until you can.

Drive over to the office the day before the interview. This will solve any finding it problems and make you just a tad more confident the next day.

Another blogger says when they ask what you thought of your old boss--be honest but positive. Do these guys commute from Mars? As I write in my book, when the office is burning, I want a firefighter who can put out the flames. Not one who tells me how pretty the inferno is.

I want an intelligent employee who knows when he's being screwed and can articulate that. If the applicant is a yes person in the interview, what good is he going to be to me on the job?

"Yes, my last boss was Saddam Hussein. Wonderful man. Good control. Passionate about chemicals."

Online

A blog can show you know what you're talking about and are thrilled about your field--good things for an employer to find when they google you.

This guy says you can "easily" find a job in 10 minutes a day by using social media. Although if you can get through your LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook accounts in 10 minutes, do you have enough contacts?

I'm not sure why anyone on those accounts would work with someone who was so clueless (no time for research) or pressed for time (10 minutes). But, hey, try it and prove me wrong. (Though after a week on this vacation, you might want to devote some time to other techniques!)

Here's a good post on targeted phone calls. He says you have to "stop applying on Monster."

Numbers

The jobs crisis is contributing to the highest US poverty rate in almost 30 years--15.1%. That's from the Census Bureau, US Today says.

The national unemployment rate is calculated from 2,200 government employees interviewing 60,000 households.

The average job search today is longer than at any time in more than 60 years (since 1948).

Unemployed people spend less than 2 hours a day job hunting during the first week of being out of a job. The number declines after that, according to this study. Especially since they have the time available, that's not enough.

Noted

On the value of networking: getting a job is "nearly impossible without some inside help."

This author suggests writing a résumé based on skills rather than chronology. Susan Whitcomb (Job Search Magic) warns employers wonder what you're hiding when you give them this "functional" résumé.

An editorial in the Washington Post argues employers should be free to refuse applications from people who are unemployed. He denies Monster.com uses such ads, despite earlier reports.


Image

Monster says unemployed need not apply

Need a Job to Get a Job

Monster.com is restricting some job ads to people who are already employed. Yet another reason general job boards are bad for your search.

The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission is looking at ads that require applicants to be already employed. A bill before Congress would outlaw the practice.

Google vs. LinkedIn?

One person prefers Google+ to LinkedIn partly because you can connect to people without getting their OK. Uh, doesn't sound like a real high quality connection to me.

I was never big on either-or choices. Sure, be on Google+ as well as LinkedIn. For one thing, LinkedIn is larger than Google+, making it more likely the people you need to find to network with are there.

On LinkedIn, concentrate on the people you've actually met. The folks who are amassing a huge collection of contacts willy nilly may not have the time or inclination to actually answer you.

Don't have a network? So much for the pity party. Start one today. Besides people you've worked with, you should be following people in your target company--the first step to moving them into your network.

Why is networking so crucial? Because most jobs aren't advertised--one source claims 70%.

Noted

At the interview, be prepared with examples, examples, examples. If you've read my book, you've prepped stories about the strengths and integrations (what's in it for the company) you want to present to the employer.

About a third of America's unemployed have been job hunting for more than a year.

Don't forget the state unemployment agency your taxes pay for. Does their local office have resources or classes you can't get on the net?


Image

Sad Labor Day

August unemployment number

Labor Day may have a sour taste for many Americans. Unemployment for August stuck at 9.1%--same as July.

The Congressional Black Caucus sponsored a job fair in Los Angeles that opened at 9 am. People were lining up for at 3 am.

You think your problems are bad?

Your parents give you up for adoption. You drop out of college. You found a successful company and then they kick you out. Is it all over?

Not if you're Steve Jobs. You start Pixar, end up being the largest shareholder of Disney stock, come back to that company you founded and bring out all sorts of new technologies. Even cancer is likely to have a tough time keeping this guy down.

Networking doesn't always mean online

Lots of good "in person" networking tips here. My two favorites--don't monopolize someone's time and do thank the host (she or he knows more people there than you do.)

You may not want to show yourself as unemployed for your status on LinkedIn. Try to frame your situation as more active but (rolling eyes at the article) always remain "genuine."

Networking doesn't mean demanding help--it means building a relationship that may eventually benefit everyone involved.

On the phone

Cold calling is "a smart thing to do," when looking for a job, one writer advises. Cold calling is a stupid thing to do. How do you feel when someone you don't know interrupts your work day by calling? What can you possibly say to the person at the company. "Are you hiring?" or "I'd be great." To which she may respond, "Yes, but are you computer literate? Have you seen our web site?"

You need relationships with people inside the company--you don't get those by making annoying cold calls.

