Ups & Downs

“You don’t want to work at being seen, it’s better to be seen working.”

That’s what one of the staffers of the Duane Reade Pharmacy at the corner of 42nd Street and 8th Avenue in Times Square in New York City said Thursday when I stepped into the store’s elevator.

It was just a chance meeting, but the lesson is a good one!

As the elevator door opened, the man was polishing/cleaning the stainless steel inside. I smiled and said,”Ahh, caught you working!"

He chuckled and delivered the perfect line: “You don’t want to work at being seen, its better to be seen working.” He continued polishing that elevator with such a sparkle in his eye, that it put a smile on my face and made me happy for him.

This man got me thinking about all the other jobs hardworking American’s perform everyday without notice.

It got me re-focused on the jobs people have or don't have, and the struggles most are going through these days.

I created my Dear Job Hunter blog in June, 2010, but during most of this year, I’ve been so focused on making sure my own little company survives, that I haven’t had a chance to keep-up with this blog, that I’ve been told by my readers, is REALLY needed during these tough times.

So my chance meeting with the Duane Reade employee gives me the perfect chance to get back to writing and talking about something that is affecting EVERYONE in America in someway.

It was the perfect day to re-engage on Dear Job Hunter because I was travelling from New York City to Chicago with a several hour delay at LaGuardia Airport. It was a good week, having attended a CNN launch party for my close friend, Erin Burnett. Erin has a great new job and career. She’s a pro!

For most journalists, Erin has the ultimate job...she is the television news anchor of a new primetime general news program on CNN called OutFront. The show begins Monday, October 3, 2011.

It was great to see how happy Erin was about her new job! However, Erin’s job wasn’t the only job I took notice of during this visit to NYC. I spoke to a website code writer, a global insurance executive, flight attendants, TSA staffers, cab drivers, clerks, ticket agents, baggage handlers, waiters and busboys. The list goes on-and-on.

I thought how great that all of these people have jobs…and by golly…most seem happy doing what they do every day.

After I boarded my plane, I read a cover story called The New Faces of Poverty in USA Today about those who have lost their jobs…then their homes…and the rest of their American Dream. The story details how hard it is for people to give up their pride while relying on food banks, friends and families to help. Even with all the turmoil, they keep going…keep looking for work…and keep hoping they will find their way back to positive territory in their checkbooks, savings accounts and their lives in general. Some have found work; others work several jobs to make ends meet. And, then there are those who take jobs they would never have dreamed of in a better economy.

It takes all kinds of people and jobs to make the world go-round, but when life feeds you lemons, its amazing how many people are able to make lemonade.

The quote from the Duane Reade employee will stay with me forever!

I thank you Duane Reade employee for sharing your wisdom with me, and now my readers!

Let’s hope that the world can find its way out of this recession…and when we do...make sure that you’re seen working! There’s NO substitute for hard work when it comes to landing and keeping a job!

In closing, there are approximately 14-million people out of work!

Dear Job Hunter wants to hear what you are doing to find a job and your story of pride and perseverance!

Thanks for reading!

Trish

You can comment directly here on this blog or email by privately at: trishhoffman@gmail.com.

The President's Job Council Gets a Makeover

Makeover shows are all the rage in America…now the President has jumped into the act.

Today, President Obama announced he is revamping his job council by appointing GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt as the new chair to the council. It will be named the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. No word yet on whom else will serve on this council. The current chair is former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volker who is said to be stepping down next month according to an Associated Press story.



According CNBC.com, Mr. Obama said, "We still have a long way to go, and my number one priority is to ensure we are doing everything we can to get the American people back to work.”

The President added that many businesses have created new positions, but still too many American’s are not working!

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as of December 2010, 14.5 million American’s were unemployed, which is down from 15.2 million a year ago. That means some 556,000 people landed a job. The December unemployment rate is down to 9.4 percent. 

So Dear Job Hunter wants to know what you think of this “makeover” and whom you think should be on this council?

Finally…is all of this a little too late?

Dear Job Hunter Wants to Know

How are employers viewing job candidates with decreasing FICO scores and tarnished credit reports?

Please post your comments. You can also email me privately at TrishHoffman@gmail.com.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Trish Hoffman

Disclaimer: Dear Job Hunter does not offer job opportunities, guarantee work or future employment opportunities. Sorry!

