Five Things You Need to Let Employers Know

Today's job market is highly competitive. If you can't sell yourself, you may have a difficult time finding a job 'super sizing those fries'. You MUST set yourself apart from the competition. Five skills emphasized in "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0) are:

•  leadership
• communication
• action orientation
• passion
• cultural compatibility

 Not so long ago, every organization, department, unit, etc. wanted team players - people who could work well together. However, most of these team players are followers-sheep following sheep. Although people need to work together, we are in dire need of people who can motivate and inspire people to do things they didn't think was possible. There are many managers who prod the flock of sheep following each other, along, but there are very few sheep herders who inspire sheep to herd themselves.

 

Being able to clearly write or speak are not easy skills to find. After proofreading doctoral dissertations, I am amazed at how many people cannot complete a sentence without a spelling or grammatical error. Additionally, we have become so obsessed with being politically correct and using soft, 'fuzzy' words that often the message we are trying to convey, is lost. There is a huge difference between being direct versus rude and someone who can express him/herself clearly and succinctly is of value to an organization.

 

Bias towards action....hmmm....how many of us have said we were going to get into shape only to find that months later our diets have not changed nor have we increased our physical activity levels. Winners are people who are not afraid to take action, ask difficult questions (why are we doing 'it' that way) and are not afraid to make a tough decision. Too many of us want to play it safe. Many of today's luxuries that we take for granted were not developed that long ago. It's the people who ask "why not?" rather than "why?" or who say "it can be done" versus "it can't be done" that have developed the products we take for granted, have become famous and/or become major successes. Winners are not afraid to ask "why" or "it can be done" and then "just do it".

 

 When you love what you are doing, you will be a success. Success is not defined as making a huge amount of money. Successful people love what they do and that passion is something which is of benefit to an employer. People who have a passion tend to be more positive, more productive and less 'whiney'.

 

 Winners and winning organizations share a trust, have open communication and get along well with each other. These people move their organization in the same direction in order to achieve the goals and objectives.

 

 Make sure you are able to tell an employer how you can contribute

Five Ways To Make Yourself Different

Today's job market is very competitive and many times, the best person for the job does not get the job.  Today's market requires you to be appropriately different from your competition.  Here are fiveideas you might want to try:

1. Burn work samples to a CD and give them out at the interview in addition to bringing a few samples with you.
2. Have a professional business card with your name, phone, email and a few 'bullets' that indicate you can make a company money, save them money or solve problems.
3. Video yourself as if in an interview and send it out with your resume.
4. Start and maintain a blog.
5. Join professional networking groups and contribute to the group.

Help for People Who Had a Felony Conviction

Today's job market is very competitive, however it will be even more competitive if you have been convicted of a felony.

Here's some helpful advice:

1. Be upfront - on the application note you have been convicted but when asked (in the application) for an explanation, please state "will discuss in private". When it is time to talk to the prospective employer.....

2. Be prepared - bring copies of:

• references - from past employers, your minister, your parole officer - anyone who can share that you are a good worker
• copy of your drug test proving you are 'clean'
• copy of your background check (ask your parole officer or the court to provide a copy - many times there are no fees involved).

3. Find out about the "Work Opportunity Tax Credit" which can provide a substantial tax savings to a prospective employer. Any person convicted of a felony and who has a hiring date which is not more than one year after the last date on which (s)he was convicted or released can benefit from this program.

4. Talk to your local (un)employment security office and find out about getting bonded - another substantial benefit for a future employer.

5. Have a good resume that sells your knowledge, skills and abilities - tell the employer how you can make him money, save him money or solve his problems.

6. Practice interviewing with people who have been in the position of hiring.

7. Make sure you have researched the prospective company - know what they do and how you can help them reach their goals.

Do You Have Any Questions?

Recently a woman asked me to help her respond when, during an interview, you are asked "Do you have any questions?".

An interview is like a 'first date'. You ask the other person questions and (s)he should be asking you questions. These questions are to see if 'you are a match' - if you have enough interests in common in order to pursue the relationship or end it.

An interview is not any different - both you and the employer are sizing each other up to see if 'you are a fit'. This said, if you were on a date and the other person never asked you anything about yourself, would you be inclined to go out on another date? Did the other person show any interest in what you were about?

This is how a prospective employer views the situation if you don't ask questions. HOWEVER, too many people ask the wrong questions or no questions at all.

