The job search continues…..When will it end?

The job search continues…..When will it end?

The market appears to be tougher than I originally thought. And I hear that the unemployment rate climbed .50% last month the most in a single month in over twenty years. Today I found an article that talks about extending benefits for up to 13 weeks for those that have exhausted there benefits. They are voting on it this week, although President Bush has declared he will veto this.

I am finding many jobs listed on the job boards and they continue to be updated, however there seems to be a trend, no one is actually hiring. Everyone seems to be quite nervous with the impending recession, as well as the price of gas how it is continuing to rise.

Someone gave me a tip, which feel I should share. When a phone number is listed on the job posting you should follow up with a call so you can speak with the recruiter and schedule an interview with them. If you get voicemail, leave a message and follow up.

I did this today myself several times, I have an appointment on Monday, it is only for temporary position, but if you do well at the company it could in fact lead to a permanent position, so you never know. I have found several positions this way, however I have been reluctant in this case since I am overqualified for many of these positions and they usually won’t even give me an interview for fear I won’t stay.

How to get past this, I have found some employers will hire bodies and other people. So it depends on the hiring manager and recruiter if you are dealing with recruiting firm. You can tell them you are trying to get your foot in the door at this firm, or you are very anxious to return to work. (This last may not wash though because you aren’t allaying their fears that if another position comes along you won’t leave!!) But it is always worth a try.

I recently went on a ride along for a sales position, well I want to say it was eye opening. Knocking on doors, trying to get people to buy their product (not cheap either), they promise if you make a commitment of 50-60 hours a week you will be successful and could make upwards of 6 figures a year. This position required an interview, some training in the office and the ride along, a total of 3 days of my time all with out an compensation. Well it was much harder then you think, so think twice, if sounds to good to be true it probably is!!!

The last several weeks I have been busy with interviews, had interview yesterday in the city it went well, there were many applicants so I won’t hear back for at least a week if they will be making an offer. It was interesting though I received the call to schedule the interview well over a month from when I sent my resume. So I wanted to share this with you, it seems the wheels move slower for some employers. Again don’t lose hope or give up your focus continue to send out your resume, keep track of who you are sending to and the positions so when you get the call for interview you can check your records as I did. Just a reminder not to forget to prepare for your interview by looking at the posting if its still there, check out the companies website, go to the about us become familiar with their core values, it could mean getting the job or not. Because if you don’t know why you want to work there, the next candidate does.

Well thats it for now, I am very seriously considering this temp position so if nothing else comes along there is always that!!!

Have a nice day

Trish

Still trying to find that perfect opportunity.Continuing my Job Search

Sorry it’s been a while been busy, but still trying to find that perfect opportunity.

Continuing My Job Search

Staying focused during your job search is important, getting tips on your resume, job sites and cover letter can help to lead to that perfect position. So I keep my eyes open for articles of interest for myself and my readers. I have come across several interesting articles I wanted to share with you.

• Surviving the recession-tips on how to keep your position if you think a layoff is pending.

• Targeting Your Resume Audience tips on how to target your resume for everyone who will be reading your resume, from the scanning computer software to Hiring Manager’s boss.

• Company Ratings Interesting new site called Glass Door-which you can search for ratings on the best companies, jobs, salaries etc. Its worth a look when you have time, you can also post about your current job, former employer and it can be done anonymously so you can be honest.

• Several of you sent me comments about another website for Job Searching-Real Match I did check it out, I wasn’t able to really find anything for myself, but others seem to have had some success with this site so I thought I should share it with you as well.

• Everywhere I look I see more and more about branding yourself, I have mentioned this before. The more I speak with recruiters the more I see it is important. Your cover letter needs to grab their attention and should be customized for the job you are applying for, as should your resume. I received an interesting PDF which talks about how to customize your summary and job descriptions to each job. I know this is a lot of work, but it if works, it might be worth your time. ( I will be happy to share it with you if you leave me a message with your email.)

• Also a quick note, I saw on MarketingJobs.com that USB is hiring if any of you out there want to work in the banking industry. They also have many resources available for you to use.

• Another interesting thing I have noticed during my search is many companies are now doing complete background checks in addition to drug tests and credit checks.

• So it might be in your best interest to check your credit rating, you can do this once a year for free Annual Credit Check.

• You can also do a quick check on yourself at this Intelius website you can get your own background check to see what would appear however there is a charge for this.

I know it’s not easy, but you need to stay focused, especially now the weather is getting so nice. I check the job boards almost every day, I am still seeing new positions every day, however several of the jobs, that are there have been placed on hold. This has occurred several times during my search, these companies showed an interest, I went through the interview process and the position was placed on hold. I know this sounds like a line, but even through a recruiter this has occurred so I am fairly confident, it wasn’t something I did wrong during the interview. I believe it is because of the downturn in the economy there may be even more positions that are posted but are never filled.

But don’t loose heart, I haven’t, I am battling the depression, and trying to keep my spirits up the same as you. For several weeks there weren’t any calls for interviews and this week I have received several interview requests. I was to have a second interview today but it was cancelled, I was told they would reschedule on Friday so again it’s the wait see game.

I have another interview scheduled in the city next week, with the possibility of 2 more. So things are looking up. These seem to come in waves, as I have previously stated it takes approx 40 resumes to get an interview. I have also spent some time re-writing, revamping my resume so this may be why I am getting more calls.

I have been trying to stay focused on my job search and few personal things came up recently to prevent my updates. I have been extremely busy, so I must apologize to my readers for being remiss and not updating the blog.

Happy Job Hunting

Trish