“Grueling job search takes its toll, but perseverance finally pays off” plus 2 more |
- Grueling job search takes its toll, but perseverance finally pays off
- Job-search makeover for Miami-Dade man
- Five healthy job search tips: Look forward, not back
| Grueling job search takes its toll, but perseverance finally pays off Posted: 22 Feb 2011 09:12 PM PST Susan Moore lost a good job last year, then found herself emotionally drained by an ensuing eight-month search.By J. Hemmerdinger jhemmerdinger@pressherald.com PORTLAND - Susan Moore knows first hand that the job market can be a discouraging place.  click image to enlarge Susan Moore's time as a job-seeker included countless hours of polishing her resume and searching online job boards. In the end, the Portland woman landed a job with "significantly" higher pay. Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer Related headlinesMoore, a 39-year-old Portland resident and single mom with ample work experience, recently landed a job after a grueling eight-month search. "It was very frustrating and disheartening," said Moore, who got laid off last year from a career services position at Bates College. "I felt like there were a lot of jobs that I was totally qualified for, and I wouldn't get called." Moore's job search began in April. She was still working at Bates, but had heard rumors of job cuts. Shortly after, Moore was laid off. She quickly started networking, scheduling lunch meetings with acquaintances to discuss opportunities and telling friends and colleagues through e-mail that she was looking for work. Moore wanted a job in the education field, where she had worked for years. She looked for positions at the University of New England, Bowdoin College, the University of Southern Maine, Southern Maine Community College and other schools in the area. She took her search seriously, spending hours writing each cover letter. Every Sunday, Moore checked online job boards and the hiring pages of local companies, universities and nonprofits. She also worked with Barbara Babkirk, a career counselor in Portland who helped boost her confidence and polish her resume. The months dragged on without success; from April to December, Moore had only two job interviews. Babkirk said Moore's experience is common. In this economy, many of her clients -- most of them high-level professionals -- spend months searching for work. Job seekers who are older than 50 might hunt for a year, she said. Raymond Inglesi, president of Drake Inglesi Milardo human resource consultants in Portland, said many of his clients these days take seven or eight months to find a job. Such a long stretch can be discouraging. "There were times when I thought, 'I will never, ever get a job,' " Moore said. "Your confidence breaks down. You think, 'Maybe I am not good enough,'" Just before Christmas, Moore's work paid off. She landed four interviews. Then, just a few weeks ago, the University of New Hampshire offered Moore a job as academic coordinator in its psychology department. She starts this week. It's a long commute from Portland to Durham, N.H., but Moore said she's happy just to have a job, and she can always move to New Hampshire. She even received a "significant" pay increase. Her job search was no easy road, but Moore said perseverance paid off. "You just need that one interview, and you need to nail it," she said. "Just keep plugging away." Staff Writer Jonathan Hemmerdinger can be contacted at 791-6316 or at: jhemmerdinger@mainetoday.com This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php | ||||
| Job-search makeover for Miami-Dade man Posted: 22 Feb 2011 06:44 PM PST Last week I met with one of the country's top executive recruiters, who had just published a book on getting hired. Hearing Kimberly Bishop's advice, I instantly thought of Buster Castiglia, the out-of-work banker whom I had just featured in The Balancing Act column. Castiglia, 67, has 37 years of banking experience and a dynamic personality. However, he has spent the past year looking for a job. Castiglia is part of the age wave, a growing segment of seniors that are making the word retirement outdated because they no longer have the luxury or desire to stop working. Most of us know that job seekers should approach their hunt like they would a job: Set specific hours and allow themselves time off to stay balanced. Castiglia does that. But a year into the search, he needs some expert guidance and I asked Bishop to help. Because Bishop works from New York and Buster lives in Coral Gables, Castiglia e-mailed his résumé and the two spoke by phone. Bishop opened the conversation with Castiglia by asking about his ideal job. Castiglia had an answer but it wasn't succinct. Bishop believes every job seeker should have a crisp answer to this question. "It should flow off your tongue," she says. Bishop suggested Castiglia always address salary expectations on an interview. This is a huge area of trepidation for unemployed executives. "I made a six-figure salary for years, but I'm downsizing, selling my home and willing to be flexible," Castiglia says. Bishop advises Castiglia to reveal his most recent compensation, and follow it with this: "Based on the economy, here would be the