PBJ - People Between Jobs

PBJ - People Between Jobs

( 7:53 AM ) axmc

Fight Age Discrimination: Knowledge is Key

From this week's Fortune Magazine:

. . . such large numbers of 50-plus managers have already been put out to pasture through layoffs and early-retirement programs that the only people left to make hiring decisions in many companies are, well, young enough to think 50 is older than dirt. But the main culprit, it seems, is the rotten job market. Says ExecuNet CEO Dave Opton: "When job seekers outnumber the available jobs, employers use age as one way to quickly screen out candidates."

Getting past that brick wall isn't easy. Don't bother pretending to be younger. "Forget about the superficial stuff like cosmetic surgery and dyeing your hair," says David Carpe, a principal at Clew (www.clew.us), a human resources consulting firm. "You'll just look desperate." Instead, he urges well-seasoned job hunters to stay physically fit, energetic, and upbeat. Exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep. "I see people in their 70s who are vibrant, energetic, and in great demand," says executive coach Tom Massey in Oklahoma City. "I also see 'old' 50-year-olds who are burnt out." You can decide which you're going to be.

The biggest advantage you can give yourself, says Dave Opton, is research. "With any kind of bias, whether it's age, sex, race, or what-have-you, there is a spectrum," he says. "Some people are totally open-minded, while at the other end of the range are those who are so prejudiced that you will never change their minds. Most are somewhere in the middle. If you go into an interview with detailed research showing that you understand the business, the challenges it faces, and what problems need solving, interviewers will tend to look past your age and focus on your ideas." He adds, "I believe people in their 40s and 50s have a strong work ethic that younger workers often lack—and your willingness to do thoughtful, in-depth research will demonstrate it."

Here is an excellent research site with current MBA concepts and terminology that was cited in the Fortune article. #

( 6:42 AM ) axmc

"QUANTIFYING YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS"

WHEN: February 17th – TUESDAY ( 7:00PM - 9:00PM ) (3RD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH)

Invite others and RSVP by Feb 16th to davidckrull@aol.com

WHO: From those in routine jobs to Executive positions in any industry that are: un-employed,

under-employed and businesses needing people to hire, or help to grow their businesses.

WHERE: Immanuel Lutheran Church - 200 N Plum Grove Rd Palatine, IL 60067-5233 –

DRESS: Business Casual COST: FREE

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW: NO ONE is immune from being downsized today! Regardless of your position in an organization, if a decision is made to cut staff, you are fair game. That's why it's more important than ever to keep track of your accomplishments and keep your resume up to date. The process for quantifying the results of your accomplishments goes beyond resumes. It can be used for sales brochures, website advertising, client interviews, job interviews or performance reviews.

Speaker: Dennis Hamilton - Dennis has recently been a featured speaker at the Executive Resource Group,Company of Friends and many other organizations. He is a professional trainer and consultant who has facilitated awide range of training classes and workshops. He has taught such diverse topics as instructional skills (train-the-trainer), handling employee concerns, principles of investigation, performance appraisals, and career transition workshops.

After retiring from ComEd he continued in the training field and he has designed and delivered many different supervisory training classes for two community colleges. Dennis is also a consultant at Drake Beam Morin, an international career consulting company. He conducts intensive two- and three-day workshops in the Midwest region, that give clients job hunting skills and tools for career change.

BRING: Some friends, Current Resume, Networking Brief (Hand-Bill), Business Cards, along with a smile and a genuine interest to help others. We foster a pay-it-forward attitude; with an interest in expanding everyone's network of contacts and actually helping them. In order to get employed, or stay employed in this economy, it's very important that you ALWAYS stay c-o-n-n-e-c-t-e-d. Many people find that when acts of kindness are focused to benefit others, it can turn out to be reciprocal to those that give.

We welcome speakers to volunteer for interesting and useful topics. We also welcome ANY hiring businesses to attend. For more information contact David Krull via E-mail davidckrull@aol.com or 708-686-7180 Mobile

#

( 8:46 AM ) axmc

Cover Letters & Resumes

Here is the MSN Careers link covering this topic

Cover Letters & Resumes

? 3 common resume mistakes

? 5 ways to transform your resume

? Top 20 recruiter pet peeves about resumes

? Treat your job search like an ad campaign

? Top 10 Tips for an Internet Friendly Resume

? Covering the Basics in Cover Letters

? Seven Tips for Cover Letters

? Resume Blunders

? Avoid the Top Ten Resume Mistakes

? Bean Counting No More

? Burn Your Resume, Build a Resume Portfolio

? Cover Letter Q&A

? Expert Cover Letter Tips

? Formatting Your Resume on CareerBuilder.com

? How To Address Gaps in Your Career History

? How-To Guide: Resumes

? Location, Location, Location!