(On the other hand, if cold calling seems like a good idea, you may have a career in telemarketing.)

Techniques

Volunteer to work for free and show the owner how you can create profit. (Might want to check the minimum wage laws in your state and see if this is legal there.) This isn't a
new idea--Napoleon Hill was recommending it in 1937.

Got a minute? Scan the business section. Keep up with what's happening in your community and particularly your industry and target companies. You should know what's happening now in all three areas.

Your web site is on your business card, right? You do have business cards as you're looking for work, don't you? (Vistaprint.com will give them to you free--you just pay shipping. You design them. There's a small ad on the back. The only downside is wading through pages of ads checking out.)

Do something new. This is particularly important if you're out of work and not finding a new job. Shake up your procedure by adding something. But even if you're employed and looking around, occasionally adding something new will add value to what you have to offer.

One woman put her résumé on a T-shirt.


Image

Scam details

Another reason to avoid the big job boards

Clues your big job board posting is being scammed:

---Someone asks you to set up a direct deposit account before the interview

---The email reads like English isn't well understood.

---You get an email purportedly from the big board asking you to click a link to fix or update your account.

---They ask for your Social Security Number or bank account information without an interview.

---They want you to pay money (it's supposed to be the other way around).

---They want you to cash a check, send part of it onwards and keep the balance for your troubles (which are just beginning when their check bounces).

Why did you bother posting on a big board?

Numbers

A Costa Mesa, CA company had 682 applications for an entry-level official specialist position. A San Antonio company received 23,000 applications for 120 jobs; only about 192 people per opening--much better odds than in California.

Techniques

One woman brought in cookies with her application. She got the interview (but not the job).

LinkedIn claims if your profile is 100% complete, you're 40 times more likely to "receive opportunities" on the site.

The Dichotomy of Job Hunting

"Be yourself," this article advises. But employers want you to be relentlessly happy with no bad bosses in your past. Who's in la la land here?


Image

Great Depression in 2 areas of US

Great Depression Lives

Two metropolitan statistical areas in the US have unemployment rates worse than the Great Depression. The El Centro, California MSA's rate was 28.5% in June. The rate for the Yuma, Arizona MSA next door was 26.9%.

The Great Depression's rate peaked at 25% in 1933. Both areas are roughly the same as they were a year ago, with Yuma being .3 worse and El Centro .3 better.

The lowest unemployment rate was in the Bismarck, North Dakota MSA: 3.6%.

Networking

CON: Don't network or tell people you're looking for work, this unusual advisor says. Ignore ads that say "no phone calls" and phone anyway between 4 pm and 6 pm. (No word on what to say if they ask "Can you read?")

PRO: Networking is not all about you. The other person has to get value too.


---value delivered: 99 cents ebooks and free articles

Worst suggestion of 2011?

Bad advice

One web site says to ask for a meeting, saying you're looking for a position and have a list of 50 companies. "I know that you know the industry. Could we go through the list together to pinpoint the best companies and to see whom you know and whom you might help me meet?”"

The person you're asking ought to respond "How much are you going to pay me?" "50 companies" suggests you've done no research--you're asking this employee to mine the slush pile for you. When she's done doing that,she's supposed to spoon feed you her contacts.

What was it you were going to do for her?

The worst part about this strategy is you could be right: this person might know people in the industry. She might tell them what you did.

Better: come to an informational meeting with two or three companies you can talk specifics about.

The Numbers

The national unemployment rate for July 2011 was 9.1%. Here's a sampling of local numbers:

30.8% Imperial Valley, California

12.9% Nevada

11.8% California

10.7% Florida

10.4% Mississippi

10.4% North Carolina

10.0% Alabama

09.5% Illinois

09.0% Ohio

08.4% Texas

08.0% New York

07.7% Alaska

06.7% New Mexico

06.0% Iowa

First Names

Don't use an interviewer's first name unless you're invited to do so. (Just like Mom said.)


Image

What Not to Say

The four worst words you can say to your boss--"That's not my job."

In this era of straitened circumstances, his next 4 words might be "You're not my employee."

Besides, if you do only your job, how will you learn anything new--or why would they ever promote you?

One of the things new employers will be looking for in the interview is how you showed initiative, how you're self-motivated--a self starter.

So try not to limit yourself.

Not a Numbers Game

Job hunting is not a numbers game, this article agrees. A job search is about targeting--and standing out from the slush pile.

One government ministry had 22 jobs available. They received 30,000 applications. That's 1,363 people vying for each position.

How many of those 1,000+ studied the department and networked with people inside? Nobody's going to look at all 30,000 apps. So if you don't have someone inside keeping an eye out for you, go buy a lotto ticket.

