Posted: 03 Jan 2011 08:39 AM PST

Author Debbie Mandel: "Keep up energy levels with exercise. You will shed stress and release endorphins."

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Keep your energy levels up with regular exercise
Treat your job hunt like it is your job; get dressed and set goals every day
Take a few days off to do something you enjoy
Volunteering can help you network while keeping your skills sharp

(CareerBuilder.com) -- If life were a movie and you had just been laid off, you would buy a one-way ticket to some serene location and spend weeks or even months relaxing. You would unwind and examine your personal goals and return when you want. You might spend your days eating, praying and loving.

For most of us, getting laid off or quitting a job is immediately followed by a fast-paced job hunt. Even workers who are fortunate enough to have savings accounts to live off of for a while don't have enough money to pretend like unemployment is a vacation. Instead, most jobs seekers attack their job searches aggressively and don't relent until they hear the words, "We'd like to offer you the position."

The problem with such a steadfast approach is that you can grow frustrated quickly. After a few weeks of constantly browsing job postings, writing cover letters, sending them off, and repeating, you don't have the energy to keep going. You can't stop, however, because you do need a job. So how do you avoid getting burnt out? And if you realize you're in the midst of a job-search burnout, how should you get over it?

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We asked people who have been there themselves or who have helped others get through it. Here's how they suggest job seekers handle burnout:

"Rejection is humbling and much of our self-worth has been defined by our income.

To avoid burnout:

• Date your next job application and interview. See it as distinct and different from all the rest, a new opportunity. You only need one job success.

• Keep up energy levels with exercise. You will shed stress and release endorphins. Your focus will improve.

• Socialize with friends and talk about other things. Have fun and laugh!

• Learn from failed interviews to tweak your resume, presentation and skills. Hone up on what you are lacking."
-- Debbie Mandel, author of "Addicted to Stress"

"Burnout is subtle, and can strike at lots of stages of the job hunt. Here are a few ways I advise my clients to avoid that low down burnout experience:

1. Regard your job hunt as a job and organize your job hunt day like any other business. Set a goal of the number of calls you'll make, and resumes you'll send out each day, and be sure to reach that.

2. Create a job hunt team or group with whom you keep in contact on a regular basis. This can help in many ways to give encouragement, and even job leads.

3. Make sure to network through alumni, colleagues, professional associations, online groups, and even relative and friends.

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4. Be sure to maintain a routine of physical fitness and exercise. At least a brisk walk every day can supply exercise and sunshine necessary to keep your mood elevated.

5. Get up, get dressed and go to your office every day, just like you would if you were employed. "
---Sandra Lamb, career, lifestyle and etiquette expert

"I always say you get more than you give with volunteering and job seekers definitely do. This is a great way to keep your skills sharp (think teamwork, client relations, fundraising, etc) and your mind energized. I have to remind all job seekers that volunteering is a fun and easy way to network which makes it a win-win-win. You're networking, helping out an organization and avoiding burn-out."
-- Adriana Llames, author of "Career Sudoku: 9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game"

"I've been looking for a job since about February or March. I just landed a part-time, telecommuting job, and as busy as I've been I know I'm not as fast or productive as I once was because of how long it took me to find a job. I was sending our résumés, interviewing, networking, applying online to the high heavens. Sitting at home while everyone else was finding a job I started feeling unproductive, and, frankly, like a loser. But things are looking up, and to anyone who starts to feel the same way I did, I'd tell them to just pull through it. Sometimes just taking a walk or a day at the park can help your mood a lot."
-- Akua Harris

"There are several things we suggest when a person has stayed active in a job search, and nothing seems to be happening:

1. Take a few days off: Think of something you enjoy doing that doesn't cost any money and go and enjoy. Sometimes just a few days off is enough to refresh a person.

2. Get physical: When a person exercises for at least 20 minutes, endorphins are released that make the person feel good. Exercise several times in a day if possible. If [you are] a runner, then run for 30 minutes longer than usual. Do something physical -- paint a room, wash the car, clean the garage. Then energy can return.

CareerBuilder.com: 5 jobs that let you try before you buy

3. Our experience is people get burned out when all they are doing is answering want ads or Internet listings. We project a 2 to 4 percent response on mailing out résumés or following up on Internet postings -- that's not a very good response.

Instead, we ask our job-seeking clients to take a more pro-active approach: Contact the decision-maker (usually the person who supervises the position, not HR) and ask what the job involves and be ready to talk about one's experiences and accomplishment, [and] research the organization to see if it's one a person would like to work in.

