I've stuck my big toe into LinkedIn this week. Wow! Thank the powers that be for that site. For someone like myself who had lost contact with so many good connections during my eight years at home, LinkedIn is a real godsend. I've only begun the first basic steps of participating - filling out a preliminary profile, etc.. but I can see all the potential. It's huge!
The GROUPS section looks really promising. Every niche you can think of is in there and for the most part, their members look like they are actively participating with regular frequency.
I've only just begun, but the site has really made it easy to reach out to those I used to work with. This will definitely be a post topic "To be continued..."
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
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They say when you're out of a job, your full-time work IS finding a job. Boy, is that the truth! Those of you who have been on the search are all too familiar.
The minimal standard in looking for work is posting your resume on the major job boards and setting up searches there with parameters that match your skills and needs. No biggie. You spend some time filling in the info that is already in your resume into their templates -- and still you'll copy and paste your entire cover letter and resume. Smart auto-fill-in templates still need some tweaking and in many instances the transferred resume needs realignment.
And you go through this on every job board you want to be on. Major ones and industry/skill specific job board sites. Have you googled that lately? The choices are aplenty when you get industry specific: engineering, medical, etc... It will take a lot of time to "get started". But it will be worth it right? It's a streamlined way of finding job listings. Great! When a promising one appears, I'll click on "apply" and should be able to just tweak my resume and cover letter on the major board and shoot it off, right?
No. The principal job board links you to another job board -- maybe it's that of the company who has the opening. It could also be another job board that has the listing. And guess what? In either case, they don't have all that minutiae you spent hours filling-in on those other templates.
You have to fill out their own version of those same templates and yet again past your resume and cover letter and tweak again. Now think of how many job postings you are averaging before you get a bite to have an interview in some fashion (email, phone, dare I say, in person?). No idea? I'll bet its a few dozens, if not over a hundred, at the very least. This for the end result that your application will go into a black hole, with the smallest of probabilities that you'll ever hear more of a follow-up then an auto-reply confirming "we've received your resume....and will contact you if there is a match....".
I get the feeling those major job boards are having me give them all my 411 -- more for their benefit than mine. Certainly some programmers can stop the redundancy -- and make their sites a happier place to go through. No?
No wonder your best bet for the next job is your personal network. See my first post for my experience on that front.
Ok. So this post is a total buzzkill, but if I can't vent...uh, I mean provide a "personal perspective" on the subject, then 'what's it all about Alfie?'
I'll try to come back when I have some wisdom to spread or something hopeful, motivational, positive, an uplifting story, an anecdote,...all that jazz.
Cheerio for now!
The minimal standard in looking for work is posting your resume on the major job boards and setting up searches there with parameters that match your skills and needs. No biggie. You spend some time filling in the info that is already in your resume into their templates -- and still you'll copy and paste your entire cover letter and resume. Smart auto-fill-in templates still need some tweaking and in many instances the transferred resume needs realignment.
And you go through this on every job board you want to be on. Major ones and industry/skill specific job board sites. Have you googled that lately? The choices are aplenty when you get industry specific: engineering, medical, etc... It will take a lot of time to "get started". But it will be worth it right? It's a streamlined way of finding job listings. Great! When a promising one appears, I'll click on "apply" and should be able to just tweak my resume and cover letter on the major board and shoot it off, right?
No. The principal job board links you to another job board -- maybe it's that of the company who has the opening. It could also be another job board that has the listing. And guess what? In either case, they don't have all that minutiae you spent hours filling-in on those other templates.
You have to fill out their own version of those same templates and yet again past your resume and cover letter and tweak again. Now think of how many job postings you are averaging before you get a bite to have an interview in some fashion (email, phone, dare I say, in person?). No idea? I'll bet its a few dozens, if not over a hundred, at the very least. This for the end result that your application will go into a black hole, with the smallest of probabilities that you'll ever hear more of a follow-up then an auto-reply confirming "we've received your resume....and will contact you if there is a match....".
I get the feeling those major job boards are having me give them all my 411 -- more for their benefit than mine. Certainly some programmers can stop the redundancy -- and make their sites a happier place to go through. No?
No wonder your best bet for the next job is your personal network. See my first post for my experience on that front.
Ok. So this post is a total buzzkill, but if I can't vent...uh, I mean provide a "personal perspective" on the subject, then 'what's it all about Alfie?'
I'll try to come back when I have some wisdom to spread or something hopeful, motivational, positive, an uplifting story, an anecdote,...all that jazz.
Cheerio for now!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Observations
Ok. So as I see the job postings that are out there, the old chicken/egg dilemma comes to mind.
I need a job where I can get real experience working with social media and the like - not just the theory from the coursework I am taking. BUT I can't get that job, because they want me to have working experience in that area in order to work in it.
I know, I know. How do you traditionally get work experience in your career interest? You do an internship. That was more of a possibility when I was finishing college. Single, no debt, maybe even still living in the dorms. I could work the internship and a part-time job and still get by. Given my endless energy and lack of committments back then, I worked unpaid internships and a swing shift full-time job.