Techniques

Treat a job fair just like an interview. Look sharp, have a short verbal "business card" ready and follow up with a note.

Call and ask for a job, this site says. But why should they hire you?

You'd better know that in detail before you pick up the phone.

Take 5 coffee meetings a week. Never eat lunch alone. Build your network. I like the concept if not the numbers--can you effectively continue to do some good for a couple of hundred people? Probably not. So do a lot of coffee meeting repeats.

Status check! 4 1/2 months left in the year. Does your job search include all these techniques?


Image

Soldiers don't need the big job boards (neither do you)

Veterans have federal right to old jobs

Veterans have a right to their old jobs back if they're returning from more than180 days of active duty.

They must notify their former employers within 90 days of returning to the states.

Big job boards aren't helpful

"Skip Monster.com and other broad job boards. They’re full of spammy, irrelevant recruiters," one writer counsels. (Hmmm, where have I heard that before?) He also recommends signing up for Google+, filling it out and forgetting it.

Con people are using the big job boards (glad somebody's getting use out of them) to contact victims. Clues the email is illegitimate:

* They ask for money for any reason.

* They say you're hired without an interview.

* The only contact method offered is email.

* No physical address is given.

* Words are spelled or used incorrectly.

* They want to mail you a check.

Online Presence

One study says 87% of companies check LinkedIn in recruiting. Good suggestions for using the site are here.

70% of companies who ran an online check didn't hire someone because of what they found.

Noted

Keep up to date on your job and industry. Set up Google or Yahoo news alerts. See if industry blogs or publications have an email or other alert service.

Not researching the company before the interview is a mistake, this article says. That's way too late to be looking them up. How can you write a résumé without knowing the company--and people inside?

Keep a record of where you've applied. When the phone rings, you want to be familiar with the company he's calling from. You need to know what contacts you've had with them previously.

Agriculture jobs are available, particularly rural Michigan.

To be deductible, job hunting expenses have to be related to a search within your current field.


Image

A drop of good news!

Finally a better #

The big news is the unemployment rate in July dropped 1/10 of a point to 9.1.

Barriers

One study shows 39% of workers are job hunting.

They increasingly have the field to themselves as employers restrict hiring to those who already have jobs or are just shortly unemployed.

Not in New Jersey though. That state reportedly bans requiring applicants to be currently employed.

The 50+ applicant may be fighting a perception that age group isn't tech-savvy or can't learn new things. Your online presence can show how laughable that stereotype is.

Techniques

Googlepleasehire.me is the web site created by one applicant. He also Fed Ex'd a life-size cardboard statue of himself to Google. So far no offers from Google but he claims 50 others have invited him for interviews.

Call 50 companies, ask for each for an informational interview, try to pass along a résumé at each.

Well, at least you're not haunting Monster.com. Our approach to getting a job focuses on a few companies, researching and interacting with people already there. We see the informational interview as part of that process--learning. Still, even if talking to 50 people won't further your job search, it's unlikely to hurt.


--99 cents ebooks with the full scoop on successful job searching

Image

Companies want 10 years olds

10 years old

Ye shall be corporate automons. Ye shall not join controversial organizations. Ye shall not have family or friends who join controversial organizations.

Does anybody else think employers' digging into social data is getting out of hand? Having to check my personal life with an employer is a lot being 10 years old again.

Numbers

US veterans have an unemployment rate higher than the general population--11% versus 9%. Iowa thinks the problem is much worse there--they've opened 42 job search centers for returning veterans.

The June nationwide number hides the fact that unemployment for whites was 8.1% while that for African-Americans was exactly double--16.2%.

Tips for the Hunt

One counselor advises cold calling hiring managers even if there's no job advertised. "Making the effort to reach them directly can help you stand out." I'll bet it does--right onto their enemies' list. That's using a shotgun for open heart surgery instead of a laser. You need to
develop relationships with people inside the company before you start calling about jobs.

Search for a company, not a job, one counselor advises. Good advice. But then she says don't take just any job. (Presumably the mortgage company will understand while you wait for the perfect post.)

Job hunting is a lot like lead generation. A former lead generator makes the case.

The key to solving job hunting problems is to write them down. Then write down 20 (not 19) possible solutions. One will work, this article believes.

Unemployment rules change in Florida

Florida is starting new rules for unemployment, including contacting 5 employers a week.


---check out our 99 cents ebooks and free articles

Image

Facebook fiasco

Online mishap

One California woman, while trying to shield portions of her Facebook page from employers, accidentally blocked her sister. Who promptly unfriended her.

