By Jessica Wagner

Many schools online offer a liberal arts degree preparing graduates to later become career counselors. Career counseling could not only save others financially, but help them live the financial lives they have always dreamed of living.

Unfortunately, several traditional colleges today either offer limited career counseling services or none at all to their post-grads. This leaves grads searching for employment on their own through various online search engines.

Every job hunter’s dilemma

Post-grads often find themselves sending countless resumes for job openings that might have been filled or to companies that might never respond. Post grads become confused and disgruntled, because they do not even know if the business received their resume and when they do receive a response they often do not know what company or position they even applied for.

Many online databases do not give complete information about a position. Post grads will often consult their traditional college for advice only to find out that they mostly can provide only self assessments that can be done from home. Once completed, these online self-assessments are examined by the school’s career counselor. The career counselor proceeds to detail to the student what careers would be appropriate according to the students’ character and personality traits.

Finding a competent career counselor

Post graduates need to be careful of these types of services that merely offer simple assessments and no other advice or direction, especially if the student chooses to use an outside agency that charges for their career counseling services. With the state of economy, tight job market, and high turnover, post-graduates need to find the most reputable career counselor or service for the most competitive price. A good career counselor will offer at least one complementary service to provide a few initial assessments, but not rely solely on these simple assessments. They should also be examining your past-work history, education, and work skills.

While an educated and reputable career counselor may cost more than a less educated career development professional, post-graduates need to do their research and compare the individual’s education, skills, length of experience, and costs to the post-grad for services. The difference between a career counselor and a career development professional usually pertains to the length of education and the amount they charge for their services.

A career counselor according to the National Career Development Association is defined as

“…the process of assisting individuals in the development of a life-career with focus on the definition of the worker role and how that role interacts with the life role.”

What a good career counselor should be able to do for you

Most career counselors have a liberal arts or psychology background and have gone on to masters work in a more specialized field related to career development and counseling.

Because there are so many companies and individuals capitalizing on the fact that people, especially recent graduates, are having trouble finding steady employment (related to their major), it is important to find a career counselor that charges a fair rate. It is equally important to find a career counselor that is familiar with the eleven skill sets set by the National Career Development Center.

A good career counselor will be able to listen, collaborate, respond, and provide needs based assessments and computer assisted career guidance. They are able to understand how the career search changes across the life-span and willing to work with diverse groups of people regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, etc. Before first meeting with a career counselor or even a career development professional (if money is a huge factor), it is a good idea to become familiar with some of the assessments out there. Some of these assessments, while appropriate for a starting point, merely measure personality traits.

Being a good career counselor means making sure you measure student potential through proper metrics: a combination of data and ambition.
Have you used the services of a career counselor? Would you recommend a career counselor for others who are looking for a job?

Related Posts:

5 RISKS to Getting a College Education
Staying Focused During the Job Search
Why Skills are More Important than a Job
Why It’s SO Hard to Get a Job
8 Reasons to Work While Collecting Unemployment Benefits
Five Unconventional Ways to Find a Job

And one college’s “Employment Pledge” to ease the transition

Guest Post by Philip Reed

Even at the best of times, mounting a job search can be intimidating and often, disheartening. With today’s unemployment numbers and still shaky economy, a job search can be downright terrifying.

It’s important that you don’t let the whole process of it overwhelm you by taking it one day, one resume, or one interview at a time. If you can remain focused on the individual tasks required you will present yourself to prospective employers in a far more confident and positive manner. The more confident that you appear; the higher your chances are for a successful interview and—ultimately—a job offer.

New college graduates

New graduates are facing a difficult road in getting that first job. If you’re just out of college, or will be in the next year or two, your major area of study will be a critical factor in both how quickly you land a job and how much you will earn.

If your undergraduate degree is in a field that isn’t in great demand, you may want to consider going for a masters degree in a field that is. Forbes offers a list of the best masters degrees to have in order to get a job. The top five on the list includes:

1. Physician’s assistant

2. Computer science

3. Civil engineering

4. Mathematics (statistician, actuary, high school teacher)

5. Physics

There are five others on the list, and all have mid-career earnings near the $100,000 range, and solid prospects for future employment growth. If the job prospects in the undergraduate degree you signed up for a few years ago are looking slim, a masters in any of the careers listed on the Forbes list may be advisable.

Speaking of colleges, something new is being rolled out to ease the transition from school to employment. Westwood College has a program called the “Employment Pledge”. I haven’t used the program myself, but if you were lucky enough to have obtained your training, degree, or certification at a university or college that offers it then you may have an advantage when you enter what has become a competitive and difficult job market.

An employment pledge claims that the educational institute is so confident in their training and teaching that they will pay you if you cannot find a job in your field within a predetermined amount of time. The payments aren’t enormous, but they will help you pay your bills at a critical time of your life (for up to six months) and that can take some of that job search pressure off of your shoulders. Westwood does offer degrees in some of the fields on the Forbes list.

Even without a degree in a top field—or an employment pledge—you can still conquer the job market frenzy by setting specific goals and tackling them one by one. The following list is an excellent place to start.

The resume

Make sure that yours highlights your qualifications while still giving an impression of your personality. There are many resume building tools available free online to help you structure it in the most flattering and effective way possible.

When writing a resume there’s always a temptation to overkill—don’t! No one will read a resume that’s much longer than one or two pages! Keep it as concise as possible being sure that your strongest skills and abilities are immediately obvious. An employer will sift through hundreds, perhaps thousands of resumes in an effort to fill a single job. Your resume must make the case that you are the one best suited for the job.