? Making Your Resume Work FOR You

? Mix it up for results!

? Posting Multiple Resumes

? Resume Makeover

? Resumes and C.V.s -- What's the Difference?

? Ten Tips for Creating a Cover Letter That Gets Results!

? Top Secrets of Resume Writing

? Want Experience? Summer Jobs Beef Up Your Resume

? Writing a Super Resume

? Your Last Workplace Became An "Historical Footnote"?

#

( 2:19 PM ) axmc

Franchising Information

From GHM

[For those interested in franchises. Fran Choice is a networking partner of GHM.]]

Whether it's pet care, personal services, residential cleaning, tutoring and
education services, retail, food, automotive, interior decorating and sales,
home based or business to business, there is a franchise business that
appeals to just about everyone.

There's a new trend that is gaining in popularity and that is setting up one
spouse in an entrepreneurial business activity like a franchise while the
other spouse continues to work the corporate structure. This new trend has
been brought about by the complete unpredictability associated with job
cuts, layoffs, acquisitions, downsizing and rifs, all of which are
synonymous with unemployment. It's kind of like insurance, or as a recent
article in the Jan. 23rd Edition of Chicago Tribune characterized it, "It's
more of a backstop - getting started with this thing just in case."

Franchising is a viable alternative to the unemployment line and the
corporate job search. It provides a formula for freedom and a pathway to
independence. Don't misunderstand me, it is still hard work and it is not a
get rich quick scheme. It requires money, focus and dedication but the
rewards can be significant. The beauty is that with franchising, you don't
have to reinvent the wheel. The franchise offers a tried and proven method
or business model and training, not only in the opportunity but also in the
running of the business.

My company, FranChoice, offers a free, no strings attached, service designed to help people find their piece of the American dream. With over 5000
possible choices of franchise opportunities available to the general public,
finding the right one can be a daunting task for even the most skilled. The
FranChoice program is designed to help you find your ideal match. For
further information please visit my web page at http://RPope@FranChoice.com
or just give me a call at 1-800-780-3985.

Richard Pope
Independent FranChoice Consultant
Phone: 480-575-2705 Fax: 480-488-3251
Toll Free: 800-780-3985
Web Page: http://RPope.FranChoice.com
Email: RPope@FranChoice.com

#

( 9:04 AM ) axmc

Ask the Headhunter

Here is a great article from this site courtesy of GHM.

What's the best way to reply to job listings?

Question
You recommend spending only a limited amount of time on responding to job listings. Still, many listings do represent real opportunities with solid, growing companies who know they have a need. So, here's the question: How should one respond to the listing that looks worthwhile, but doesn't show a company name, and which demands a resume with salary history?

Nick's Reply
I don't recommend spending any time at all on job listings. But the job listings are like a bug light; they have an attraction. The answer to your question is hidden in what you wrote. Please consider what you're saying:

1. Still, many listings do represent real opportunities with solid, growing companies who know they have a need.
2. How should one respond to the listing that looks worthwhile, but doesn't show a company name?

See the contradiction? If there's no company name, how do you know it's a real opportunity? If it's "real" and "worthwhile", the company will include its name in order to leverage its great reputation. If a good company needs to hide its identity, it will use a headhunter to do the search quietly, and the headhunter won't solicit thousands of resumes.

Now consider the kind of "blind ad" you're talking about. Imagine the deluge of resumes this "company" will get. (It may not be an employer advertising at all. It could be someone gathering personal information for purposes we're not going to cover here.) The deluge will be full of utter garbage. If that's the "opportunity" you're worrying about, don't. Top companies with great jobs don't run blind ads on job boards.

That said, there are undoubtedly some good, legit jobs on the boards. I don't think it's worth trying to find them because they're not likely to be filled via the boards. Studies done by job-board watcher CareerXroads shows that companies make no more than about 3% of their new hires from the boards. Those are the odds you're facing, assuming you're the right candidate.

So, what if you actually find a legit job posting? How do you apply? Don't. Forget about responding to the ad. Go to the company directly through your own channels. Find the manager and arrange an introduction by a credible intermediary. That takes a lot of work, but the value of an applicant to a company is directly related to the value of the introduction. Job boards: 3%. Personal contacts: 40-70% (that's how many jobs are found and filled through personal contacts). Is there any question about how to spend your time?