On the phone

If the ad says call to apply, don't phone without a script. This should include introducing yourself and telling how your abilities and experience deliver what the employer needs.

Networking

On Facebook, join professional groups in your area of expertise. "Like" potential employers' pages.

Don't ask for a job when networking, this author writes. Good advice. But she appears to say network only with people you know well enough to take to lunch. I would suggest you need to interact with a lot more people than that if you're going to find a job.

Noted

Don't judge the job market by listings on Monster of Careerbuilder. Since those general boards are abysmally poor at finding people work, more postings there don't mean a great deal.

One exective in India says applicants with a Yahoo or Hotmail email address are immediately eliminated.

---Check out inexpensive ebooks and free articles.

Image

Timing

When -- and When Not -- to Job Hunt

The first 2 hours of the day are the door to achievement. You're fresh. Do the tough stuff then. Let the rote activities fall to the afternoon when you're more on automatic.

One articles suggests checking Facebook or LinkedIn for job hunting while at work. Very bad idea. If your employer catches you doing that, you may well be able to job hunt 40 hours a week.

Online Networking

Follow on Twitter the key decision makers of the company you're targeting.

The new networking opportunity--Google+. Posts can be restricted to certain "circles" so professional networkers don't see news about your son's basketball triumph.

Length of Unemployment

The government, hard at work, has calculated the percentage chance you'll find a job if you're been out of work so many weeks. Maybe we should add a couple of government statisticians to the unemployment roll.

One web site writes the jobs "crisis is virtually over." Apparently they didn't see the June numbers. Oddly the comments for the page are closed. "There are no icebergs ... "

The Wall Street Journal (who didn't get the memo about the crisis being over) writes you have to go back to the 1940s to find such long periods of unemployment.

Stanislaus County, California has a 17.2% unemployment rate--same as it was a year ago.

Noted

1,862 applications, 3 years and no job offers. It's time to change the approach. Maybe filing only 1.7 applications a day allows her to deep-research each company and network with people inside.

But I wonder how you effectively network with 1,862 insiders. Remember--if you haven't had give and take with a decision maker on the inside, filing an application is nearly worthless.

A job search is all about sales. If you don't know about sales, you need to read some of the myriad how to books. (If you turn out to be good here, that's a whole new job field to explore!)


Image

Light Bulb Time

Innovative "Get Seens"

One person put a QR on the back of his CV. When scanned with an I Phone, the code triggered a video of him pitching his availability.

Another guy took out Google AdWords with the key words being the executives he was trying to reach. When they googled themselves, they found these ads toting the applicant.

One author notes you have to think of new ones--being the fifth or tenth guy walking with a sandwich board gets yawns, not applause.

Résumé

Times New Roman is dated, this author thinks. Better: Helvetica, Arial or Verdana.

Personally, if you don't know anybody inside the company and what the CEO had for breakfast, print your résumé on toilet paper. Because that's about what it will be worth. A résumé is the end product of the job search process, never the beginning.


Image courtesy of maple

Switch from Monster to Ebay

Job Boards

"... major job boards are the least effective job search method of all, plain and simple. Reportedly, employers are discovering that too and cutting back.

Yeah, think about moving over to Ebay. This guy tried to sell himself there, looking for a job.

Interviewing

Informational interviews are great. While the linked author uses them to talk about the jobseeker, I prefer to emphasize learning about the company and career path. I wouldn't even mention a job. I would do a lot of research, dress well and ask good questions. The two of us agree on a final point--sent a thank you card.

When I started out in business, I worked for the phone company as a customer service rep. If we asked a question the customer had already answered, we got penalized. It was good training. In a job search, don't ask a prospective employer a question you should know the answer to--such as how long they've been in business when that information is on their web site.

Noted

Stop every once in a while and evaluate the tasks you're using for your job search. Are they producing? Are any of them a waste of time? Sometimes we get into a rut of doing something we can churn out but that isn't moving us forward. We keep on with this comfort, avoiding unfamiliar, possibly productive things to do.

Job books invariably say hold out for a job that you find deeply satisfying. One job coach disagrees, "I don't care if you find the ideal job. Bliss isn't the goal; re-employment is the goal."



Image courtesy of Keattikorn

The exception to the rule ...

Carpetbombing works--once

One man posted hundreds of flyers on lampposts about his job search.

The good news: this got him a job.

The bad news: he also got a $120 fine. (He plans to fight the citation.)

A humorous look at the receiving end of carpetbombing the résumé ends with some pretty good suggestions on how to job search better.

Noted:

If your industry has a local, state or national organization, part of networking is showing up. You might even consider volunteering for a committee.

The Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011 would make discrimination against unemployed persons illegal. This legislation, just introduced into Congress, would prevent employment ads which limit applications to those currently employed.

Want to deduct job searching expenses on your federal income tax form? It's not the easiest thing in the world but it's possible.


----brought to you by job searching ebooks and free articles

Image courtesy of Simon Howden

Someone else may be out of a job

June Numbers

Bummed by the June job numbers? So is the president. A political scientist of our acquaintance said he thought Obama was a shoo-in for 2012 until the last job figures came out. Now our source thinks the prez has a problem.

For one thing, unemployment is 1.6 points higher than when he took office 2 1/2 years ago. (Mr. President, if you end up looking for a job, there's a free copy of How to Find a Job with your name on it.)

On the other hand, you can look at the numbers like Forbes does: " ... we’re continuing to see minimal improvement in job market." No, I have no idea what they're talking about.

Even more embarrassing, Alberta--a single province in Canada--added more jobs in June (22,000) than the whole United States did (18,000).

It's worse if you're a teen. California and Georgia are tied for "worst teen unemployment" in the US--34.6%!

Networking

Going for huge numbers of LinkedIn contacts is meaningless--people are only useful if you're working with them. Give and take. Lila in this cartoon strip makes the same point a tad more poetically.

Might want to consider a quick email monthly to your networking group. Presumbably you're interacting with them more frequently than that--but perhaps over specific issues. It may be a good idea to give them a short "big picture" every 4 weeks.

Cris Recruits a Company is an interesting look at what a blog can do to help the search. It's another chance for a company to see how you self-start, create and deliver.

Research

I advocate intensely studying a company to come up with 10 ways they can improve their bottom line. Another person says you should create a full "White Paper" and mail it to everybody. I don't go along with "carpet bombing" but we agree on research. You can't go in cold.


---brought to you by How to Find a Job ebook and free articles

Image courtesy of Marcus74id

June brings more bad news

Optimists take another beating

Those who say jobs are picking have to explain more bad news. The nation added only 18,000 new nonfarm jobs in June, down from 54,000 in May, according to a news alert from the New York Times.

Since May's number was a crash from April's 232,000 new jobs, this new report was particularly unwelcome. June's unemployment rate rose to 9.2%.

Carpet bombing doesn't work any more

One job applicant has "blanketed the country in résumés". Unsurprisingly, this hasn't worked. That was an effective strategy 65 years ago--carpet bombing helped win the war in Japan.

But it didn't work in Vietnam and it's ineffective today.

She needs to remember employers really have only a single question and they're very stupid.

She's apparently not answering that question: "What can you do for me?"

Probably her résumé is great and has all the skills on the employers' ads. But employers can't connect the dots.

"I have experience in X" is one thing.

"I suspect doing Y on B would boost your profits in Pennsylvania by 2%. That's how using my skills in X could help your company today" is a far different story.

Delivering that kind of suggestion requires focus and research. You don't have time to drop résumés nationwide. But look at the difference in impact.

A job with NO competition

I reported last month that India cannot find a hangman. Zimbabwe has the same problem--the last one retired in 2005. Six years later, they've been unable to find a replacement.

Unfortunately the pay isn't much--the monthly $300 Zimbabwean dollars are worth about 79 US cents.

Talking to prospective employers

Some companies are interviewing eight to twelve people as a group.

Employers say this is a good way to judge cultural fit and watch leadership skills when the group is assigned a task.

Some applicants call the process demeaning. Hands leaping up to answer questions remind one of Jeopardy. Other observers say leadership takes time to develop.

The experience certainly tells the applicant a lot about the company.

Edit, edit, edit. One job advice columnist wrote "Use the information generated in exercise #1 to create a 30-minute marketing statement or "elevator speech"" (emphasis added). That's one hellatious elevator talk. Doublecheck your deodorant before beginning.

Tidbits

A British TV show where winners get jobs is being criticized as "crass and humiliating." Apparently you can't watch Donald Trump in the UK.

Hour long networking on Twitter becomes a virtual job club.

Having just one job may become old fashioned as underemployment flows throughout the economy.


----for a better job search, ebooks and free articles

Image courtesy of nuttakit

Two IT Jobs for Non-Nerds

IT doesn't just need developers. Reportedly, they're having problems hiring enough salespeople and project managers.

Job clubs are great, says a division of the US Department of Labor who is promoting them.

Mistakes

There are some words that shouldn't be on your résumé .
Replace them with examples--prove what you did.

More interviewing no-nos: smelling like you've been smoking and long hair on men.

Online Presence

A company doing background checks for employers claims its software can find the real names of people using pseudonyms on the web.