You really need to research a company to find out about them. From your research, if you have any real interest in the company and it's future, you should have some real questions. Your questions should be about the products and/or services offered, where the company is now and where they want to be in the future, etc. Your questions should indicate you have an interest in this company, its mission and values, its customers and employees and its future. Let's face it, if you don't take an interest in the company, and its employees don't have a sincere interest, the company will not necessarily be around in the future.

Your questions SHOULD NOT BE about salary, benefits, vacation and sick time. If you ask questions such as just listed, you are only showing you are interested in yourself and quite frankly, that's not too appealing to anybody.

There are plenty of books and websites available to provide sample questions, however you should think of some of your own. Regardless of where you get 'your hit list of questions' however, you need to ask thoughtful questions during the interview process. Otherwise - you will lose the chance to work for that company.

Do you need a lawyer?

If you have questions regarding employment issues, you really should go to an attorney who specializes in employment law. In Oklahoma, you can find such an attorney by visiting http://www.oela.org/

OELA (Oklahoma Employment Lawyers Association) has a hyperlinked tab which, if 'clicked on' will provide a list of attorneys practicing employment law.

BEFORE you mail out your resume....

Before you mail, fax or email your resume,

1. did you remember to add a cover letter?
2. did you remember to obtain a copy of the full job description in order to ensure all pertinent information was included in your resume and/or cover letter?
3. did you remember to call the decision maker to find out if there were any specific skills or abilities he/she might want that were omitted from the job description?

Every Tom, Dick or Harry will see an ad and whip up a resume, but some people do not understand they MUST include a cover letter.

However, most people do not have the gumption to obtain a complete job description and/or talk to the person who will be their supervisor. Many times ads and/or job descriptions are not complete...for a number of reasons....the administrative assistant and/or HR person preparing the classified ad or the job description may not have discussed desired changes with the supervising manager. Hearing what is wanted, from "the horses mouth" will provide valuable information as to what should be included in your paperwork.

Rehab training

Someone asked me recently, "in addition to federal funding and grants found thru universities and colleges, are there any funds and training for people who have been hurt and now have limitations?".

Since I am not a financial aid guru, I would not only ask my local colleges, votechs, universities and state employment offices about approved programs and funding, but I would contact the local state department who handles rehabilitation issues. In our state, the Department of Rehabilitation Services has information about training which is approved as well as funding.

Additionally, many universities and colleges also have a department which specializes in working with people who may need specialized services and funding. You might check with the Affirmative Action/EEOC office who should be able to direct you to someone or an agency/organization, which can provide assistance.

Ordering online? Worried about theft?

A client in my class today, Robert B., suggested people buy a pre-paid credit card if they want to order online (Vistaprint.com. Angel Food Ministries, Sharecolorado.com). You preload the credit cards with a designated amount of money which you are comfortable in paying should your card number be accessed/stolen.

Pre-paid credit cards can be obtained at places such as WalMart, Walgreens, greendotonline.com and make your life much easier (they also make great gifts). Robert shared that there is no interest accrued on these cards which, if you have recently checked your other cards' interests rates, is a substantial savings.

Also, numbr.com also can provide a disposable phone number.

To Give or Not To Give - Your Social Sec. Number

In truth, an employer should only ask for your social security number (SSN) when it comes time to fill out the paper work (W-2) for taxes. However, many employers ask for your SSN on their job applications. Should you give it out? Well...there's a couple of things you need to remember....

1. Did you politely explain that you are concerned about all the identity theft you are hearing about AND "could you provide the last four of your SSN or could you give them your driver's license number?

Many employers will listen to your concerns and may very well give you permission to use the last four of your SSN or your driver's license number.

2. Did you ask how old applications are destroyed? If an employer throws out old files, this is a concern because a dumpster diver could find the info and there is a potential to steal your identity. If the employer sends the documents to a shredding company, you might ask if a background check is done on the employees who work for the shredding company. Again, this is a potential problem for an employer should the documents land in the 'wrong hands'.

3. Also, ask why your SSN is needed prior to being hired. Some employers do not realize that they do NOT need a SSN to do a complete background check on a potential employee - they do need your complete legal name(s) and your birthdate, however a SSN is not needed. However, be nice and polite when asking the purpose for the request and do NOT be a smart Alec.

4. For online applications, I ask companies if there is a unique number they can assign since any site can be hacked into.

5. Also, I have asked if I could handle the SSN issue in any other way. I have found employers to be very receptive to my requests.

HOWEVER, today is a 'buyers market' and some employers may not be receptive to your questions. You now have a choice, to fill out what is requested on the application, get the interview and land to job.....or not get the job.