Now? It's safe to assume that a good number of us in the returning back to work mode - have mortgages, kids, a working spouse and we don't have the luxury of working for free.
It actually costs us A LOT to work for free. Don't forget daycare/after-school care costs money. Not to mention gas, lunch, career attire, and the additional take-out dinners that are sure to be part of the scene where both parents work.
Yeah. Unpaid internships = undue hardships for the stereotypical "seasoned" intern.
So what to do? I'm open to ideas that can actually be applied and probable....anyone?
I need a job where I can get real experience working with social media and the like - not just the theory from the coursework I am taking. BUT I can't get that job, because they want me to have working experience in that area in order to work in it.
I know, I know. How do you traditionally get work experience in your career interest? You do an internship. That was more of a possibility when I was finishing college. Single, no debt, maybe even still living in the dorms. I could work the internship and a part-time job and still get by. Given my endless energy and lack of committments back then, I worked unpaid internships and a swing shift full-time job.
Now? It's safe to assume that a good number of us in the returning back to work mode - have mortgages, kids, a working spouse and we don't have the luxury of working for free.
It actually costs us A LOT to work for free. Don't forget daycare/after-school care costs money. Not to mention gas, lunch, career attire, and the additional take-out dinners that are sure to be part of the scene where both parents work.
Yeah. Unpaid internships = undue hardships for the stereotypical "seasoned" intern.
So what to do? I'm open to ideas that can actually be applied and probable....anyone?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Back to the future
Hi,
This is starting out as an assignment for my new media marketing class, but who knows - maybe it'll continue way after the course is over. I took FOREVER to decide on what the blog should be about:
Moms?
Families' perspectives on the current crummy economy?
IS being 40 years old the new 30? REALLY?
I finally zoned in on what's keeping me up at night these days: How does someone get back into the workforce?
My last paid corporate job was the position of Corporate Communications Manager for the cornerstone company of the biotech industry. It was my dream job. I managed internal staff and external vendors, multiple employee events ranging from the weekly traditions to milestone events, company newsletters and intranet content, media releases and corporate contributions. The company was very progressive and it was a pleasure to go to work. I was genuinely saddened the day I had to resign.
I left my job because our four year old son Mateo was displaying increasingly odd behaviors and developmental regressions at home and at our corporate daycare and we needed to know what was happening. (Less than thirty days later, he was formally diagnosed by a state regional center as Autistic.)
For the next eight years, I managed my son's physical and mental therapies, state developmental disability individual program plans and special individual education plans and health insurance coverage issues. We've had 40 hours a week of in-home early interventions for a few years, over 260 assessments, thousands of miles and hours logged for resource meetings, conferences, experimental therapies, and support group activities. I don't even want to recall how much we've spent on advocates, attorneys and private experts in our continual fight to get our son the help he needs and the equal opportunities he's entitled to by law and common sense.
But Mateo is now eleven and we are veteran knights in the quest for the holy grail that is learning to live and grow with autism. Our second child, Maya, is four and she is jumping at the bit to be in school. We have relocated from northern California to San Diego and we all love it here. I was really good at marcom. And I can go back to work now.
SO, HOW DOES ONE RE-ENTER THE WORKFORCE AFTER 8 YEARS?
I've read all the 'helpful' articles and after cutting away at some of the more flimsy points, they all seem to agree on the following:
1. Keep up your project management skills with volunteer work. (check)
2. Stay abreast of the current office software programs. (check)
3. Revamp your resume with buzzwords. (check)
4. Post your resume and create searches on the major job posting websites. (check)
5. Join the local chapter of your industry's professional association. (check)
6. Update/freshen your skills with some industry classess or seminars. (check)
AND what seems critical:
7. Keep in touch with your professional network, after you leave the workplace. Surveys show that your best probability for getting that "back into the game" job would be from a personal contact/referral from a professional colleague.
I did try to stay in touch with my professional contacts after I stopped working. At first, it was easy. For the first couple of years the majority were curious about our son's diagnosis and development and the empathy was broad because it was a fresh revelation. Autism awareness and knowledge in 2001 was nowhere near what it is today. We kept in touch with the occasional email, the annual Xmas family newsletter, and many times even a lunch.
After that, notification of new email addresses and new cell phone numbers and even physical addresses started to languish ever increasingly. Now its become a few remote connections with a couple of loose threads from what once was a large, thriving web of contacts. Let's face it, most people stay professionally networked with you when you have something to barter with -- business opportunities, industry gossip and at the very least, your professional recommendation would be worth something.
Back to the overall subject of returning to the workplace: THE OTHER ELEMENTS
* It's a horrible economy, companies are laying off - not hiring.
* You are competing with the young who are savvy and more likely to be unencumbered with families, who are willing to work for less.
* Because of all the current corporate downsizing, there is a lot more than usual competition from your comparable experienced professional peers - and they've been working up until recently.
I know - bummer. But I haven't given up - I'm taking this new media class (and others), aren't I?