Don't trust privacy settings to keep your secrets safe from inquiring employers.

You've deleted something an employer shouldn't see from the web. But you're worried Mama Google will still report a cached copy of the url.

You might look at Google's URL removal tool .

Another technique is to get so much positive stuff indexed about yourself, the questionable item disappears to page 34 of the results.


---More tips for successful systematic job searching: 99 cents ebooks

Image courtesy of graur razvan ionut

4 fields and 1 country are HIRING!

Good news: fields with jobs

4 job titles not bothered by the recession are reportedly (all techie): engineer, programmer, developer, math professional.

Then there's India's problem. They can't find a hangman. Don't know if they're accepting online applications.

The Mechanics

It's a numbers game, one article suggests. The more people you network with, the more likely you are to find a job. The problem with that is do you have time to network well with any of them?

You can get 1,000 friends on LinkedIn or Facebook but at that level, how many of them are you actually interacting with? The idea of networking is to learn, help and show. You probably can't do that effectively with a huge number of people.

Here are suggestions on what to do for a job
fair--like bathe beforehand. These ideas work well for networking meetings or interviews too.

Know the company intensely at the interview. 38% of job hunters show up knowing little or nothing about the company. Why not eat their lunch from McDonalds in front of the interviewer too? Some hunters even answer their cell phones during interviews! (Maybe the competition isn't as stiff as you thought.)

Brief your references--they should know what the new job is all about, how you fit in and who is likely to be calling.

The US Department of Labor is concerned unpaid internships may be abused, giving the employers free workers but the interns little benefit. They've set up 6 rules.

Numbers

The unemployment rate for veterans in the US is 3 points higher (12.1%) than that of the general population. It's 16.2% for African Americans.

There's now a company whose whole mission is to report on your online presence for employers.


---The full story of How to Find a Job in sequenced steps is available here.

Image courtesy of photostock

Job searching: the new lifestyle

Get used to job searching. It will probably be a way of life as the workplace changes. Workers are likely to work for far more companies than in the past.

Only 20% of jobs are ever advertised, this astonishing estimate says.

Why is Monster so ineffectual at finding jobs? Employers may just be building their databases--they've purchased a block of ads and they have to use them. The listing doesn't mean there's a real job underneath.

Your skills have to remain current. This is especially true for older workers if they find themselves reluctant to update to new technology.

The nationwide 9.1% unemployment rate hides that in some areas, things are even worse. In Benewah County, Idaho, for instance, unemployment was at 15.1% in May. It's 15% in Kern County, California.

Of course, double that for teenagers (16-19). In Nevada, the teen unemployment rate is 36.2%.

One Florida man left a $90,000 job a year and a half ago to move nearer to family. He couldn't find a job at even $20,000 and have gone back to school.

Bad news doesn't mean give up--but it's different than it used to be out there.

---new ways to job search for 99 cents

Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti

Billboard guy gets job! Congratulations!

The guy who put his job search on a billboard won. He got a 6 months initial contract out of the stunt. He'll be working as a communications executive with a bookmaker. The original story from 2 weeks ago is here.

One London student donned rollerblades to hand out his business card to prospective employers. The card had an url where his resume could be read. So far, no calls.

Some good insights on using LinkedIn reside amidst a bit of fluff.

Only 1 in 4 people between 16 and 19 will find work this summer, according to the New York Times. Students say all the jobs want experience--how am I supposed to get that? 55+ years olds are looking for work with postgrad degrees and 30+ years of experience--and not getting hired.


---more ideas for successful job searching are in my ebooks

Image courtesy of ponsulak

Move north: jobs on the prairie

Alberta has jobs but not enough workers. They expect this "problem" to get worse. Overall, Canada's unemployment rate is 1.7 points less than in the US. (The dissent: this article claims it's still tough for a graduate just out of college to get a decent job in Canada.)

Don't apply to more than 3 or 4 companies, this consultant writes. You don't have time to do do your homework and network with more than that.

Apply directly from company web sites and skip the big job boards. Set up a Google alert for your name so you know if anyone mentions you.

Here's a list of the 5 least effective job searching techniques. Might want to check to see if you're doing any of these. I don't agree some of these are the "least" effective. But none of them are "good".

They're telling freshmen in college to sign up with LinkedIn.


---more advice from the real world in my ebooks

Image courtesy of digitalart

Posting online résumés not useful, author says

Someone besides me is going public with the truth: "In general, posting résumés online is not a useful strategy." I've heard that.

Writing an industry-related blog is a good way to show what you can do and to get your name out there. But it doesn't do that quickly. So start your blog early.