It will be time consuming, but it’s best to customize your resume for each job you are applying for. Highlight the skills you have that best match the job description given. If you’re skills don’t fit, it may be better to move onto the next prospect where you’ll be a better fit.

The cover letter

Separate from your resume, the cover letter should be directed to the specific person you are applying to and should outline all the additional skills, qualification or benefits that you can offer the company if hired.

The cover letter shouldn’t restate your resume so much as to highlight and supplement it. What you want to do is use the cover letter to create that “glove fit” between you and the job that’s being offered. Keep it personal, and spell out specifics on how you will be the answer to the employer’s problems.

When you approach employers, be sure to avoid the beaten path where all the heavy traffic is. Far better to make contact by unconventional means that are likely to make you stand out from the crowd.

Your personal appearance and attitude

It sounds so obvious and yet people mess it up all the time- dress appropriately for the position that you are seeking- even if you don’t have a scheduled appointment and are just dropping off a resume. If you are applying for a position in a professional office then showing up in flip flops and sweatpants is not going to get you the job.

Should you get an interview, make sure you speak clearly, make eye contact, and smile. It can be intimidating but employers want to know that you are confident in yourself and your skills because that will give them confidence in you.

No matter what job or career you are seeking, there is an employer out there that would be perfect for you. Your job now is to find them and to make sure they understand the value that you will bring to your new position.

What are you doing to find a job in this economy? Is there anything you’ve done that’s worked? Would you like to share your experience?

Related Posts:

Why Skills are More Important than a Job

Check Your Salary: Five Free Salary Analysis Tools

Staying Motivated When You’re Stuck in Neutral

Steady Paycheck VS Self-Employment; Which is Right for You?

Surviving Unemployment – One Woman’s Story

All Jobs are Temporary! (And What You Can Do About It)

By John Durfee

One of the last things you worry about when coming home from serving your country in a time of war is post-service employment. Unfortunately, there is still a bit of a struggle when it comes to finding a job with ease outside of our armed forces for our veterans.

Despite incentives to hire our country’s vets, there is still about a 15% unemployment rate among returning vets out of the more than two million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. That’s unacceptable in my book. While combat training may not translate seamlessly to the civilian job market back home, there just might be more similarities than you’d think.

To begin, you will no doubt be highly suited to a career in some facet of law enforcement or security. Both physically and mentally, your training with the military has already prepared you for this and it might be something that interests you; something you can transition to quite easily. But if you’re looking to go in an entirely new direction, here are a few tips and guidelines to keep in mind:

Visit your transition office as soon as possible

Odds are, your transition office will sponsor at least one or two job fairs a year, which will give you a solid lead on real employers out there that are more than willing to hire you with your military/life experience. Transition assistance offices help in all sorts of ways; from resume writing to networking, job hunting and interviewing. Most, if not all, seem to offer 1-3 day classes for service members to hone the skills necessary to find a civilian job.

Create a flexible resume

Whether on your own or done with the help of your local transition office, this is a key component to making yourself marketable in today’s job market. This means creating a resume that you can readily change or edit to be of benefit to the specific company you are applying for employment with.

Market yourself strategically

While you know you’ve learned very valuable lessons from your career with the military, some employers still view you as having little to no actual business skills. Some may even think you’ve even fallen behind and have no relevant job skills at all! Of course, you’ve learned so many invaluable things such as teamwork and leadership in the military.

Marketing yourself in this way, pointing out all of your relevant (and seldom seen in the civilian world) job skills that may not have looked like skills at all, just good character. Dependability, punctuality and as I mentioned before, teamwork and leadership skills. These may seem like things not worth mentioning on a resume or at an interview, but they truly are since they are not qualities that everyone possesses.

Update your wardrobe

Unless you’re applying for something hands-on and physical (contractor, construction, mechanic, etc)—odds are you’ll need to do some clothes shopping. Remember that outside of showing up in a tuxedo, you’ll likely never be too dressed up. So, find something nice!

You can only make a first impression once and unless you have degrees to back up your claims of work related skills, what you wear on that first (and second) interview will reflect heavily on what sort of person you are.

Network, network, network

I can guarantee you aren’t the only one you know coming home and job hunting in the civilian world so it is important to make yourself available. Take advantage of visits to your transition office, since they likely have a message board up (either in house, online or even both) where you can get in touch with others in your same position. Employers may even prefer to hire vets, as they also served our country.

Maybe you’ll find a great website posted or a few veterans getting together somewhere to go over resumes and job opportunities that they’ve found on their own. At any rate, the more people you talk to the better off you’ll be. Networking is a vital part of finding quality employment these days, especially for veterans.

Never, never give up!

Bottom line: use your resources. The whole process of coming home and deciding to go in a different direction and apply for work outside of the military is daunting all on it’s own, not to mention actually finding a new job. The military does provide some decent resources but if it isn’t enough to get the ball rolling or land that new job: network.

As I mentioned above, you aren’t alone in your struggles to find a position. You have served your country with dedication and pushed yourself to be a better, stronger person. Keep your head up, pool your resources , work hard (as you’ve been doing) and stay dedicated – that job will be there faster than you think.

John Durfee is an Operation Freedom War veteran and markets Airsoft Guns at Airsplat, the nation’s largest seller of Airsoft Rifles.

By Kevin M

As if the poor economy, high taxes, too much regulation, advancing technology and globalization weren’t doing enough to torpedo the job market, there’s yet another obstacle to finding a job, one of a more personal nature and it’s having a bigger impact all the time.

It’s the background check.

