Unfortunately, it’s that time of year when projects start coming to a close or budgets are analyzed and when many of us are faced with the threat of layoffs, just in time for the Christmas holidays.
I was talking with a NaNoWriMo participant a week or so ago, and she was telling me how her contract comes up at the end of December. I asked her if she was looking for another job yet, and she seemed surprised by the suggestion. As usual, I was surprised by this surprise. She’s starting to worry about having nothing to go to after this project, but she’s taking no steps to help herself transition somewhere else.
I hear this far too often.
Recently, I came across some great advice for people facing a layoff in one of Monster’s newsletters that would help people like my fellow WriMo.
Elements of a layoff
1. Shock Factor- You hear it time and time again: "I never thought it would happen to me." Denial has a powerful draw when you’re facing the end of a job, one you may have thought would be yours for years to come. But it is not very empowering.
It’s time to wake up and smell the pink slip. If your company is going through a reduction in its workforce, the ax may eventually fall your way. If you decide on your own that you may be the next to go, you’ll be one step ahead of the executioner.
2. Resume in Order- We know how important it is to have an updated resume ready to go in case something happens. But how many of us really keep our resumes constantly updated?
The good news is you haven’t been laid off — yet. So you still have time to get your house in order. As a first step, pull out your resume and update it today. If you are lucky enough to keep you job during the bloodletting, don’t consider this wasted effort. It will be ready to go should you decide to make a job change in the future.
3. Put Together Your Portfolio- You keep saying you will make a copy of the training program you developed to keep in your home files just in case, but you never get around to it. Now would be a really good time to take care of such things. HR professionals know from planning layoffs that people may not be given the opportunity to go back to their desks and collect everything they’ve ever worked on.
4. Hello. Remember Me?- Put your networking hat back on and get out there. This is the time to get in touch with the people you haven’t contacted for a while. If you do it now before the layoff, your contact can be positive. If you wait until you are out on the street, people will feel the only reason you are calling them is to use them. That may not lead to a very warm welcome.
5. Determine Your Next Move- If your job were to disappear tomorrow, what would you want to do? Would your next move require that master’s degree you’ve have been thinking about getting for the last four years? Would you like to pick up and move to a new location? Now is a great time to do some research so if the ax does fall, you’re one step closer to your next move.
6. Get Your Finances in Order- How long could you survive if you were laid off tomorrow? Take a look at where your money is going and see if there are areas where you can cut back. Tighten your belt and add money to your savings. The more you can stretch your dollars, the less tempted you’ll be to jump at the first job that comes your way. Plan now and you will be in a much stronger position to hold out for just the right thing.
7. Get Ready- Are you still willing to sit back and say it can never happen to you? You could be right. But it is better to be prepared for the unthinkable just in case you’re wrong. If you are laid off and you have prepared yourself for the situation, you will be that much further ahead in moving your career forward once again.
In this day and age, layoffs are inevitable. Make sure you’re ready to get through being laid off successfully.
Posted by Rebecca as Changing careers at 9:38 AM EST
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From Sologig.com’s newsletter:
Whether you have been continuously doing contract work or are just tired of the work you’ve been doing for years, you may be thinking of starting your own business. This can be an exciting, liberating, and an often nerve-racking journey towards self-fulfillment. Here are four of the risks often associated with entrepreneurship:
Time Mismanagement
Many businesses fail within the first year because the owner couldn’t balance their work and leisure time. You are not going into business to spend every waking minute working. At the same time, it is important to make sure you are not spending too much time in front of the television or on the golf course during these beautiful summer months.
Organizational Skills
Organization is half the battle when trying to run a business. It is hard to maintain all of the information you will need at a moments notice if your office is in constant disarray. Not to mention being unorganized can distract you from your work.
Lack of Marketing
Most new businesses do not have the funds for a large marketing budget. However, if your name is not getting out there, someone else’s may be.
Fear of Failure
Sure there is a chance an entrepreneurship may not advance exactly as envisioned. For every risk worth taking, there is an opportunity for great success.