If you want a meaningful edge, you've got to demonstrate your credibility by finding someone who is trusted by the hiring manager and demonstrating that it behooves them to recommend you. There's nothing easy about it. But that's as it should be, no? How else can a company separate the wheat from the chaff, when it's got 5,000 resumes a day coming in the door and no easy -- or effective -- way to sift through them?

Reconsider: Is that job posting really a good one? The odds are tiny. And if you find a good one, do you really want to be one of those 5,000 resumes? While your resume is aging in a data base, my candidate is having lunch with the hiring manager. The thing is, what I do as a headhunter is no mystery. It's basic, dopey stuff. But it requires focus, patience, and persistence -- and a lot of work.

So maybe the calculation leaves you thinking, "Geez, why should I do all that work to meet the right people, when there's still no guarantee? Screw it -- I'll just play the numbers and zap out 10,000 resumes to increase my chances!" If you do it my way, whether you land a job or not, you've met several good people in your business -- contacts that could stand you well for years if you cultivate them. Contacts that will stimulate new ideas and possibilities you never thought of.

Your way, you've got bupkus. You don't know what company you're applying to. You've talked with no one. You have developed no new information; no new insight; no new vantage point; no new friends to introduce you to yet more new friends. There is none of that in sending a resume to an ad -- much less to a blind ad (where the company is not named). Now please try and answer the very last part of your question yourself: Should you send your resume, filled with personal information including your salary history to someone you don't know?

Like I said, doing it the right way isn't easy. But it works 40-70% of the time, if what you want is odds. Even if you don't get the job, communicating with real people always pays off. #

( 9:59 AM ) axmc

Free Agent

Here is a link to the book Free Agent Nation . I expect that it is also available in local outlets on Grape Road. #

( 9:57 AM ) axmc

Body Language

From GHM

Entire article can be found here

Body-Language Tactics That Sway Interviewers

Posture, eye contact, and other nonverbal communication can speak volumes about your feelings and attitudes. Here's how to impress hiring managers with mannerisms that project confidence and enthusiasm.

Eugene Raudsepp, CareerJournal

January 30, 2004

Before a job interview, do you peruse magazines or review prepared notes? When the meeting begins, do you wait to be told where to sit or choose your own chair? And do you give passionately expressive or carefully controlled responses?

In each of these instances, your body language speaks volumes about how you'd perform at a company. In fact, some experts say nonverbal cues are more important than verbal ones. According to these studies, body language comprises 55% of the force of any response, whereas the verbal content only provides 7%, and "paralanguage," or the intonation, pauses and sighs given when answering, represents 38% of the emphasis.

Jo-Ann Vega, president of JV Career and Human Resources Consulting Services in Nyack, N.Y., says body language is so important that it frequently torpedoes what we say.

"Our nonverbal messages often contradict what we say in words," says Ms. Vega. "When we send mixed messages or our verbal messages don't jibe with our body statements, our credibility can crumble because most smart interviewers believe the nonverbal."

Laid-off managers are a case in point. They're often so traumatized by their terminations that they appear downcast, even when discussing their strengths, says Ms. Vega. Difficult questions can throw them off balance, and their anxiety may cause them to fidget or become overly rigid, she says.

Since nonverbal communication is more eloquent, honest and accurate than verbal communication, such actions reveal your inner confidence. While words can deceive—many people don't mean what they say or say what they mean—body language is subconscious. Since it's more spontaneous and less controlled, it shows our true feelings and attitudes.

Still, most people discount the importance of nonverbal communication because their education and training placed more emphasis on spoken words. To become more adept at interpreting and using body language, heighten your awareness of nonverbal signals and learn to trust your "gut" instinct. Then, when interviewing, use the following tips to accentuate body language that stresses professionalism and performance.

The First Moments
Realize that you're being judged as soon as you arrive at the company. Set the right tone by being early, then use the extra time to compose yourself. When waiting for interviewers, don't open your briefcase to review notes you've prepared. Instead, glance through available magazines or literature in the waiting area.

This creates the impression that you're relaxed before stressful events, and helps you project confidence during the critical early moments of the interview.

If a receptionist or secretary indicates that the interviewer is ready to see you, enter his or her office as though you belonged. Knocking on the door, or opening it and peeking in, shows hesitation, which may be interpreted as a lack of confidence.

Greet your interviewer with a firm, sincere handshake. More than a few candidates have betrayed their nervousness by extending limp, clammy palms, and shaking hands weakly.