Background checks now go farther and wider than they ever have, but it’s happening against the backdrop of a time when life is getting uglier and more complicated than ever for tens of millions of people.

It’s getting more difficult for a job seeker to pass a background check; in fact, at times it looks like a conspiracy. With computerization and the increased availability of data at progressively lower cost, more information is available about us than ever before. And unfortunately, economic, legal and social conditions are combining to make it more difficult than ever for the average person to pass employment muster.

Consider some of the information employers seek in background checks against the state of the world we now live in.

Deeper background checks

With computerization, employers can dig deeper now than they ever could when background checks were done manually. The deeper they dig, the more “dirt” they’re likely to find.

Consider that it’s fairly common for job seekers to leave temporary or short term jobs off their resume or a job application in an attempt to look more stable; if he’s held enough jobs, he might even forget to list one. Chances are those jobs will show up somewhere in a background check, opening up questions as to the candidate’s honesty or work history. An employer may conclude that the job was left off because the candidate was fired, or worse. Employment application denied, next candidate.

Now set this against the backdrop of an employment environment that’s been unstable for years now, forcing people to take a series of short term jobs in order to stay afloat. The possibility of some sort of conflict at application is substantial and growing.

Credit History

Pulling credit history is standard procedure by employers today. Yet we’re at a time when record numbers of people have experienced foreclosures, bankruptcies and other credit-impairing conditions. It’s a paradox that people with damaged credit—who probably need a job precisely to improve their credit situations—may be disqualified as a result.

Criminal background

It can be difficult to impossible to get a job if you have a criminal conviction in your past, and more companies are checking into this than ever. This comes at a time when there are more people with criminal records than ever, and it’s a much bigger issue than most people know.

Right now in America there are 65 million people who have criminal records–convictions either for misdemeanors or felonies. That’s more than one out of every four adults in the country. Most are for relatively minor offenses, often early in life, but that may be all it takes to put an end to an employment application.

Social media behavior

The social media are where technology and humanity merge, and as much as we might enjoy participating, employers are increasingly checking our public comments to get an idea as to how we think. This can work in your favor if the reviewer is partial to your interests and ways of thinking. But if the reviewer doesn’t like what he or she sees, or considers that it might be contrary to the employers interests, you candidacy could end on a few comments you thought nothing of at the time you wrote them.

How many people could potentially have their candidacy ended by comments on the social media? Anyone who’s ever made a comment on the internet!

With all of these factors added together it’s amazing any one ever gets a job, isn’t it?

Now, you may be thinking ”It’s a free country, I’m entitled to say what I want,” or, ”I have a right to privacy” but both of those notions are false assumptions when it comes to employer background checks. When you fill out a job application, the fine print gives them your permission to conduct a search on you in nearly any direction you can imagine.

Computers are only getting more powerful and consequently background checks can be expected to go even deeper. So how do we deal with that in connection with finding employment?

Improving your personal profile

Knowing that nearly every move you make is being recorded somewhere means being mindful of the records you leave behind where ever you go. Most people have something in their past that an employer might find disagreeable, but going forward make an effort to:

• Keep your credit clean, if you have derogatory information do what you need to do to clean it up. Time usually heals credit wounds, so get started today.
   

• Be more careful when driving—checking driving records has become standard. Some employers may disqualify you if you have a certain number of citations in a given time frame.
   

• Avoid behaviors and activities that could land you in front of a judge.
   

• Be careful what you put out on the web, especially on the social media.
   

• Build friends, not enemies. In any job you hold, do the best work you can and try to get along with everyone. Most important, do your best to leave on good terms.

Making an end run around background checks

Let’s say that you’ve been fired from a few jobs, your credit is less than sterling, there’s a criminal conviction in your past, or maybe you’ve been pretty, shall we say, outspoken in the content you’ve written on Facebook—any one or a combination of two or more could render you “damaged goods” to an employer. If this describes you, it might be in your best interest to make an end run around background checks entirely.

• Gravitate toward skill sets that are in such high demand that you’ll be less likely to have your candidacy destroyed by a background check.
   

• Work for smaller companies—they’re usually less likely to rely on background checks for needed employees, and might not go too deep if they do run one.
   

• Become self-employed. Except for certain business licenses, no background checks are needed. I know it’s not as easy as just hanging a shingle and working for yourself, but if your background is impaired, this might be the best long term solution.
   

• Live beneath your means. If you have difficulty getting hired, you probably want to avoid living a lifestyle that might require a high income job—and the detailed background check that usually comes with it.
   

• Build a strong professional network. Sometimes having influential people going to bat for you will be enough to overcome negative background information. It will depend on the influence of your referral, the severity of your background issue and the flexibility of the employer.

Just a few years ago, background checks were more of a formality than anything else. But back then far fewer people had credit problems or criminal convictions, the job market was much more stable, and the social media didn’t exist. Today is a new ball game entirely.

Even if you don’t fall into any of the categories above, the world is in a constant state of flux and employment background checks are becoming one of THE employment issues of the day. Our financial futures may very well rest on our ability to pass them—or to make other arrangements if we can’t.

Do you have any experiences or advice on how to deal with these or any other background check issues that might help a job seeker?

Related Posts:

8 Reasons to Work While Collecting Unemployment Benefits

Suviving Unemployment – One Woman’s Story

Pursuing Your Passion Isn’t as Risky as it Used to Be

Where Have All the GOOD Jobs Gone?

Steady Paycheck vs. Self-Employment; Which is Right for You?