70% of employers have disqualified a prospect because of something they saw online, this article claims. That's twice as high as I've seen before. In any case--an useful reminder to monitor what employers can see about you on the web.

More than 1/2 of UK employees surveyed spent more than 3 hours weekly searching for another job on company time. Favorite excuses for interview time off: doctor appointment, home delivery, pet emergency. Having the present employer fund the job search is usually considered high-risk behavior.

If the interviewer asks do you want tea or water, always say yes, this author writes. I disagree. The interview is about them, not you. So let's get down to it. The last thing you need is a chance to spill something or show a shaking cup. In a long interview, do you really want to interrupt to use the restroom?

My advice--don't complicate an already fairly tense situation.

There are plenty of job apps for the Iphone. Enjoy but monitor how much time you spend with them. Is this time meeting my goals? Am I learning more about my target company? Am I coming up with ways to add value to their bottom line?

"QUALIFICATIONS: I am a very detrimental person." More amusing mistakes people have put on their resumes are here.


---brought to you by 2 great ebooks on how job searching works today


Image courtesy of digitalart

Tough being teen

Teen unemployment for May was 24%--two and a half times higher than that for the general population.

If you're teen, black and male, the unemployment rate is 45%--four times higher than the general rate.

Many students give up after 5 to 7 applications. As well they should. They haven't heard about the right way to job search--targeting gets new jobs.

The time it takes to find a job and the number of people applying for each job have both doubled since before the rescession.


---brought to you by the people who know the right way to job search

Image courtesy of photostock

A new place to post

We've written about using Yahoo Answers to answer questions people ask about your field. Never thought of posting positions wanted there.

For networking, our top choice is LinkedIn. If you need help, check here and here--solid suggestions.

We always said to target your job searching. This author phrases it "Stop looking for a job. Start looking for a company." Good idea!

Florida is considering a law limiting the use employers can make of credit history in job decisions. As the rescession lengthens, more long term job searchers have to explain credit issues to prospective employers.


---More tips at How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Image courtesy of photostock

Four Worst Mistakes You Can Make

1. Using general job boards. One study says 2/3 of job seekers' time is spent with ads and sending applications. What a waste.

I don't know of any study that shows the effectiveness of general job ad sites at better than 10%. Most estimates are much lower. So people are spending 66% of their time on a method that doesn't work 90% of the time. This makes sense?

For a start, get off the job boards and onto these web sites where people can see you.

2. Using a cookie cutter résumé. This suggests you think McDonalds has the same problems as Red Robin because they both sell burgers. This is like telling a girl you love her green eyes when you have no idea what color her eyes are (really not recommended.)

Every company has unique issues. If you don't know what they are, you're wasting your time showing them your résumé.

A better approach: You know the company's web site better than their webmaster does. Their newsletter shows up in your email--as well as Google or Yahoo alerts when something new happens to them. They didn't have a Wikipedia page--you wrote one. "Forbes" or "Fortune" has covered them? The company has blogs? You've read them all.

Why? You need to know the company that well to figure out what they need. And how you can supply what they're missing.

Your résumé has one purpose--to show the employer you can solve her problems. To do that, your résumé needs to be unique and tailored.

3. Going into the interview blind, not knowing anyone or the company. Building on the first two steps, you need to be on those websites mentioned in #1 looking for the people you found in #2, watching them, asking questions, contributing where you can.

Ideally, you've interacted with somebody important on LinkedIn. "I'm applying at your company. May I use you as a reference?" That's not a question you can ask the first day--or month--you've been on the site. It's the product (pay off?) of a lot of give and take.

4. Waiting for the phone to ring. Remember the phone not ringing in high school? Same story here. It probably won't, left to its own devices.

You need to out there hustling, doing the Job Searching Checklist.

---More tips at How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Image courtesy of savit keawtavee

4 Best Interview Tips

1. Show up 10 minutes early for the interview. Don't fidget while you wait. Perhaps you could read something related to the job.

2. Treat the receptionist like she's interviewing you. Be nice to everybody--you don't know who the interviewer will ask about you.

3. "You can't overdress for an interview," this expert says.

4. Don't forget the note afterwards. Handwritten. Not an email. Everybody gets email, nobody gets handwritten notes (except birthdays and Christmas). Which makes you stand out?


---More tips at How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Image courtesy of Michal Marcol

The One Minute Résumé

More than 1/2 of employers give a résumé less than 60 seconds. So the question (as always) is can you quickly demonstrate on paper how you can help the company?

Yes, a résumé is not about what you've done. It's about what you can do for them. Sure, your experience may support the solution. But your knowledge of the company and focus on its needs has to shine through.