Continue researching the position; if you want the job contact the decision-maker again and say, "I've thought a lot about what we've talked about, and what you need doing involves some of the things I do best -- and I want to be your top candidate." (You don't want to be anything other than their top candidate, do you?) Ask the decision-maker what you can bring to her or him to help the person make a decision. And then do it."
-- Richard S. Deems, co-author of "Make Job Loss Work For You," with Terri A. Deems

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Jump-starting your job search in 2011

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 11:37 AM PST

(WXYZ) - It's happening around the country. Groups of people, often educated professionals with decades of experience, out of work, meeting together to help each other.
Ginger Shawver, a former marketing director, says the main thing she's learned here is that many jobs are not on Monster.com or CareerBuilder.

"You need to look to people who have kinds of jobs that will never be published, that will not be in the newspapers or listed on the computer," Shawver says.

So, networking is critical. Tell everyone you know you're looking for work and market yourself on sites like LinkedIn. Ginger says volunteering in the community can also help because you can add it to your resume to fill in the jobless gap.

Want to get that resume noticed? Kevin Donlin is with Guerilla Job Search International. He says think outside the box… and inside a thank you note.

"There's nothing to stop you from folding your resume and cover letter and putting them inside a thank you note to mail to the employer because we expect good news in those small, square envelopes," Donlin says. "Iit says thank you for reading this letter, and you've got their attention. And they're going to read the rest of the cover letter, and they're going to be in a good mood, probably more likely to call you."

And he says be sure to add a P.S. on that cover letter.

"P.S. always gets read," according to Donlin. "So put your strongest, most provocative statement in your P.S.. And the ideal reaction to a P.S. is 'Oh, or how'd you do that?' And then you've got them."

Through a great resume and networking, Ginger recently landed a part time marketing job. She hopes to go full time soon!

You can find out more about Kevin Donlin's Guerilla Job Search International at http://www.gm4jh.com/

Your Career: Jump-start your job search in 2011

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 05:27 AM PST

Many of you continue to use the same job-search strategies even though they reap few results hoping that you'll land a gig when the job market gets better in the New Year. Well, 2011 is here and it's not going to be much better than 2010 when it comes to employment opportunities.

While economists project there will be a gradual pick up in hiring this year, it won't be enough to put a dent in the high number of jobless Americans. "We're projecting it will be 2012 before the unemployment rate comes down," said Marisa Di Natale, an economist with Moody's Analytics. "Right now, our baseline forecast is for a fairly weak job market. We have the rate rising to above 10 percent."

Tips for making a
resume stand out

Here are some resume likes and dislikes from Holly Paul at PwC US Recruiting Leader:

"Your resume is a marketing tool. By limiting it to one page you are demonstrating you can be clear and concise."

"Listing professional email addresses and having an appropriate voicemail message is vital."

"Unpaid experience counts too. This includes internships, volunteering and part-time jobs where you learned important and relevant skills."

"It's important to show your interviewer the results you have brought to other organizations and can bring to the company."

"Listing your highest accomplishments first is key."

"Customizing a resume for each job is best. Employers can tell when they are seeing a generic resume that's being sent to anyone and everyone."

"Instead of generic interests, listing appropriate uncommon hobbies on your resume is preferred."

"References are important to have, but not on your resume. Potential employers will request a list of references if they want one."

"Lying on a resume can set you up for embarrassment and the potential to lose a job opportunity. You should always cast yourself in a positive light — but don't exaggerate the truth."

"Grammar, spelling and formatting count. It's very important to proofread your resume. Once you've looked it over, have at least two people check it for mistakes. You can never review it too many times."

That means it's time to take a hard look in the mirror and honestly assess what you can change about your job game plan to compete better.

Most job seekers find it hard to change even though they aren't getting job offers, or even callbacks. But change you must, advised Dan Finnigan, president and CEO of Jobvite. "Only walking down the well-worn, beaten path of job seeking is not going to be enough," he said. "You have to do new things and more things to stand out."

If you've been looking for six to 12 months, he continued, and you're not getting many interviews or job offers you like that means "you must change something."

But where do you begin? Here's a list of six questions to ask yourself, and advice to get you started on rejiggering your job-hunting approach in the New Year:

1. Am I disorganized?:
A common problem I hear from job-seekers is they become overwhelmed with the process and many don't even remember how many resumes they've sent out, let alone which companies they've sent them to.

It's hard to be strategic when your arsenal is in disarray, and forget about figuring out which tactics have worked and which ones are duds. You need to know what you're actually doing folks. You need to get organized.