range of what I'm looking for now." Not addressing compensation or coming across as too flexible is a mistake, she says. "People need a range to figure out if you are in the ballpark." Also, address the issue of being overqualified for a position. "Indicate that you are really interested in this position and explain why you want the job and why you would be a great fit." Bring it up even if they don't, she says. "Being proactive shows confidence and enthusiasm." Bishop also suggests addressing it in a cover letter: "As you see from the résumé, my experience is vast and I could be viewed as overqualified, but I want to tell you why I am interested." Bishop sees areas to improve Castiglia's résumé. First, he lists two phone numbers. This can be confusing for a prospective employer. Bishop says it is preferable to list only one phone number on the résumé. Castiglia has a website for a consulting firm he started. On it, he lists eight bullet points with concise contributions such as "excellent ongoing relationships with banking regulators." Bishop likes the way those skills are highlighted and wants Castiglia to include them on his résumé. Lastly, she suggests Castiglia lists some of the community boards he has sat on. "It shows you applied your leadership experience in banking in other ways and that you participated in making group decisions. That's an excellent way to round out your résumé." Castiglia is concerned that an additional section will push his résumé to more than two pages. Bishop tells him the average length for executives is two to four pages, with most of them around three. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php | ||||
| Five healthy job search tips: Look forward, not back Posted: 23 Feb 2011 12:42 PM PST Are you feeling stuck in your job search? Follow these five tips to help you shed the habits that may be holding you back. • Know what you're looking for. Instead of looking at where you've been, look forward to where you're going. To focus your search: 1. Identify your key skills and accomplishments. 2. Clarify the position you want (your job objective) and target employers who need your skills. 3. Show how your skills will help the employer succeed. It's no longer a selling point to say you have 20 or 30 years of experience. Employers want to know if you're an organizational fit and how you can be of value to them. • Brand yourself. A "personal brand" is about marketing yourself so that you stand out in the crowd. A succinct brand statement or "elevator speech" describes who you are and what you bring to the table. What are you good at? What have you achieved? What sets you apart? • Ruthlessly revise your resume. In a recent AARP webinar, resume expert Susan Ireland said, "Your resume is about your future, not your past." Instead of listing all your past job duties, focus on what you achieved and what difference you made. This shows the employer that you can do the next job. To further strengthen your resume, delete stock phrases such as "team player" and "excellent communication skills." Unfortunately, these clichéd expressions make you sound like everyone else. Finally, use the resume format that shows your skills to best advantage. • Use social media: Most jobs are found through networking, not by blanketing the job boards with your resume. In addition to face-to-face networking, online social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn can help you make new contacts that can lead to a job. For example, employers routinely scan LinkedIn to find job candidates. So make sure your LinkedIn profile is 100 percent complete, and use features such as Groups and Answers to connect with others in your field. • Keep up with your field. The position you held a year ago may be different today, requiring new duties and technology. "If you dwell on how things were done in the past, you may be branded as obsolete," warns career coach Barbara Seifert, who has served as volunteer counselor at AARP career fairs. "Start reading industry publications," Seifert advises. "Search the Internet to find information on the latest trends, take a class or go back to school. Being current shows you are not 'ready for pasture.'" There's another benefit to the forward-looking approach: It helps you counter age stereotypes. When you are confident in what you have to offer, you brand yourself as ready for the future. Find more tips to help with your search at www.aarp.org/jobtips. Deborah Russell, director of workforce issues at AARP, leads the educational and outreach efforts aimed at improving employment options and the economic security of individuals 50-plus. This includes working with the business community to create employment opportunities that are fair, flexible and that capitalize on the wealth of knowledge and expertise mature workers bring to today's workplace. CommentsAdd CommentsClick here to read the rules for posting commentsWe have changed our registration and comment module, so all registered users will need to register again in order to post comments. We apologize for the inconvenience. You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your member ID will be posted with the comments.
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