I know of someone who insisted that a prospective employer was not going to be given her SSN. She lost the job opportunity which was not a smart move, especially in today's job market. ASK nicely and EXPLAIN your reasons. A reasonable employer will meet you at least half way. And please do not be a smarty pants because you will not get the job and you will not look professional.

Construction Examples for Business Cards

* Over ____ years experience

* Commercial * Residential

* Blow torches *Forklifts * Levels * Manlift or personnel lift *Power drills, saws & grinders * Stump cutters

* Willing to: * travel *work overtime, holidays and/or weekends

* Reputation for completing jobs on or before deadlines and under/on budget

* Supervised crews of up to ____ workers

* Able to work with diverse personalities

Oil Field Examples for Business Cards

* Worm * Roughneck *Roustabout * Driller * Toolpusher

* Bronco * Key Energy *Company *Company

* Hoists (Air & Electric) * Lifts * Power grinders (Deck & Handheld)

* Over ___ years experience

* Trained, hired & evalated ______

* Supervised crews of up to __ workers/employees

* Reputation for completing jobs on or before deadlines

* Willing to work overtime, holidays, weekends

* Able to travel

* Excellent safety record

Money, Money, Money

If you are in a dead-end career, your industry trends indicate work will continue to be outsourced, or it's just time to look into another type of work, now is the time to do so.
Funding is available for retraining, however you need to ask and to research.

One of the first places I would go, to seek funding, is the school(s) I am interested in attending. Please make an appointment with a Financial Aid Officer (FAO) who can point you to several funding sources. Right now, with the economy and the number of layoffs, I am uncomfortable suggesting you take out a student loan. Therefore, talk to your Financial Aid Officer about grants, scholarships, and workforce investment act funds. There are most likely many other types of funds, however your FAO will be the best person to guide you but please emphasize you are not seeking a loan due to your layoff, etc.

Also, many of the State agencies (employment or unemployment offices) work with agencies which are awarded Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds. Call your local office to locate the agency handling these funds and make an appointment to visit the WIA Specialist.

There may be requirements you need to complete prior to visiting the WIA Specialist. Again, your employment/unemployment office can direct you most likely. You may be required to be signed up with your local (un)employment office, you may need to take some pre-assessments, you may need to have a completed resume, etc. Follow the directions you are given - if you are speaking to a representative, take notes and at the end, summarize your understanding. If the representative has handouts, get them, read them and highlight the requirements.

The people I know have a list of jobs which are in demand and are funded - jobs which are not in demand, are dead-end, are likely to be outsourced probably will not be funded (this makes sense - why would someone train for a job that will not be there in the near future?).

Some of the in-demand jobs may not be familiar to you. Look them up at:

http://online.onetcenter.org.

Also, do not forget that some groups which service specialized populations, may have funding available. If you are over 45 years of age, you may want to look at AARP. Business organizations which support underrepresented populations may have funding. Also, look at the larger companies who are seeking a diverse workforce - there may be funding available for continuing one's education.

Stress Busters

1. Get organized - list what can be done now, what can be done later and what can be done if there's time. Use a planner and limit the time you spend on distasteful tasks and give more time to tasks which are less stressful.
2. Get into a healthy lifestyle. Exercise. Eat right. Limit caffeine and alcohol intake.
3. Make a list of the good things in your life.
4. Schedule time to be with people are good for you and stop hanging out with people who drain the life out of you.
5. De-clutter your life. Clean the garage, attic and/or basement. Items which are still good, either donate or have a garage sale.
6. Get 8 hours of sleep.
7. Get a hobby. (Whining, moaning and groaning are not considered hobbies)
8. Make a list of your attributes or strengths.
9. Take time to do something for yourself that you have not done because.....
10. Learn what you can control and forget the rest.
11. Learn to say 'no'
12. Tell the truth
13. Think positive - if you are what you eat, you become what you think.
14. Unplug phones or don't turn them on once in awhile.
15. Slow down
16. See a funny movie or read a good book
17. Volunteer - helping someone often makes us feel better.
18. Take a walk in the park, on the beach or somewhere you haven't visited for awhile.
19. Build in rewards for finishing distasteful tasks.
20. And my favorite, laugh, eat brownies and ice cream once in awhile, watch Dancing With The Stars, get a Frisbee and toss it around with a friend (or your dog), stop beating yourself up (there's plenty of people which will do that for you), and remember, in a hundred years, it won't matter, it barely matters now and if this doesn't work, I've got a ton of stress reducing yard work you can do (hey, sunshine and exercise have been shown to be stress reducers).