No Luck on the Job Boards? You’re Not Alone

By Kevin M

There’s a popular line of reasoning that once you’ve lost your job and you’re collecting unemployment benefits that you’re new “fulltime job” is finding a new fulltime job. You have the motivation (being jobless) and at least some income to cover you until you find something else, so this makes sense.

But what if you were to approach the situation a bit differently, say by recognizing your time of unemployment as a valuable opportunity to experiment? You can do that through various forms of employment—temporary jobs, contract work, and part time—and even though you’ll lose some or all of your benefits for a time, it may be worth doing.

Here are some reasons why taking at least a part time job may be better than staying home and spending all of your time looking for a new full time job.

1. It gives you something to keep you busy.

Idle time is one of your worst enemies when you’re unemployed. Too much down time means time for worry and negative thinking, and that’s something you need to avoid. Circulating is crucial, and while you can do this by going on job interviews, networking, volunteering and working out, adding even a part time job to the mix can give that all important sense of forward motion.

2. It can break up job hunting monotony.

Job hunting takes a lot of time, energy, discipline and emotional fortitude, if only because most of us don’t do it most of the time. And while it may be possible to sustain a high level of effort in that direction short periods, doing it for months can burn you out. You may need to spend most of your time in the job hunt, but you’ll need to do other things as well, preferably those that
also have the potential to get you a job. Working is one of the best ways to do this.

3. It provides working contacts.

If you’re unemployed, developing a network of contacts is crucial, but the tendency in this direction is often to network with other unemployed people. It may help to informally network through some sort of job, which may give you access to decision makers either in the business you’re working for or outsiders (customers, vendors, affiliates, etc.) you deal with in the course of employment.

4. It’s an opportunity to develop new skills.

Is it possible that either you lost your job or are having difficulty finding a new one because you were missing a critical skill? There’s no better way to develop a skill than with hands on experience. Let’s say although you were in management, your career was stunted by a lack of sales experience; now that you’re unemployed, you may be able to get a job in sales that will give you the needed experience and skills. What ever skill you were lacking, or need to develop, is there some sort of job you could take specifically to learn it?

5. It’s a chance to try something completely new.

Now let’s get down to a grim reality of our times: many of the jobs lost in the past few years aren’t coming back. One of the best things you can do for your career, long term, may be to try something completely new. Sure, you could hang back, collect unemployment for as long as you’re allowed while searching for the perfect career, but sometimes that career has to be built from the ground up. What is it you’d really like to do? Now might be the time to take a chance.

6. It provides a sense of self-worth.

For many of us, the best source of self-worth is found in earning a paycheck. Although you may earn less money than you’ll make in unemployment benefits, there’s much to be said for earning at least a little bit of income through our work. Stay home too long drawing unemployment benefits, and you’re self-esteem may begin to weaken—that isn’t a situation anyone needs when unemployed.

7. The jobs you hold while unemployed can be the start of a multiple income stream program.

The employment landscape is changing. Depending on what kind of job you held (and in what industry), there may no longer be full time equivalent replacement jobs available. You may find that the solution to your problem will be solved not by a new job, but by multiple income streams. The contract, temporary or part time job you take now may enable you to develop one of those streams.

8. It can provide a revenue stream once the benefit checks stop coming.

Many of the unemployed today have watched months turn into years, and in the process benefit checks have stopped coming in. If you’re unable to secure a job by the time your claim (and your other resources) run out, you’ll have to be prepared to do something when it does. Better to have the wheels turning on this well before it happens.

As compelling as it may seem to use an unemployment check to aid in the full time search for a new job to replace the one you lost, working at something—or even several something’s—may provide better long term results.

Are you unemployed, or have you been in the recent past? Did you spend all of your time looking for a new job, or did you try different work situations to see where that might lead? How did it work for you?

Related Posts:

Check Your Salary: Five Free Salary Analysis Tools

Would You Leave Your Job In This Economy?

Surviving Unemployment – One Woman’s Story

All Jobs Are Temporary! (And What You Can Do About It)

Pursuing Your Passion Isn’t As Risky As It Used To Be

Multiple Income Sources to replace One Man-One Job?

The road through unemployment is rarely a straight line

Guest Post by OOYR Reader Angela Shirley

I am hoping that my story will keep some other “laid off” person ENCOURAGED. Although it took 2 years to find another job after being “laid off” – I never stopped looking.

At age 50, I lost my job working in a school for juvenile delinquents. While I was relieved, as it was not a job I enjoyed or planned on doing for a long time – being laid off was both a blessing and a challenge.

This was my second time being laid and this time I was prepared with savings which supplemented my unemployment benefits.

For the first few months, I enjoyed my blessing and really did not start to look for a job even though it was required in order to continue to receive unemployment benefits. I did the minimum of 2 job searches each week on two different days of each week. But deep down, I was hoping no one would call me for an interview and that is exactly what happened.

The emotional impact of a job loss

Although I knew I needed to find another source of income before my savings and unemployment ran out, mentally I was still not ready to do the interviewing routine. I had read several articles throughout the years and one thing each article stated “you have to sell yourself” in each interview. We had to forget the past and focus on the present.

It was not until I had been jobless for about one year did I seriously start job hunting and really making an effort to follow up on job leads. From June 2008 to December 2009, I depended solely on my savings on unemployment.