Posted by Rebecca as Entrepreneurship at 11:28 AM EST
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This morning, I was pulled from sleep with the strangest dream of a familiar musical tune tugging at the edge of my consciousness. Then I was yanked viciously from my warm bed as another familiar tune played, and I realized it was the VoIP. I’m glad I answered it, it was actually the temp agency calling to give me some work at a company I enjoy working for. Forty-five minutes later, I was dressed, breakfast in hand, and walking in the door (not bad for having to drive down I-5 in rush hour traffic half-awake to a company I normally bus to). I had an interesting conversation about knowledge management, wikis, and potential career moves I could currently pursue with one of the gentlemen who works there, but that is a subject for another post.
Today, I’d like to share some thoughts from Monster.com’s Contract and Temporary Newsletter on how to present your temporary experiences on your resume to help a prospective employer gain a better sense of who you are professionally:
Temporary employment is becoming increasingly popular with both staff and employers. Workers are realizing that they can enjoy top pay and diverse work environments, while companies see the value of bringing in temp workers to fill short-term vacancies or take on special projects. Temporary employment is available in a variety of fields for staff at all levels.
Temporary work does present certain resume challenges. Here are a few common questions and solutions:
Q: Should I write the name of the temp agency or the company under the Employment section?
A: Consider including both — it is best not to give the impression that you were employed by a company rather than a temporary worker. Here are a couple of ways to handle the employment heading:
ABC Company (DEF Temp Agency), 1999 to present
Office Clerk
or
DEF Temp Agency, 1995 to present
Office Clerk
Key assignments:
ABC Company:
Description, project highlights, results
DEF Company:
Description, project highlights, results
GHI Company:
Description, project highlights, results
Q: My temp work makes me look like a job-hopper. What can I do?
A: The best way to format your temp work depends on your specific situation, but try grouping similar experiences under one heading (e.g. Tax Accountant, 1995 to present). Then provide a bulleted list of your best temp assignments.
Q: What can I do to make my resume stand out from the crowd?
A: Instead of just listing your job skills, describe the benefits and results of your performance. For each temp assignment, develop a list of major accomplishments, placing the most emphasis on your recent achievements. When thinking about your accomplishments, it is helpful to use the Problem-Action-Result (PAR) technique. What problems or challenges did you face? What actions did you take to overcome the problems? What was the result or benefit to the company? Keep in mind that most companies value workers who enhance profits, save time, and save money.
Q: Are there certain qualities that I need to emphasize as a temporary worker?
A: Whether you are searching for a temp position or need to showcase your temp experience, there are attributes that many temp workers share. Some of the skills include adaptability/flexibility, ability to rapidly learn new tasks, and ability to prioritize. Your industry-specific skills that relate to your current career goal and past record of performance should also be highlighted. You can showcase your top credentials in a well-written Career Summary statement. This allows temp agencies and employers to see your key qualifications at a glance.
Posted by Rebecca as Changing careers at 5:37 PM EST
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If you’re anything like me currently, you’re spending a number of hours pursuing a career. So what do you do when, after a series of unsuccessful interviews, you finally get one to make an offer?
There is a school of thought (okay, it’s usually called the "I can’t take the pressure from my family/friends/enemies anymore" syndrome) that you should take this job offer without question because nobody else is going to take you. I’ve fallen victim to this syndrome myself. It’s never once had a happy ending. I don’t recommend it to anybody else.
Instead, follow some good advice (Oops, was that a kind word for Monster.com?) , and take the time to carefully think about the job offer. You may find that you’ll be much happier with your acceptance or refusal, and defending your decision wil be much simpler.
Found via one of Monster’s e-mail newsletters.
Posted by Rebecca as Changing careers at 10:19 AM EST
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Here is a useful visualization exercise from UC-Berkeley’s Career Center.
While the idea of a visualization can seem a bit frightening, or in the words of certain family members "new age", there has been evidence to show that it can be a very useful and powerful tool for people in any discipline. (Most of the studies I’ve seen have related to either sports, the upper eschelons of corporations, or job seekers.)