Good Article to Read

Click on the link below - found some interesting 'things' to think about.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/storysupplement/flyp/index.htm

Ways to Save $$$

1. Plan out a weekly menu
2. Watch for the grocery ads/sales and use coupons
3. Buy and cook in bulk - freeze part for another meal
4. Stay away from restaurants and fast food places - their prices are rising and the portions are becoming smaller
5. Stop using your your credit cards - pay in cash or use your debit card
6. Ask your utility companies to average your bills
7. Don't buy what you do not NEED. If you self sooth by shopping, learn to ask 'do I need it or is it nice?'. If it's 'nice', don't buy it or return it.
8. Turn off lights and appliances when not in use
9. Have garage sale - all the 'junk' and outgrown clothes can be cleared out and sold - and this is not reportable income (usually - consult your tax advisor if in doubt).
10. Grow a vegetable garden - it's cheaper, more nutritious and delicious and gives you plenty of fresh air and sunshine.
11. Trim the entertainment - instead of going to the movies, swap DVDs and videos with the neighbors. Have a movie night at home and pop your own popcorn.
12. Have a family night - now you have time to do fun things like crafts, play board games, etc.
13. Carpool and/or plan your travels so as to cut your gasoline costs.
14. Rent out an unused room.
15. Ask your older neighbors if they need help with their yard work, heavy chores, etc. Negotiate a fee or barter for services.
16. Check out services offered through local churches and synagogues
17. Shop at the thrift shops - rich people donate items that have been gently used or not used at all - some good bargains can be found.
18. Check out local discount stores.
19. Make your gifts. Let's face it - a batch of homemade cookies is often more appreciated that a do-dad that they didn't want or need but don't want to tell you so.
20. Check with your local nonprofit agencies - some of them will provide food or other types of vouchers if you give them a helping hand.

Sample Electronic Resume

Although I have not used an electronic resume a great deal, Maxine Kent does a marvelous job with her sample.

Visit:

http://www.personalmarketingtools.com/images/maxine-kent.txt

Electronic Resumes

Electronic resumes, also known as e-resumes or online resumes, are NOT the same as a paper resume handed to an employer.

A good site for more information is found in the link noted on this post. However, here's some basic tips....

1. Only use Arial as the font or letter style - not all computers read the same fonts
2. Keep the font size 11-14 points
3. Line length should be 65 characters which means, letters, symbols and spaces
4. Do not use bullets - I personally use the minus sign (-) or an asterisk (*)
5. Use upper and lower case letters - capitalize the job title and the section headings. Do NOT capitalize more than 3 words in one grouping/phrase.
6. Use key words (industry buzz words)
7. Align all lines on the left - do NOT justify both margins.
8. Spell check - at least 2 or 3 times
9. Do not use a tab bar - use your space key instead

Job Hunting Approaches and Success Rates

A friend and I found the following information from a variety of resources. Mull this information over - are you using your job search time in the most beneficial way?

SUCCESS RATES JOB HUNTING APPROACH
86% Creative approach - self reflection, company research, identifying the decision maker, interviewing

69% - 84% Cold call from the yellow pages

47% Cold call by walking into a business and speaking with the key decision maker

33% Talking to friends, family and neighbors

14% Working with government agencies (employment security commissions within each state)

12% Talking to former teachers

8% Working with a union hall

5-7% Responding to classified ads

7% Responding to a trade journal

5-24% Private agencies (but you will need to call them every day in order for them to remember you. Remember - temp and private agencies are dealing with hundreds if not thousands, of people right now).

1-7% Using the Internet

Waiting to look for the perfect job?

I am hearing that some people who have been laid off are hoping to be recalled to their companies.

My advice, DO NOT hold your breath.

You need to be searching for a new job or working on getting into a new career NOW! With unemployment rates going from single to double digits, you have a ton of competition. It is a buyer's market and employers know it.

Employers know there are thousands of qualified, hard working prospective employees looking for a job. If you are giving yourself a break because "you deserve it", I agree, you do deserve it, however ....you are losing valuable time. Your new job is being offered to someone who may not be the best choice, but (s)he got "his/her act together", was the first in line, sold him/herself the best and "closed the deal".

If you take a job and your former employer recalls you, deal with that situation when it happens, but DO NOT waste time giving yourself a break - that little break may end up being much longer than you planned and this is just the beginning of the layoffs - many, many more are anticipated.

GET OFF YOUR SEAT and ON YOUR FEET! Hustle. Sell. Close. Get that job!