In January 2010, I participated in a Stimulus Program called the Re-Employment Connection. I found out about this program through word of mouth. It was like they did not advertise this program although President Obama had put it in place for the unemployed. This particular program was for 12 weeks and you were paid $12 an hour for 40 hours a week. You had to attend an interview after submitting your online application. Ideally this process was supposed to work as follows:

1. You submit your online application
2. They call you to schedule an interview
3. If they approve you – next step is the group meeting in which you were told the rules
4. You then attended a “job fair” – there were no guarantees that they would hire you

In my case, number one never happened. I had to keep calling the number I had located on their website, leaving several voicemails and finally getting a human on the line. I did get assigned to a company that did not give me any breaks and I ended up quitting which cancelled my remaining unemployment benefits of $1,499. I appealed and lost. This was when I had to rely solely on my dwindling savings which ran out in May 2010.

Hard choices when the money runs out

From May 2010 to July 2010 I was without any funds and had to rely on first my boyfriend for a place to stay and then my grown daughter. It was a very “shameful” situation to be in but it made me more determined to regain my “independence and pride”…..

It took 3 weeks once I finally made up my mind to figure out a way around the fact that I am 52 now and obsolete. The last office software I had used in 2008 was Microsoft 2003 – now it was all about Microsoft 2007 with only a few organizations still using Microsoft 2003.

I went ahead and made myself complete all the FREE Microsoft classes the public library was offering keeping in mind that book knowledge alone would not convince a future employer of my knowledge. They wanted “working” knowledge and the trick now was to use this newfound knowledge. This was when I thought of developing a “flyer” stating my situation and that I was willing to work for anything – even mentioned in exchange for a Tracfone Top Up card to add minutes to a prepaid phone. I was without the means to keep adding to my cell phone and knew that I needed to be available for possible job interviews and offers.

While I was staying with my boyfriend for two months, not having a car really prevented me from setting up job interviews due to a non-existent public transportation system where I live. I would walk to the public library every day (they were open 7 days a week) to use their computers and tried to find something within walking distance. The few city buses they had did not run on the weekend and stopped running at 4pm during the week. Now I understood why there was so much poverty in the area, folks could not get around.

Success…and what it took to make it happen

I knew I had to get back to Orlando, Florida, in spite of not wanting to do this and ended up staying with my adult daughter and her roommate. This was a very “traumatic” arrangement and one I am still in but know I will be back home in Alabama soon.

My daughter was working at the local university and in spite of me putting in 22 online applications, nothing happened.

For 3 weeks I sat down every day and emailed out my “flyer” to the university staff after locating their online email listing. A professor sent me an email asking me to come in and interview. I did and got the job.

I am still not out of the woods as yet. It is temporary, 35 hours, started at 15 hours then got increased to 25 and just this week to 35. She is paying me out of 3 research grants that she has. Grants come and go and I keep this in the back of my mind so that I do not go back to the “comfort zone” and not continue to work on getting a job back home in Alabama.

My advice to the unemployed:

1. Look around you to see what is needed
2. Evaluate your skills to see if you can fill the need or obtain the necessary skills
3. Approach the organization or person you want to work for
4. Offer to work for “free” so that they can “evaluate” your skills
5. And keep looking – always have a plan just in case you get “laid off” again

Are you unemployed? What are you doing to find work? What are you doing to make ends meet? What works–what doesn’t?

Angela Shirley is from Phenix City, Alabama, currently residing in Orlando, Florida. Her blog is A Story of Hope. She commented on her unemployment experience on a previous post, and I invited her to write about it more fully in the post above. Thank you Angela for sharing your story. More on this story can be found at WESH Channel 2 (click past the ad!).

OutOfYourRut Note: Do you have a career transition or unemployment story that could benefit others? Would you like to tell others about it? Drop me a line and I’ll be glad to consider posting it. Millions of people are unemployed and looking for direction. Someone could find their way into a new field from your story.—Kevin

Related posts:

7 Reasons Everyone Needs to Have a Blog
Selling Your Skills On the Open Market
How to Choose Accounting as a Mid-Career Change
Nursing Your Career Back to Health
What Career Coaching Can Do For You
10 Ways to Survive a Down Economy
Pursuing Your Passion Is Not As Risky As It Used To Be
Starting a Side Business – Why Now Is the Time

By Kevin M

Even with hints of economic recovery in the air, getting a hired into a new job has never been harder, even for the fully qualified. I know many people who are or have been on extended periods of unemployment in the past year and one common theme is that the usual methods of getting hired aren’t working.

Getting a job is largely about getting noticed, and the best ways to do that are to approach employers in ways most other job seekers aren’t using. Try one or more of these and see if your luck doesn’t improve.

1. Send a letter without a resume

This sounds about as unconventional as it gets, but that’s the point. Try sending a letter without a resume. Think of it a strong cover letter, but it should summarize your abilities to fill the job with an emphasis on further discussions of the job and your qualifications.

Sometimes a resume can be a disqualifier since employers use them to cull the list of prospects. Sometimes it’s best to get them interested before sending a resume. It’s a back door approach in a job market crowded with good looking and often embellished resumes.

The idea is to approach the hiring process as though you’re entering a multi-step business deal. You can write something like “my resume is quite lengthy, but here’s a summary of my skills, this is what I believe I can do for your company, please call me at your earliest convenience and perhaps we can explore this further.”

A good letter may get the interviewer to pick up the phone and call you, at which point you have three advantages: direct contact, a request for more information and the forcing of all important multiple contacts with a prospective employer. The more contact you have the better your chances of getting an interview and of getting hired.

Everyone sends a resume and cover letter, and at that point the employer has all that they need to begin comparing your resume to dozens or hundreds of others. Using a letter as an ad can invite a phone interview which exponentially speeds up the process. The central idea is to begin a dialogue with someone in a position to hire you and as much as we like to think that resumes do that, they don’t always.

Try it and see what happens.