Don't start talking immediately, fumble with your briefcase or dive into a chair. If you aren't invited to sit, choose a chair across from or aside the interviewer's desk. Avoid soft lounge chairs or couches, which can prevent you from rising easily. And don't ask if and where you should sit.

If your interviewer receives a phone call during the meeting, select and review material from your briefcase to give him or her a sense of privacy. Don't show annoyance about the interruption or offer to leave the office. Many interviewers purposely take calls to determine if you'll react adversely to office disruptions.

How Close Can You Get?
Like anyone else, interviewers become uncomfortable if their personal space, or preferred distance from others, is invaded. Extraverted interviewers prefer a "social zone" of between 18 and 48 inches from their bodies, while introverts need more space.

Try to gauge interviewers' preferred distance by their seating arrangements. Move closer only if they seem skeptical about what you're saying. Other attempts to seem "friendly" by moving closer are likely to be threatening. For instance, some interviewers deliberately "interrogate" applicants by sitting or standing closer than they prefer.

When emphasizing key points, project sincerity and confidence by leaning forward, maintaining eye contact and using expressive gestures. Leaning back and looking down may be interpreted as a lack of confidence.

How Do You Speak?
How you say something often is more meaningful than what you say. Use a natural tone and don't deviate from your normal speaking rate, volume, rhythm, pitch, breathiness or resonance. Secure applicants have relaxed, warm and well-modulated voices that match their feelings, allowing them to appropriately express excitement, enthusiasm and interest during conversations.

Conversely, insecure candidates can't control their voice pitch and volume. They have weak, soft, hesitant or tremulous voices, and clear their throats, use "uhs" and "ums" or other nervous mannerisms excessively. Others mask their insecurity by speaking in complex, involved sentences.

Maintain Eye Contact
Candidates with secure self-esteem alter their facial expressions to match their message, rather than perpetually wearing the same one. They smile when saying something friendly, and maintain good eye contact, which signifies openness and honesty.

Less-assured candidates don't maintain eye contact, act shy or ashamed or smile at inappropriate times. They may appear downcast or pleading, or drop their eyes and heads, giving them an untrustworthy appearance.

Be cognizant of interviewers' expressions as well. If they don't maintain eye contact, it may mean they're anxious, irritated, disinterested or that they want the conversation to end. An interviewer who looks up may be uncomfortable, trying to remember something or doesn't believe your answer.

Don't overdo eye contact with interviewers, however. A gaze that lasts longer than seven to 10 seconds can cause discomfort or anxiety. Also, don't stare at interviewers during long silences, since it only increases the tension.

Posture and Gestures
Even if you're motionless, your posture communicates a message. Managers who put their feet up on desks and their hands behind their heads are saying that they feel confident, dominant or superior, a soldier standing at attention is showing deference to authority and a subordinate who stands rigidly with hands on hips signals defiance or dislike.

Confident applicants have relaxed, balanced postures. They hold their bodies upright, walk freely with their arms swinging and take determined strides. Less-assured candidates, on the other hand, have rigid or stooped postures, drag or shuffle their feet when walking and take short, choppy strides.

Strive for posture that's as free and natural as your speaking style, but don't be too controlled or rehearsed, says Ms. Vega, who advises applicants to "let some of the passion out." When your movements are in sync with your words, you'll seem confident, expressive and controlled.

Reading Interviewers
Hiring managers also use gestures to convey specific messages. Nodding signifies approval and encourages applicants to continue talking, while leaning forward shows they're interested. Folded arms, crossed legs, picking imaginary lint from clothing or running their fingers along their noses are signs that an interviewer disagrees with you. Thumb twiddling, finger drumming and other fidgeting mannerisms mean the interviewer isn't paying attention.

Guard against using similar gestures or betraying your nervousness by clenching or wringing your hands. Other actions that convey stress include holding your legs or arms tensely, perching on the edge of a chair or playing with a watch or ring.

One caveat: Don't imagine a hidden meaning in every gesture. For example, if an interviewer rubs her nose while you're speaking, she may just have an itchy nose. Try to gauge the situation when seeking the meaning to a mannerism. Most experts look for clues in groups of gestures, not random ones.

Nevertheless, communicating the right nonverbal signals can help you convey an enthusiastic, positive and confident attitude during job interviews. And learning to read interviewers' cues can improve your prospects as well.

#

People Between Jobs (PBJ) is an outreach program of the First Presbyterian Church, Elkhart IN. PBJ is a resource point for those in job or career transition. Contact us at http://presby.net