Human Resources and YOUR job hunt

Human Resources departments differ from one organization to another. A larger organization may have a separate HR Recruiter whereas in a smaller organization, the HR Manager does all human resources functions (much more than compensation and benefits go into HR).

HR however will usually write the job description in conjunction with the department manager/director who is looking for the new employee.

HR will most likely receive all resumes, cover letters and applications.

HR will most likely prepare a list of questions which are appropriate to ask during an interview.

HR may or may not be a part of the interview team.

This said, your paperwork (cover letter, resume, reference list and applications) will most likely be collected and initially reviewed by HR. From the large pool of applicants, HR may select and forward a smaller list of potential candidates, to the hiring manager (the ultimate decision maker) or to a selection committee. From there, a list of interviewees is compiled and the interviews begin.

This said, HR plays a huge role in your selection - if you don't get past HR, you won't be in the interview pool.

So....ask yourself.....

1. Is my application neat and able to be read?
2. Did I answer all questions and fill in all the blanks on the application?
3. Did I follow the instructions in the application? (did you even read the instructions????)
4. Is my cover letter neat, to the point and easy to read?
5. Is my cover letter and/or resume all about me? (do you use the word "I" allot? If so, you are giving the impression that the job is about you and not the employer).
6. Do I let the employer know what knowledge, skills and abilities I have?
7. Do I let the employer know how I can save or make him/her money?
8. Do I keep your cover letter to one page?
9. Is my resume 1-2 pages?

If you spoke with the decision maker, which a good job hunter will have done, do I use the decision maker's name in my cover letter or do I address the letter to the HR person and not let him/her know I have spoken to the decision maker? (Do NOT blind-side HR - let them know you have spoken to the decision maker).

HR can help or hinder you - follow their directions, turn in neat, well-written documents and ask them questions if need be.

RETRAINING

I have a number of people asking how they should go about changing careers/retraining for a new career.

I am not a career counselor, however I know several. Here's the step-by-step plan I would do....

1. make an appointment with a CAREER COUNSELOR (community college, votech, university)
2. ask to take some interest inventories or career assessments (for free)
3. talk to the career counselor about the jobs suggested from the assessments.
4. visit online.onetcenter.org and read about the career suggestions
5. research and talk to people (votechs, employment security commission, chamber of commerce) to see what industries and jobs are needed for your local area.
6. review your budget and look up the salary ranges for the careers in which you are interested (you need to know if you can live off the salary of your new career)
7. make an appointment with the financial aid officer at each school in which you have interest in attending.
8. make another appointment with an academic advisor to set up a personalized class plan.
9. Find out and not the deadlines for applications, etc. - MAKE A PLAN
10. WORK YOUR PLANS

RESUME PAPER

If you are going to spend the time writing a good resume, then take the time to buy some nice resume paper.

Resume paper is 24-32 pound paper

Color - white or offwhite (ivory, cream, light grey). Please do not use any flashy colors - it is tempting, I have to admit, to use something that makes you stand out, however it is not appropriate. I prefer to use a heavier 32 pound paper with a texture to make my resume stand out.

Margins - at least 1" on the top, bottom, right and left. DO NOT set the margins less than 1".

Font (Letter style) - Arial BOLD 12 point for your name Arial 10 point regular for the body of the resume.

What does your email address say?

If you provide your email address to an employer, does it give away too much information?

Do you use a number in your email address? If you do, can the reader determine your age? If the reader can guesstimate your age by your email address, you need to change your email address.

Does your email address give away your hobbies, interests, religion, political viewpoint, etc? If it does, this is personal information that should not play a part in determining whether or not you are a person the employer wants to interview. However, most of us know that people have biases and if you give away your personal information, it can hurt you in the job selection process.

And for Pete's sake, do NOT have a sexual-based email address. You may like it, you may think it is cute, however a prospective employer will not view this as professional (the prospective employer may get a chuckle out of it but (s) he will think of you as the moron of the day).

When I tell people to sell themselves, I am not saying to sell yourself as a streetwalker - so do NOT, I repeat, do NOT have sexually explicit email addresses if you want to be offered a respectable job.

Worker's compensation

I ran into someone who had Workers' Compensation questions as they somehow tied into their layoff.

Worker's compensation is different from you receiving your unemployment benefits - usually there are two separate agencies/organizations each specializing in its own field.

If you feel you were involved in a layoff due to being on workers' compensation - you should seek advice from an expert in the field - an employment attorney. I have never been an attorney, but attorneys seem to specialize in an area or may practice several legal areas. If I had a question, I would look up, in the yellow pages, employment attorney and seek his/her advice. If I didn't find an attorney specializing in employment law, in my town, I would ask my general counsel, who (s)he would suggest.