You wouldn’t do this as a matter of course, but it would be worth the effort if you’re not having luck going the more traditional route.

It works best with small employers or for jobs you’re very well qualified for and can speak the language of the business fluently. A resume won’t necessarily show any of that. You have to come accross as being the solution to a problem–which harder to do with large employers of course.

The letter can be really effective with a reference or two included in the letter. I’ve had a couple of situations where I’d gotten far enough into the hiring process that the resume became an after thought. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all way to reach employers but it’s certainly worth trying.

2. Make contact by snail mail.

As old school as it may seem, your cover letter and/or resume might have a better chance of being read if you send it to prospective employers by traditonal mail rather than by automated means.

In todays employment culture, contacting a prospective employer via email or a job site has become second nature. It’s the first (and often the only) course of action for most people but evidence is piling up that it may also be close to ineffective. The problem is sheer numbers—if everyone is using the same contact method the traffic gets so heavy that you become one of the herd.

While it’s true that many large employers may send you a form letter or email telling you that they require that you apply on line, there will almost certainly be a few who will take the time to read it since it will be so different from what they’re used to.

3. Make contact by phone.

Many years ago, during a similar downturn in the economy, I found myself looking for work in the accounting profession. I did the usual thing of going to employment agencies and distributing my resume, but the competition was intense for the few positions that existed.

In a near act of desperation I decided to try cold calling the yellow pages for work in small accounting firms. After all, if no one would look at my resume and the agencies wrung their hands at the dreadful state of the job market, maybe I could at least get someone to answer the phone.

Bingo! By calling small firms close to home, I actually managed to speak with the hiring partner in most firms I called. Most didn’t have jobs, but one did and that’s all it took.

4. Make an offer to work on a contract basis.

Full time, benefitted jobs are getting harder to find these days but there may be a way to package yourself to get one through the back door. Offer to work as a contract worker and you make yourself hiring-friendly. You’re not asking for guaranteed employment, full time hours or costly benefits and that will remove a bunch of hurdles to a nervous employer.

In this way you’re approaching the job hunt as a vendor looking to provide a service for the employer. This is a less intimate arrangement than an employer-employee relationship and might therefore be more acceptable to the employer.

Not only will you be giving an employer a flexible way of bringing you on board, but you may also be demonstrating a level of flexibility and creativity the employer isn’t seeing in other candidates. And though you may begin working as a contractor, once you’re in the door and demonstrating your value to the business, an offer for a full time, permanent position with benefits may be just a question of time.

5. Offer to work for free on a trial basis.

Last week in What Can Career Coaching Do For You? guest poster and career coach Ed Burns wrote about job shadowing, which he described as working along side a person in an unfamiliar career, usually for free, to learn what “a day in the life of a dog trainer” is like, as an example. I think the advice is well taken in a more general sense as well.

There are two circumstances under which you might want to try offering to work for free: if you’re desperate to get a job and all other methods have failed, or if you’re trying to change careers and need a foot in the door somewhere. And if either situation is the case it may be well worth the time and effort.

The attraction for a would-be employer is that it’s a virtually risk free hiring situation. It will cost no money and carry no promises. From your standpoint, it’s a chance to demonstrate what you’re capable of in a real life environment. Some employers may have difficulty envisioning you in a certain job based on your resume, but it will become obvious if you can somehow get in and actually do the job.

If you go this route, you’ll want to limit your time of free service to not more than a few weeks, otherwise the employer may be taking advantage of you. You’ll also need to be pretty certain you have the skills and willingness to do the job so that you’ll be able to impress an employer into hiring into a paying situation.

One other element this approach can add to the mix: even if the employer doesn’t hire you into a paid job, he or she may be sufficiently convinced of your abilities that they’ll provide a reference to another employer who does need someone. In this way you’re creating connections where none exist, and that’s a major advantage by itself.

What ever method you use to get a job, once you’re in one be competitive and work to earn your keep every day. Our productivity is the only security we have in todays job market.

What methods have you used to get a job when more conventional ones didn’t work? Have you ever tried any of the above? What happened?

By Kevin M

Work for free—preposterous on the surface, I’ll admit! But it’s an effort that could pay off in a big way, especially in this economy. Think of it as though you’re starting a new business and you’re working to build a customer base by giving out free samples.

Just so you don’t think this is just an idea I heard somewhere and decided to write about, here’s my story…

After leaving the accounting world for a brief hiatus of about, ohhh–15 years—to pursue a career in the mortgage world, the time had come to return to my career of origin. (You’ve no doubt heard or read about the Great Mortgage Tribulation of the past few years.)

But how do you find work in a field that you’ve been out of for a decade and a half? Some would say that once you learn to ride a bike you never forget, and that’s true. But convincing nervous employers that you haven’t forgotten is another matter entirely, and calls for some creative thinking.

I sent out hundreds of resumes and responded to ads, and the return on the effort was pathetically low. Just three responses in about 200 tries—that’s enough to discourage anyone. The first response I got liked my resume, but was “concerned” over my lack of current experience. Duh!?!? Like I was trying to hide it! A second response was positively non-committal. I vowed that if I got any other responses, that I’d do what ever I needed to do to land the job.

Third response…I made the free trial period offer early on. I was taken up on it. And it worked, I got the job. It was just a contract situation, but it was a start back and a big fat “mission accomplished” in a tight job market.

Working for free to start a new business

Dave Kelly, whose posts appear here on OutOfYourRut.com, has done something similar, but on a much more dramatic scale.