A Working Passion

In the Summer 2010 issue of Connecticut College Magazine I read an article by Rachel Harrington in the Lives section. It’s about Nicholas Leichter (Class of ’94), who founded Nicholas Leichter Dance, a New York-based contemporary dance company two years after graduation.

In the article Leichter is quoted as saying, “When you’re younger, you want to focus solely on passion. But as you get older, it’s really important to be multifaceted.”

Leichter says he would like to just dance and teach, but also must work on fundraising for his dance company. He apparently has passion for his work.

His story and that quote made me think… Can we spend our careers without being passionate about what we do every single day? Without passion, isn’t work…well, just work?

Webster defines “passion” as a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object or concept.

Webster defines “work” as an activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something.

So what if we connect the two? Let’s see if we can come-up with the answer...Working is an activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something with a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object or concept…

Wow!! I am not rewriting Webster, just looking for ways to make us realize passion prevails!

Another good example…I recently attended the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP) conference where I met Dr. Michael G. McMillan. Dr. McMillan is the Director, Curriculum Projects at the CFA Institute in Charlottesville Virginia. He was on a panel moderated by Ginny Clarke, author of the upcoming book Career Mapping.

That panel underscored the importance of networking, education, career planning and developing a 10-second elevator pitch. Dr. McMillan stressed the need for having passion to excel in life personally and professionally. Without passion, it is just work!

Dr. McMillan joined CFA Institute in October of 2008 after more than a decade as a professor of accounting and finance at Johns Hopkins University's Carey School of Business and George Washington University's School of Business. Before that he was a securities analyst and portfolio manager at Bailard, Biehl, and Kaiser and Merus Capital Management in San Francisco, California.

Dr. McMillan said he always returns to academia. It’s his passion!

And therein is the lesson…you NEED to look for your passion!

In today’s shrinking job market with millions of people looking for work, it is hard to place passion at the top of the list when listing pro’s and con’s for a new job.

We better like what we do because we are spending an awful lot of time doing it!

A Dear Job Hunter recipe: Try mixing in one-third passion with two-thirds work, maybe that’s a step in the right direction and maybe, just maybe that’s when we’ll be good at what we do and our work will be good to us!

Please post your comments below. If you would like to comment privately, please email me at trishhoffman@gmail.com.

Trish Hoffman

Headhunters at Work: DO NOT DISTURB

From the mailbag...

Looks like Dear Job Hunter inspired a fellow blogger.

When I first reached out to LinkedIn to find out how its members can search for a new job while keeping their current boss from finding out, LinkedIn hooked me up quickly! Several of its chosen members, who work with the media on LinkedIn's behalf, were in touch with me...and continue to follow up...thank goodness!

That Dear Job Hunter blog post, LinkedIn, Locked and Loaded...But Don't Hit That Send Button, inspired blogger Joseph Higginbotham of "Higginbotham At Large".

Trish:

The question you asked Linkedin is one that I’ve gotten so often that I decided to go ahead and write a blog post about it.

From Joseph Higginbotham

Joseph took the angle of Headhunters, and whether or not its a good idea to contact one while looking for a job.

The answer is in my headline...NO...leave them alone.

Seems as though, headhunters only want to work with those who aren't actively looking for a job. They prefer to reach out to those who fly under-their-radar and have their nose to the grindstone.

So if reaching out to headhunters doesn't sound like the most effective route to take while job hunting...maybe you have a little birdie tell a huntheader you are!!!

To check-out more of Joseph's blog click here. Thanks Joseph, I enjoyed working with you.

For my readers, please remember to post your comments here and tell us what your biggest challenge is in YOUR job search.

If you prefer to comment privately please email me at trishhoffman@gmail.com.

Trish

Look at the Big Picture when Searching for Jobs and Interships

Today’s a rainy day in Chicago. As I put on my heels to head outside, my partner said…your nice shoes are going to get soaked! As I jumped the puddles in an effort to stay dry and save my soles, I started to think about today’s column and asked myself:

How can Dear Job Hunter help readers remember the obvious when job hunting to save their souls?

I didn’t have to go far to seek out an answer or two…my trail started with a newspaper article from the WSJ, which in turned sent me searching….you guessed it…online.