My guess is, asking questions from the employees dealing with unemployment will not be of great benefit to you - these people specialize in unemployment issues. Therefore, if you do have questions regarding unemployment benefits, they will be of great help to you because they have specialists within their own agency.

For workers' comp issues, you might also call your State Department of Labor for advice.

Retraining Opportunities

Some of the people with whom I work have asked how displaced workers find out about retraining opportunities and funds.

First, I cannot suggest strong enough to visit a local community college of state vocational and career training school/votech. The career counselors are usually more user friendly/have more time to spend and are more accessible. If you don't know what you really want to do, a career counselor can give some assessments which may give you insight into your innate interests, skills and abilities as well as take into consideration your on-the-job experience. After the assessments, jobs may be recommended. Visit http:// online.onetcenter.org (hyperlinked in my blog) and read about those careers.

Once you know where you want to go, make an appointment with the community college/votech Financial Aid Counselor. There should be federal funds available for retraining displaced workers. You want to emphasize you are seeking these funds and/or grants - not loans. My suggestion is to look for money you don't have to repay because student loans may take awhile to repay and you already have been put in a position which is not economically attractive.

Once you know what you want to be and how to access funding, find out how to register and apply for the programs. And...take your school career seriously - this will be your new job and many times, funding is provided on the condition you apply yourself and perform. Remember, the funds are not hand outs - they are a helping hand available to get you back on your feet.

Go luck on your new adventure.

PS- Alternative energy and health professionals are good areas to look into - for training and future work.

Cover Letters Made Easy

In addition to my information, please view the video on the following link....

http://education-portal.com/videos/Tips_for_Writing_a_Resume_Cover_Letter_Video.html


Cover letters ALWAYS accompany a resume when resumes are:

• mailed
• faxed
• emailed

Cover letters should be on paper that is used for the resume (resume paper is 24-32 pounds, white or off-white), with 1" margins (top, bottom, right and left) and using a font which can be read by all computers (highly recommend using ARIAL in a 10-12 point size).

Cover letters can be easier than you think if you keep the cover letter to three (3) paragraphs. The first paragraph states what job you are seeking, the second is a summary of how you can meet the employer's needs/wants and the third paragraph is a closing which will reiterate that you would like to discuss how you can help the employer.

The following is a sample of how a cover letter can be arranged....

First Middle Last name
your street address spelling every word out
City, OK ZIP
Email: email address Cellular: Phone w/area code


Date



Name of Decision Maker
Title
Company
Mailing Address
City, State zip

Dear name or Hiring Manager:

This letter and the enclosed resume are in response to your search for a name of the position to which you are applying. The skills and qualifications you mention closely match my experience.

Qualifications Desired My Qualifications

* list a skill they want * tell them what you can offer to fill the skill

* list a skill they want * tell them what you can offer to fill the skill

* list another skill they want * tell them how you meet their qualification

Name, I am excited about this position and look forward to meeting you to discuss how my qualifications could be of benefit to your endeavors. Should you have questions, please contact me at: phone number with area code. In the meantime, thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

leave 4-5 lines for your signature


Your complete name

Enclosure

Portfolio Check List

Whether you are visiting a potential employer to fill out an application or to interview, here are some items you MUST have in your portfolio...

• Resumes (3 to 5 copies)
• Black and blue pens
• List of questions to ask
• Your business card
• Your Personal Data Sheet (cheat sheet) printed and on a flashdrive
• Reference list
• Work samples

Before you leave the house, you might check the address to where you are reporting and print off a map (from mapquest, etc) and you should, if you are not familiar with the area, do a "dry run" to see if there is construction or obstacles along the route and give yourself plenty of time to arrive 10-15 minutes before the interview.

How are you spending your time?

Looking for a job in today's job market takes time - most likely more than you have spent in the past. Looking for a job is a full time job in normal economic times, however now don't be surprised if you spend more than 40 hours a week looking for a job.

Are you spending your time wisely? Consider the following success rates....

1-5% of the people looking on the INTERNET have success finding a job,
5-7% find success responding to a CLASSIFIED AD,
7% have success responding to a TRADE JOURNAL AD,
14% have success working with their STATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY,
47% have success finding a job by WALKING INTO A COMPANY and talking to the decision maker,
12 % find a job by talking to TEACHERS,
33% of the job hunters find a job by telling their family, friends and neighbors that they are looking for a job,
69% of the job hunters find a job by COLD CALLING companies from the phone book and
84% of the people find jobs by working together in JOB CLUBS and COLD CALLING companies and sharing the information.