Like me, he had worked in the mortgage business for many years (20 actually) and wanted to go into professional speaking. Going from the mortgage business to professional speaking isn’t exactly what you would call a natural transition so not many doors were open.

Dave had done speaking in the non-profit realm on a casual basis, and discovered early on that it was his passion. But the problem was that not many institutions were willing to pay money to an unknown mortgage guy to speak before their businesses or student groups. Before Dave could charge a fee for his speaking, he first had to get some experience and develop a list of credits and referrals.

And that’s what he did. Dave took speaking assignments where ever he could get them. He spoke for free…he spoke for meals…he spoke for gas money…he spoke for $50 tips…then for $100 tips…he spoke for travel expense reimbursements.

Then a funny thing happened. After a few months and dozens of un- and under-compensated speaking engagements, he began to develop a decent list of credits and referrals, and made some important contacts along the way. Then he started charging fees for his services; little early on, but steadily higher as his experience and book of business grew. Within a couple of years, he was speaking as a full time career.

These are real life stories of working for free, so I know it can work.

Before giving it a try…

Some points to consider if you’re thinking of giving working for free a try:

It’s especially applicable in a weak job market. Employers are on tight budgets right now and we need to work outside the box just to get noticed. Offering a free trial period removes the risk of hiring (and paying) someone who doesn’t work out. You may move your candidacy to the top of a pile of resumes sitting on the desk of a business owner or hiring manager by making this offer.

It won’t interfere with unemployment benefits. You’re working for free, so there’s no income to report to the unemployment office. If you are receiving unemployment benefits, think of it as a stipend for the work you’re doing and not being paid for on the job. In fact, where possible, it’s best done while you do have benefits coming in.

It’s not recommended or necessary if you currently have a job. Obviously, this isn’t something you’d need to consider unless a layoff is imminent, then consider doing it on weekends or vacation time.

If you are employed but looking, consider gratis contract work. This may enable you to work your way into a new company or even a new industry. Offer to fix a prospective employers problem for free—that’s an offer almost no one can refuse.

The offer will work best with small employers. Small businesses are more personal in nature and have jobs to be done and often no one to do them. Offer to step up and fill the empty void on a trial basis. Small business tends to be more flexible than large ones, and you’re impact will be greater.

Keep your time to a specific limit. Two weeks should be more than enough time for an employer to assess your skills and make a decision. Be careful that it doesn’t become an open ended situation where you’re being taken advantage of. Remember, this is a trial period for the purpose of securing employment, not a commitment of free labor.

Don’t offer to do this unless you’re reasonably certain you know you can do the job. The purpose isn’t to take blind shots at jobs you can’t do in the hope that it will somehow work out. The purpose is to convince a skeptical employer that you’re the one for the job. It will be a complete waste of time if you can’t do what you say you can.

It gives you a chance to see if you want to work for an employer. Obviously, Job 1 is impressing a prospective employer with your skills and convincing him or her to hire you, but you may also get into a job and find out it isn’t for you. In my experience, you usually know a job is a bad one within the first few days.

You have nothing to lose. If you’re currently unemployed, you have nothing to lose by giving this a try.

Have you ever tried working for free as a way to get a job? Do you know anyone who has? How did it work out?

By Kevin M

Now might not be the best time to make a job or career change, but does that mean you have to sit where you’re at and just tough it out until better times come along and open up the doors of opportunity? Well, don’t go quitting your job, but there’s plenty you can (and should) do right now to get yourself prepared for the day when…

Start preparing yourself now for the place you want to be when the economy starts to creep back—many of the best opportunities will come as the elevator begins to rise, and pre-positioning yourself for that moment is something you don’t have to wait to start.

Preparing for the career

Even though you may not be in a position to enter your chosen career or business right now, there are specific areas you can work on now that will speed entry when the time comes.

Network and make connections that will help you make the move when the time comes. Even if you have no contacts presently, begin reaching into the new field any way you can. The internet offers networking opportunities in nearly any business you can imagine. This will be a way to collect valuable contacts—or even job prospects—before you even leave your present job.

Enroll in any training or certification programs needed. Some careers and businesses require certification or completion of training in order to enter. Often such programs can take months to complete. If time permits, now might be the perfect time to begin. In fact, now may be the best time if you already have a steady paycheck; that may not be the case if you wait until you enter the new field since certain fields bar entry until you have satisfied the requirements.

Add or update skills that will enhance your marketability for a new job or career. Most careers and businesses have certain skills that are specific to the field. Find out what they are and begin learning them. Will the new field require public speaking, different computer software, use of unfamiliar equipment? Find out what they are and begin learning them, it’ll shorten the learning curve when you finally make the jump.

If it’s a new career or business, look for part time work in that field so you can gain experience and make some contacts. If you’re anxious to jump in and get a leg up on your new career or business, one of the very best ways to do it is by taking a part time job in the field. Not only will you get training and contacts, but working and earning a paycheck—even a small one—will make the transition real. If you’re having difficulty landing a part time job, try looking for one during the industry’s busy season when opportunities will be more plentiful.

Find a mentor and learn all you can. Enter a new field and one thing is absolutely certain: you will make mistakes. Many of those mistakes can be avoided if you can become friendly with someone who’s already working in your desired field and who is willing to share the dos and don’ts of the trade. Avoiding mistakes can be a career saver.

Preparing outside the career

Not all preparations are related directly related to the new career itself. Many will be in the area of preparing your personal life for the change ahead.

Motivational techniques—books, cd’s websites, seminars to keep the juices flowing. If you’ve been on your current job long enough you may be in that dreaded state of going through the motions. You know the job well, and you find it boring. That’s not a good state of mind to enter a new career. Start working now to find sources of motivation that will get your fires burning and have you ready to step up when the time comes. Getting and staying motivated is critical in any production related career.