A visualization can serve many purposes: to help you prepare for an upcoming event, to help you make a decision, to help you set a course of action. The important part here is to keep your visualizations positive, since you are more than likely searching for a positive outcome.
Found via Curt Rosengren.
Posted by Rebecca as Uncategorized at 11:43 AM EST
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Ths is just a nice article debating the merits of free shipping.
As I am trying to sell my handmade jewelry, I was particularly drawn to this section: For example, say you sell custom-designed jewelry at a relatively high profit margin. Your shipping and handling fees probably aren’t very high, so you can absorb them into the price of the product without doing too much damage to your bottom line.
It’s such a good point, and could do wonders to build up my nearly non-existent customer base. Something to consider as we’re coming into the Christmas season, and I have quite a few pieces to unload.
Posted by Rebecca as Entrepreneurship at 9:33 AM EST
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Last week, I interviewed with a local staffing agency. My interviewer, one of the staffing managers, scanned my resume and tod me it was very impressive. I guess I was in a strange mood because I told her, with a laugh, "I think the word you’re looking for is ‘overqualfied’. I hear it a lot." She smiled and said that yes, that was pretty much the word that described my resume.
So, now that I’ve been declared "overqualified" across three states, I thought I’d start gathering resources for those of us who have somehow moved from "up-and-comer" status to "overqualified" status.
Tech Republic- Staring down the "overqualified" label
Monster.com article on being overqualified The article actually gives information that conflicts with nearly every other Monster article you’ll read currently, namely by suggesting that you leave out information while being mindful of the problems that can cause down the road.
Career Journal- Responding to the "overqualified" label
Quintessential Careers- Fighting the "overqualified label
Hot Jobs- job search tips for the overqualified
As usual, if your site is here and you wish it not to be, contact me and I’ll pull it. If you’d like to recommend your site or another site, contact me and I’ll take a look at it.
These links were found via one of the hits to this blog in the past week or so.
Posted by Rebecca as Changing careers at 8:09 AM EST
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Today’s post touches on a subject near to my own workspace. When I was doing my student teaching, we frequently played classical music and nature CDs while the students wrote. It often surprised me how much better they stayed on task.
As I have spent more time in the desk-bound workforce, I have found that I work a lot better, especially on rote or repetitive tasks, if I’m allowed to bring in music. At home, I nearly always have music or at least some form of sound going while I work on various tasks. Again, it just helps me gather my thoughts and stay on task, a very important role for someone who can become bored easily and wander off.
Music is a powerful environment enhancer that shouldn’t be overlooked or banned from the work environment.
Posted by Rebecca as Creativity, inspiration, and motivation at 10:44 AM EST
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I’ve spent a bit of time this weekend playing over at ResumeWiki. The site launched at the end of last week, and there are already several people who have placed their information on the site. I haven’t fully perused them, but there are some very interesting people over there. I’m looking forward to being critiqued and critiquing.
ResumeWiki is a wiki system devoted to a community where people post their resumes and then offer helpful suggestions to others in the wiki to help the community as a whole produce better resumes. You are given space for a profile (where you can state your goals for your resume), a resume, and a cover letter. If you explore the site, you’ll see that we all have different ideas of what constitutes a profile, and we’re all different in how we present our resumes. I was also interested to note that none of us has posted a cover letter, although my profile has great potential to be one.
The founder of ResumeWiki even paid me a nice compliment and added this blog to the ResourceDirectory. That’s three in-bound links in the same month, so I’m surprised and quite pleased.
One of the other users had a link to LinkedIn. It’s a networking site focused on building business relationships. I’m going to be building that resume for the rest of the week, but I really like that I’m able to include my schooling and concurrent activities on my page.
When I get everything finished, I’ll include links to them in the sidebar, although you are welcome to go check out my ResumeWiki entries through the site link above. The site is really user-friendly and pretty self-explanatory.
Posted by Rebecca as Changing careers at 10:36 AM EST
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