86% of those employers called a cover letter unimportant. I wouldn't skip this step since your prospect might be one of the 14% that wants to see a cover letter. Writing one is a good exercise in getting you to tailor your presentation to where the company has a hole.

Don't get caught in looking too narrowly. Are your skills transferrable to another field? .

If you're in school or just getting out, don't overlook any job searching opportunities your school offers. You paid for it. Fewer than 1 in 5 graduates participated in a recent college's job fair that had 118 employers.

Gotta love those optimists: "By now it should be crystal clear - even to those who have either a clouded vision or a biased view - that our economy is rapidly making up much of the ground it lost during the Great Recession." The author later admits that under the brightest hopes, the end of 2011 will see only 1/2 the jobs restored which were lost during the recession. No word on how he interprets jobs created crashing 76% from April to May.

---How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Image courtesy of Ambro

New jobs take a nosedive

They keep talking recovery in the economy. But only 54,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were added in the US in May (down from 232,000 in April.) Nationwide unemployment stands at 9.1%. (Figures from the New York Times 6-3-11)

In Ireland (15% unemployment), one jobseeker rented a billboard to tout his cause. He reports being deluged with interview offers from his $2,800 investment.

Update: 6-18-11: The stunt worked. The jobseeker was hired.

Forbes has an article that recommends spending only 10% of the job search online. It's unclear what you're supposed to do with the other 7.2 hours a day. Although, hey, if you can set up networking meetings for breakfast, lunch and dinner, more power to you!

How much can an employer check? They want to see your Facebook account and your web presence. But in 5 states, they can't check your credit report. 17 other states are considering similar laws. Reportedly, 65% of employers check credit on job applicants.


--How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Image courtesy of Idea go

One place NOT to look for work

Don't job search at work. Your company may have the ability to track keyboard taps or websites visited. (Clearing the cache or history won't save you.) I heard of one poor guy who got fired for looking for cars on a company computer.

CBS claims San Jose, California has the most jobs available in the nation. This is apparently based on the number of posting at a job web site. Uh, CBS did you ask how effective that website is at landing jobs? Or how many of those postings are for real jobs?

Your odds of successful job searching on a general job board are better than winning the lotto--but not by enough to matter to you.


---Is there a right way to do a job search? How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Employers see (and do) the strangest things

Job searching today expects a certain level of enthusiasm. Not everybody has it. Purportedly real things people wrote looking for a new job might make you think the competition isn't all that stiff.

Some employers are asking applicants for the log in codes to their Facebook accounts. One writer says to tell them this violates Facebook's terms of service.

Don't slap up a LinkedIn profile and forget about it. This could be a key piece of the job searching strategy--and a first stop for recruiters.

In Washington, if you're on unemployment and not looking for work, the state could ask for their money back.


---The organized job search: How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download

Image

The Marines -- and lots of bad advice

Wrapping up our look at jobs in 4 military services, the Marine Corps accepts applicants from ages 17 to 29. They say their starting pay is the same as in the other military services. Uh, which one, sir? They're all different.

Not sure why all the US military services choose black as their web site background.

Summarizing age ranges and beginning salaries:

US Army 17-42 $17,611
US Navy 17-35 $16,800
US Marines 17-29 unknown
US Air Force 17-28 $17,604

For comparision: French Foreign Legion 17 1/2-40 $25,000

Moving back home to parents after losing a great job is becoming more common.

Bad Advice:

One guy says never follow up more than once in a job search. Be patient. Oh brother. I disagree. Over and over again in business I've seen the "squeaky wheel get the grease". Sure, you can't be obnoxious or too frequent about checking back. But doing it just once is not patience--it's surrendering.

Like duck hunting, "it's fine to send out a hundred resumes", one author writes. Uh, no, it's not. That's simply a waste of time. Go buy a lotto ticket, then get down to real job searching. If you don't know what the company president had for breakfast, you don't know enough about that business. And how many firms can you know in that kind of detail? Focus, focus, focus is the word in this century.

A career specialist said you should frequently google your name--that will bring it up in the search rankings. Somehow, I type in my name and Google knows which "John Smith" I am and moves my entry up a notch. Dang, those people at Google ... top notch.

Good Advice:

How to Find a Job. Available for just $1.50 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download

Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant. (Report: 4,566 words)

Image courtesy of Simon Howden

In the skies ...

The US Air Force pays $17,604 starting out, about the same as the Army. It has an eleven years window on age--you have to be between 17 and 28. This is the more restrictive than the Army or Navy.

Some of the Air Force training will gain you college credits. They'll pay 100% of the tuition towards an associate, bachelor or master degree.


Image courtesy of Tim Beach