Cutting you’re living expenses to be prepared for a drop in income, should that be the case. More often than not, a career change brings a lower income. Start preparing your finances for this now. Much of the cost of living is habit; adapt your thinking and actions to a lower income and that’ll be one less hurdle you’ll have to deal with when the career change comes. The better you can manage on a reduced cash flow, the greater the likelihood of success in the new venture.

Saving up money and paying off bills to get yourself financially prepared for the move. Much of the risk and anxiety that comes with career change can be reduced by a large bank account. If you normally have $5000 in your savings account, be purposeful about increasing it to $10,000, or even $20,000, if time and income permit. The more savings you have behind you, the more confident you’ll be when you strike out into the unknown.

Start a diet and exercise program. Energy level is an overlooked factor in career success. People who have it are usually more successful than their peers because they have greater capacity to produce. Equally important, in starting a new career or business, you’ll absolutely need greater energy to deal with the stresses of managing a new venture. All of that is better accomplished if you’re in better physical condition.

Build up your social network. If you’re going into a new venture, you’ll need strong social support. Any time we step outside our comfort zones, there will be stresses and unpleasant surprises. Having family and friends nearby can help insulate us from that stress.

Still feel like the bad economy has you stuck in a going nowhere job? Now you’ve got plenty to keep you busy while you’re stuck. Get enough of these action steps line up in the right direction, and the day to make your move might come a lot sooner!

By Kevin M

One of the driving purposes of OutOfYourRut.com is the identification of career and business opportunities, primarily for people engaged in one line of work but seeking entry into another.

In that vein, a noteworthy article appeared on Yahoo! Finance yesterday, 10 Jobs With High Pay and Minimal Schooling Required! written by Michael King. The article lists 10 careers that don’t require a bachelor’s degree for entry, but pay wages which are generally above average.

There are several articles with this same theme here on OutOfYourRut.com, either as full reprints or by excerpt, but in this time of career transition for so many people, it’s one worth revisiting often. The jobs appearing on each list tend to be at least somewhat different from one list to another, either because of the time of compilation, or the orientation of the source.

The List

Depending on your current education and career experience, one or more of these careers might be worth investigating further. As listed by the original article, the ten careers, including median incomes (for 2006 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) and general training requirements for entry include:

1. Air Traffic Controllers. Median income: $117,000; training: “Typically, two to four years of training are needed in order to become fully certified, although previous military experience can cut that time down significantly.” Bonus: air traffic controllers can retire after just 25 years of service at any age.

2. Industrial Production Managers. Median income: $77,670; training: “A college degree is preferred, but not necessarily mandatory.”

3. First-Line police and detective supervisors. Median income: $69,300; training: “Police officers can advance through the ranks to become supervisors by passing exams and achieving good performance reviews, and advanced training can help win promotions.”

4. Funeral Director. Median income: $49,620; training: “College programs in mortuary science usually last from two to four years. You typically must also serve a one-year apprenticeship, pass an exam and obtain a state license.”

5. Police and Sheriff Patrol Officers. Median income: $47,460; training: “Applicants usually must have at least a high school education, and some departments require a year or two of college or even a degree. Rookies are trained at police academies.”

6. Advertising Sales Agents. Median income: $42,750; training: “20% have a high school degree or less, and 10% have an Associate’s degree.”

7. Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents. Median income: $39,760; training: “While advanced coursework is not necessarily required, new entrants must pass an exam and get a state license. Connections in the community and a willingness to work hard are what really count, but experience and a good housing market also help.”

8. Occupational Therapist Assistants. Median income: $42,060; training: “These workers usually need an associate degree or a certificate…(but)…Job prospects are good in the growing health care field, especially for those with some post-secondary education.”

9. Occupational Therapist Aides. Median income: $25,000; training: “These employees receive most training on the job…Competition for jobs is tougher for those with only a high school diploma.”

10. Physical Therapist Assistants. Median income: $41,360; training: “typically need an associate’s degree.”

(The list above is greatly excerpted from the original article, so it’s recommended that you visit the original for greater detail.)

Some Caveats…

While none of the careers on the list require a bachelors degree (or higher) for entry, it is clear that having one would be advantageous for many, especially for future promotion. If you already have a degree in an unrelated field, you may have an inside track.

There are some challenges on this list. Not everyone is emotionally cut out to be a funeral director, police officer or air traffic controller, so personality has to be factored into the mix. As well, advertising sales agents and real estate brokers and sales agents all involve SALES! If you have been successful in sales in the past, these fields may hold promise, but if you’ve never done anything similar, selling is a vastly different way to make a living than being on a steady paycheck. Consider also that sales are usually an uphill climb in recessions as consumers and businesses are more reluctant to make purchases. In particular, real estate sales are in an especially difficult period of time as has been well documented in the media.

Finally, industrial production managers may be a limited field, despite the high earnings potential. Jobs in the field are in manufacturing, a sector which has been hit harder than most by globalization and advancing technology. I’m no expert in the field, but competition for what positions are available is likely to be fierce against such a backdrop, and it must also be considered that much of the troubles in manufacturing have been happening for considerably longer than the recent recession.

But again, if you have parallel skills to any of the fields on the list, and have considered trying your hand at one in the past, now might be an outstanding time to take the plunge, especially if you’re unemployed or working in a dead end job. The key is to find a field that most closely matches the skill set you do have so that the jump won’t be so great.

Good luck!