"It's hard to run a good search if your home office is a mess and you don't have a system for keeping things straight," Jean Baur, a career counselor and author of "Eliminated! Now What? Finding Your Way from Job-Loss Crisis to Career Resilience."

She suggested creating two spreadsheets, one including a list of your networking contacts, and another with job-search activity including the job ads you answered, the resumes you sent, the responses you got back, and all the pertinent dates. For those employers where you've gotten phone or in-person interviews, she added, you should create color coded files with all the information and interactions you've had with a particular company, and have them handy on your desk so you're ready if a hiring manager calls back.

2. Does my resume stink?:
One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is not tailoring their resumes to a particular job opening. That's always been important but it's even more so with computers scouring resumes for certain key words.

Tina Chen, director of operations at Carlisle Staffing, suggested you "take the job description and incorporate it into your resume. By adding key phrases from the job description to your resume you will increase your exposure in database searches and you will also catch the recruiter's interest." And, she added, "when recruiters review resumes they tend to scan quickly and look for key words to qualify the candidate."

Holly Paul, PwC US Recruiting Leader, likes one page resumes, no grammatical errors, and she even wants to see the unpaid experience you've had. (See sidebar for a full list on Paul's resume likes and dislikes.)

Another big issue is boring resumes. There are ways to make it interesting so hiring managers don't just glaze over when they read yours. Bob Wilson, managing partner, OI Partners in Chicago, advised job seekers to include interesting things about themselves in a resume, beyond education and work experience.

"One of the best ones we have seen was 'compiling & singing Romanian folk songs.' Who knew?" he quipped.

3. Have I been a networker, or an avoider?:
Just posting stuff on Facebook is not serious networking. Sorry. If you want to find a gig you have to put yourself out there and meet people face to face.

Stefanie Smith, an executive consultant-coach, suggested you commit to inviting five people out to lunch or dinner this year. "Seek out those who can mentor you, colleague with whom you can exchange ideas, and former subordinates who have now gone on to new and higher roles," she said.

You have to find out about a job before it's posted and the best way to do that is through networking, said Jobvite's Finnigan. Most people get jobs via personal contacts so you have to put yourself out there, he said, and that means attending conferences and going to community events, for example.

The way to find the people you need to know is to research companies via their own sites or in the news if they're big enough. You should also follow employers you're interested in on Facebook, Twitter and any blogs about the company, Finnigan added.

"You want to be the first to hear about new jobs and new opportunities," he stressed. "The early bird gets the worm."

4. What do I want to be when I grow up?:
For workers who lost a long-time career and see no hope of reentering that field, it's natural to be ambivalent about what to do next. That's why you need to figure out what you want to do, for the long term or just for the next few months.

No matter how hard you try, if you are not motivated or passionate about a certain job hiring managers are going to take you out of the running.

Paula Loop, PwC Global Recruiting Leader, said you have to be open to change, and convince employers that you really want it. "Understand how to answer 'Where do you see yourself in five years?' It's crucial to acing a job interview," she said.

5. Am I a Jack-of-all-trades?:
Once upon a time, it was a good thing to claim you could be all things to all employers. Unfortunately, today it's all about specialization.

"Companies hire specialists, not generalists," said Kathryn Ullrich, Silicon Valley-based executive search consultant and author of "Getting to the Top: Strategies for Career Success". "Still, most job hunters don't get that."

It makes sense that job seekers resist the specialist label. "They don't want to risk losing out on opportunities, so they play it safe and position themselves as generalists," she continued.

But you have to resist if you want to land a job. "Know your specialty -- your unique brand and offerings."

Your resume, cover letter, your elevator pitch, and interview answers all have to reflect that specialty.

6. Does anyone know I'm here?:
When you're in the troughs of job searching it's easy to think no one knows you exist. That's what's so great about the Internet and social networking sites. While they shouldn't replace contact with real people, these sites are a great way to raise your profile when you're unemployed.

Story: Jobs growth may pick up, but not by that much

"Find a blog that is relevant to your career goal and become a frequent commenter on it," said Laurence Shatkin, author of "2011 Career Plan." "This assumes you have something worthwhile to contribute."

Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, among other more targeted social networking sites, also offer visibility.

"With either of these, you have to establish an account that's only for professional purposes—that is, it informs readers only about things relevant to your job function," he said. "If you want to post your vacation photos or tweet about your kid's birthday party, use a personal account."

Eve Tahmincioglu writes the weekly "Your Career" column for msnbc.com and chronicles workplace issues in her blog, CareerDiva.net.

Job Search

Monday, January 3, 2011

“I've got job-search burnout” plus 2 more

“I've got job-search burnout” plus 2 more

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