So....how are you spending your time? Wisely or are you spinning your wheels?

Good Feedback From Employers

Here’s what these employers had to say when asked these questions:

“What skills do you look for when making decisions about new hires?”

• Good attitude; teachable - willing to learn new skills, etc;
• Hard worker.
• How you present yourself during the interview and on your resume.
• Look for some longevity in employment: should not have a lot of different employers in short time frame.
• Your appearance: watch the amount of jewelry and body jewelry you wear to the interview. The work place still hires based on older generations code of dress.
• Ask the right question when you apply for a job with the company: Don’t ask “Are you hiring?” but rather “I am seeking employment as a _____”. The employer is more likely to allow you time for an application than just telling you “No”.
• Integrity: stability on a job; dependability on the job; punctual at beginning of your scheduled work shift.
• Have the right skills: math is needed at some level in almost every job. Good communication skills, background in general science, must have computer literacy.
  
  “What characteristics in an applicant appeal to you?”
  
• Have a polished resume - typos are an immediate turn off.
• Your resume should show related work experience to the job in which you are applying.
• Your completed work application and resume should be easy to read. The employment history should be descriptive of what you did on the job in the occupation you held with the employer.
• Your resume and application should have correct telephone numbers. Use a telephone number that will be consistent. Notify the employer if it changes. Employer stated that if one applicant had not had a friend that worked at the company they would not have been able to reach the applicant to schedule an interview.
• Your resume should tell something unique about yourself. It should show your accomplishment, achievement and result in positive impact on the company.
• Research the company. One employer stated he ALWAYS asked each applicant, “Tell me something you know about my company?” If applicant is really interested in working at the business, he/she will have researched the company.
• Know how to dress for the interview with the company. Ask people that work there or call and ask the receptionist.
  

“What advice would you recommend to applicants?”

• Always do follow-up after the interview. One employer said she preferred e-mail follow-up. Others wanted that hand written “thank you” note.
• Network with everyone you know. Let others help you find possible employment opportunities. Networking is the key to getting a job.
• Don’t leave a job if you are employment before you have another job offer. You want to reduce any unnecessary gaps in your employment.

Dealing with Stress

Loss of a job is in the “top” five life events which cause major stress. Job loss impacts ALL members of your family because it causes financial and life changes that were not anticipated.

When you lose a job, your entire routine changes....think about it....when you went to work, you got up at a certain time, had a morning routine, drove to work (or the vehicle was on auto-pilot and go you to work without you having any recall of the trip in), you entered your place of business through an assigned entrance, went to your work space, worked, went to lunch when you were suppose to, worked more, went home and started that routine, went to bed and started the routine over the next morning.

When your former employer said "goodbye", your entire routine was screwed up. In addition to the financial loss, you have no routine - this all adds up to stress.

To get through this challenging time, develop a personal stress management plan.

1. Recognize stresses surrounding your job search. In another blog, there are suggestions as to how to plan your job search and when to do certain "things". Identify which tasks are "no big deal" and which ones "stress you out". Limit the time doing the stressful tasks to 30 minutes then change tasks and do something which is not stressful or is rewarding.
2. Identify what, in your personal life, is adding to your stress. Try to identify how these stresses can be reduced. If you need help, you might consider talking to someone at your church, synagogue or temple - religious leaders are often trained in counseling techniques. Also see if your local employment office has certified counselors or social workers. Sometimes it takes someone outside your situation, to see an easy solution - let's face it - we are invested in our own lives whereas an outside party is neutral and has a clearer perspective.
3. Make a household budget. List all your monthly obligations. Which of these expenses can you reduce? Can you reduce costs by using coupons? Can you average your utility payments? Can you ask your creditors to reduce your interest rates?
4. Get moving! Physical activity increases chemicals which impact different parts of your brain - the parts which make you feel better.
5. Learn and use relaxation techniques.
6. Make a life plan–think about what you want to do with your life, set goals, develop a plan.
7. Develop a job search plan - structure your time; practice time management and don’t forget schedule time for yourself.
8. Get out of the house - make sure you spend time with family and friends who are supportive.
9. Eat - but eat healthy, balanced and nutritious foods.
10. Refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages - they are depressants.
11. Refrain from caffeine.
12. Laugh - daily humor and laughter in your life reduces stress. Watch a comedy (What About Bob always makes me laugh).
13. Maintain your religious beliefs, social/family customs and daily routines.