It seems paying jobs aren’t the only things being affected…internships are too. Jay Walker of the Wall Street Journal, citing the National Association of Colleges and Employers, writes “the number of interns that employers planned to hire declined 20.7% between 2008 and 2009.”

Walker also says, some students delay graduation to be able to take advantage of internships in order to receive school credit. Others that strike-out on landing an internship may have just decided to graduate without one.

This phenomena is a bit surprising to me as I would think companies would take advantage of this somewhat “free labor” during these tough economic times. One problem could be that many schools have gotten rid of their recruiters, whose job it was to assist students seeking internships. Those same recruiters would also interact with companies offering those type of positions.

So without that conventional way of finding an internship, many students are being forced to get creative about finding a company that is offering internships.

One option…social media.

Every-time you turn around, you hear how social media is the place to find a new job; a place to research a company you want to work for; or a place to actually read what insiders have to say about a company. Apply those same social media principles when you hunt for an internship. AND, remember to check the company’s actual websites.

Take time to search for companies with a Facebook page and LinkedIn profiles.

Now is also a good time for me to mention the other side of the coin when it comes to things like posting your info on Facebook. It never ceases to amaze me at what personal info people post on their pages. Remember, perspective employers can access that fairly easily, so watch what you write….what may be funny today, may not be funny tomorrow in the job world!

In a separate article written by Joe Walker in the WSJ entitled Firms Invest Big in Career Sites, he writes that many companies are spending big bucks on their websites to not just find good candidates, but to stay ahead of their competition.

So Dear Job Hunter suggests you stay ahead of the game and look at the big picture by making a wish list of where you would like to work…then go to the specific company’s website and search all social media outlets for that company.

If your field seems too full to land an internship or a paid position, consider branching out. For instance, if you have studied finance at school and a financial institution isn’t hiring or offering internships, then consider branching out and apply for a job in a completely different sector that still involves a form of finance…like a retailer, a developer, or something on the business side of Hollywood.

Dear Job Hunter wants to know what your biggest challenge regarding your job hunt.

Post your comments here on Dear Job Hunter or email me privately at trishhoffman@gmail.com

Trish Hoffman

Making Yourself Standout in the Numbers Game

While researching for today’s column, I found so many dismal stories about the job market…and for those searching for work I don’t have to tell you the market stinks.

According to Mort Zukerman of the Financial Times, one in six Americans are out of work…that means 6.7 million people! The longer someone is out of work, the harder it is to get a job…anywhere!

When the recession started in 2007, there were less than two job hunters for every job opening. Just twenty months later more than six people applied for the same job. Today, we are told we are in a better position with just 5.6 people applying for the same job according to the chart published by the Economy Policy Institute's Economy Track.

Are we counting all job hunters, even those who have given up hope? Is that sector of the job hunting market even traceable? Reports say Americans do want to work…there just aren’t enough jobs to go around, according to a story by Lawrence Mishel, who writes in The Huffington Post.

So how do you separate yourself from the pack and get noticed?

Last week I placed a good friend of mine, career expert Ginny Clarke, on Oprah Radio. Ginny appeared on the Derek Ashong Experience. Most recently, Ginny was a partner at the global executive search firm, Spencer Stuart. Today, Ginny is an executive consultant directing people to stand out in front of the pack during a job search.

The number one item on her list of things to do is to be sure to make your search for a job a full time job. Another must-do is to write your elevator pitch and get out there and network, network, network...so let’s get you started!

In Ginny’s blog she says, “One of the most important parts of managing relationships and effective networking is being able to tell someone about yourself in only a couple of minutes – the length of an elevator ride. What exactly would you say if you found yourself on an elevator or at a cocktail party with the hiring manager for a job you really want and you had 2-3 minutes?”

Ginny Clarke’s Do’s and Dont’s…

• Don’t try to cram your entire career into 60 seconds
• Do give highlights of most prestigious and recent roles, including company name and title
• Don’t assume people know or understand your space
• Do describe and quantify – industry segment, budget, revenues, employees, etc.

• Don’t oversell or ask favors – you are meeting for the first time
• Do be clear about what you think your strengths are
• Don’t be one-dimensional in your commentary
• Do offer an interesting personal fact about yourself

You can read more tips from Ginny at www.mycareermapping.com.

Please comment right here on Dear Job Hunter, or email me privately at trishhoffman@gmail.com

Trish Hoffman