Okay, so it’s getting scarily close to seasonal holiday hiring and unemployed folks are getting mega stressed, pulling at straws and their hair (if any is left!), threatening acts of desperation like just taking a job…any job, anywhere to do anything at anytime.
Just because there’s a train coming, doesn’t mean you need to jump in front of it.
If you need to work “beneath your means” I’m all for that and trying to jump on that bandwagon as well; what I’m saying is look for a position in a location that will bring clientele to that area or merchant where people who can help you can be found and see you. I call it getting paid to network. If you are going to have to take some grunt job somewhere bagging, pulling, pushing, stocking, stuffing or whatever, at least do it at a place that will bring better prospects to you. Engage yourself in a job where you can chat amongst the customers and possibly land another job. Read up and try a book store or office supply outlet where corporations and small businesses shop for their office and you might find a target person willing to hear your story. Working at some large supermarket might not be as wise as people are in a big hurry wanting to get in, get those few items and skedaddle – not a lot of time to pick ones’ brain or spend any time networking.
If you take something without thinking it through, you can find yourself more depressed, despondent and frustrated, you’ll hate yourself for it (even though you’re getting paid) and it can do more harm than good. Be discriminating in your desperation. My dad always said, “Haste makes waste.”
Another strategic and viable option this time of year to give you a boost is search for Staffing Agencies that service your industry and commute parameters. Talk to them and let them do the work for you. They will review your resume, interview you and then send you out recommended and pre-approved. It’s better than walking in the door cold; there’s a third-party relationship that is time-tested. Staffing Agencies have the capacity to pay an array of benefits after working so many hours until you get hired by a Client. Jobs run the gamut from temp, direct-to-hire and everything in-between. Always do the research, make some calls and talk to people as many of these, too, can be a waste of time. Find the ones that give you one-on-one service and support and are truly out there to get you hired. Others are more interested in creating a database so enormous, they boast their numbers to show popularity, but don’t send you out on calls or are caring about your individual interests or skill-sets. Try to find out the Agency’s forte and how many others are in your qualifications profile – the prospects you’ll be competing with for the position. See if you can hook up with folks already working for them to check on the Agency’s placement percentages.
I’ve been talking with unemployed people all over California and so many of us are now trying to get out of the mind-set of job-support workshops; after all, how can you get hired in a room of unemployed people? Many are switching to professional networking groups of people employed in a sector that have immediate and working contacts that can get us in front of hiring managers quick. The only complication here is there are more of them then us but more and more are populating and “crashing” these mixers. What I suggest is contacting the sponsors and organizers of these events, let them know you are “in transition” and can they possibly introduce you to some target companies at their next event. Tell them you’ll bring a friend or two to help drum up business for them.
Again, whatever it is you’re doing to job-search, be as creative and forward-thinking as possible and please think everything out before you act or react; I read somewhere that winners are simply losers that got up one more time and tried it again. I like that.
Be that winner and keep trying!
And again, thanks for surfing my wave!
Why Just Look For A Job? Create One!™
TheUnemployMENTOR – email@theunemploymentor.com