I'd be interested in seeing posts from folks in similar situations. Heck, the topic reaches beyond moms returning to work.
What about those who are switching careers? How can you make ends meet with entry-level pay?
Even if you are working, if you are an older* worker (*I'll leave that age-range vague on purpose), what's your take on the young technology-comfortable turks that you are working with (and competing with) for the high-visibility opportunities?
If you are disabled, but able to work, your challenges are exponentially harder (my guess) when it comes to competing for a job. Please share.
And we can't ignore the issue of men vs. women and families. Unless you are a widowed single father with sole custody of your children, men usually don't have to try to convince would-be employers that their family life will not interfere with their ability to excel at their job. There, I said it.
So more observations and updates on the getting back to the office will be forthcoming. Ciao for now.
This is starting out as an assignment for my new media marketing class, but who knows - maybe it'll continue way after the course is over. I took FOREVER to decide on what the blog should be about:
Moms?
Families' perspectives on the current crummy economy?
IS being 40 years old the new 30? REALLY?
I finally zoned in on what's keeping me up at night these days: How does someone get back into the workforce?
My last paid corporate job was the position of Corporate Communications Manager for the cornerstone company of the biotech industry. It was my dream job. I managed internal staff and external vendors, multiple employee events ranging from the weekly traditions to milestone events, company newsletters and intranet content, media releases and corporate contributions. The company was very progressive and it was a pleasure to go to work. I was genuinely saddened the day I had to resign.
I left my job because our four year old son Mateo was displaying increasingly odd behaviors and developmental regressions at home and at our corporate daycare and we needed to know what was happening. (Less than thirty days later, he was formally diagnosed by a state regional center as Autistic.)
For the next eight years, I managed my son's physical and mental therapies, state developmental disability individual program plans and special individual education plans and health insurance coverage issues. We've had 40 hours a week of in-home early interventions for a few years, over 260 assessments, thousands of miles and hours logged for resource meetings, conferences, experimental therapies, and support group activities. I don't even want to recall how much we've spent on advocates, attorneys and private experts in our continual fight to get our son the help he needs and the equal opportunities he's entitled to by law and common sense.
But Mateo is now eleven and we are veteran knights in the quest for the holy grail that is learning to live and grow with autism. Our second child, Maya, is four and she is jumping at the bit to be in school. We have relocated from northern California to San Diego and we all love it here. I was really good at marcom. And I can go back to work now.
SO, HOW DOES ONE RE-ENTER THE WORKFORCE AFTER 8 YEARS?
I've read all the 'helpful' articles and after cutting away at some of the more flimsy points, they all seem to agree on the following:
1. Keep up your project management skills with volunteer work. (check)
2. Stay abreast of the current office software programs. (check)
3. Revamp your resume with buzzwords. (check)
4. Post your resume and create searches on the major job posting websites. (check)
5. Join the local chapter of your industry's professional association. (check)
6. Update/freshen your skills with some industry classess or seminars. (check)
AND what seems critical:
7. Keep in touch with your professional network, after you leave the workplace. Surveys show that your best probability for getting that "back into the game" job would be from a personal contact/referral from a professional colleague.
I did try to stay in touch with my professional contacts after I stopped working. At first, it was easy. For the first couple of years the majority were curious about our son's diagnosis and development and the empathy was broad because it was a fresh revelation. Autism awareness and knowledge in 2001 was nowhere near what it is today. We kept in touch with the occasional email, the annual Xmas family newsletter, and many times even a lunch.
After that, notification of new email addresses and new cell phone numbers and even physical addresses started to languish ever increasingly. Now its become a few remote connections with a couple of loose threads from what once was a large, thriving web of contacts. Let's face it, most people stay professionally networked with you when you have something to barter with -- business opportunities, industry gossip and at the very least, your professional recommendation would be worth something.
Back to the overall subject of returning to the workplace: THE OTHER ELEMENTS
* It's a horrible economy, companies are laying off - not hiring.
* You are competing with the young who are savvy and more likely to be unencumbered with families, who are willing to work for less.
* Because of all the current corporate downsizing, there is a lot more than usual competition from your comparable experienced professional peers - and they've been working up until recently.
I know - bummer. But I haven't given up - I'm taking this new media class (and others), aren't I?
I'd be interested in seeing posts from folks in similar situations. Heck, the topic reaches beyond moms returning to work.
What about those who are switching careers? How can you make ends meet with entry-level pay?
Even if you are working, if you are an older* worker (*I'll leave that age-range vague on purpose), what's your take on the young technology-comfortable turks that you are working with (and competing with) for the high-visibility opportunities?
If you are disabled, but able to work, your challenges are exponentially harder (my guess) when it comes to competing for a job. Please share.
And we can't ignore the issue of men vs. women and families. Unless you are a widowed single father with sole custody of your children, men usually don't have to try to convince would-be employers that their family life will not interfere with their ability to excel at their job. There, I said it.
So more observations and updates on the getting back to the office will be forthcoming. Ciao for now.
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