Do you give out your Social Security Number?

I don't know about you, however I am uncomfortable giving out my social security number (SSN) on applications. My experience shows that some companies do not destroy old applications - they merely toss them in the dumpster. Think about it....you SSN as well as quite a bit of personal information are on applications - enough for someone to steal your identity.

Solution: Ask the receptionist if you can provide the last four numbers of the SSN or if you could use your driver's license number. A SSN is NOT needed for a reference or background check. However, your full legal name is needed, therefore give your full legal name on an application.

Truthfully, your SSN is not needed until you are filling out the W-2 for your new employer. I have found that by nicely asking the receptionist and explaining why you are making the request to use another identification number, is answered positively. Let's face it - most people have heard about the increase in identity theft and are most likely concerned too. People will most likely relate to your concern and let you use another number. HOWEVER....if you are allowed to substitute your SSN for another number - cross off the words "social security number" and write in "driver's license" or identify what number you used.

Behavioral Interviews

Behavioral interviews are, to me, the most difficult interviews (other than stress interviews). As an interviewer, I love behavioral interviews because the best indicator of future behavior is your past behavior. However, as an interviewee - I hate behavioral interviews because I tend to think in a big picture and don't obsess with little situations.

For example, I was recently asked "tell me about a time when you did not meet a deadline". My response, after a bit of pondering was "I have never missed a deadline - my projects are usually publicized and I don't have the opportunity to miss a deadline".

My personal bias is...I want to hire people who meet deadlines, therefore this should have been a great response in my mind. Former military people sometimes answer "failure is not an option" - another response I love and value. HOWEVER....these two answers are not "winning" answers. Why? They make the speaker look cocky, arrogant or too perfect. So what to do?????

Think smaller - to a specific time when you missed a deadline - such as submitting a report or having to put aside a smaller task to meet a more important task's deadline that was maybe given to you at the last moment.

When answering behavioral questions, remember the acronym S.T.A.R.

Star - briefly give the situation or scenario
Task - briefly state your tasks
Action - tell what actions you took
Result - and state the end result.

From the above example "tell me about a time when you missed a deadline" a good response would have been: "Recently I turned in a weekly report late. I was asked to do a special project which was due on the same date - the last day before vacation started. Since I was not allowed to work overtime, the weekly report had to wait and be turned in when I returned from vacation. Although the report was late, I turned it in within the first hour of reporting back to work and since there was a holiday involved, nobody was negatively impacted because they too, were on vacation.".

For more details, visit: http://www.quintcareers.com/sample_behavioral.html

How to Fail and Make Yourself Miserable

If you don't want to get a new job, you don't want to have goals. Successful people have goals and commit them to paper. Write down what you want and where you want to go - if you don't, how will you know when you get there? When it comes to job hunting this means you must:

• know your strengths
• know your weaknesses
• know how you can help a company make or save money (resources)
• have a plan and
• work you plan (that is why there is a calendar or planning blog in this series).

If you don't want a job, you will put off cold calling, networking, or you will continue to rewrite your cover letter and resume because it is 'not good enough'. We all know that job hunting is not the most fun thing we can do, but it can be if you re-frame it to be an adventure in meeting new people, learning about new companies and adding to your personal growth. Since many people do not like job hunting, they will procrastinate by making (invalid) excuses as to why they are not searching for a job.

If you don't want a job you will sit back and wait for the job to come to you. You may tell a few of your friends, send out a few resumes and cover letters for jobs found in the local newspaper and will have spent time surfing for websites (but in a haphazard way) that will post your resume, but all these are passive ways to look for a job. Successful job hunters get out there and hustle because they know job hunting is a participatory sport.

If you don't want a job, submit your cover letter, resume, application without researching the company or better yet, go to the interview unprepared. Successful job hunters take an interest in what other people and companies are doing. They learn about what is going on in various companies. They know their strengths and weaknesses and better yet, are working on improving their weak areas. Successful job hunters know about the companies they visit and let the interviewers know this. They go to interviews with additional resumes, pens (black and blue), they have business cards, they may have work samples or letters of reference. Successful people are clean and pressed - they come to an interview dressed to take on the day - they don't show up in clothes that are dirty, unpressed or ill fitting.

Common Job Hunting Myths

Even with today's economy and the shear number of layoffs, the following beliefs are just that, beliefs - they are not supported - they are myths we tend to believe.

1. There are no jobs out there. In fact, there are jobs - you just need to know where and how to look. If you are relying on the classified ads and the Internet - you are right, there are no jobs out there FOR YOU! Relying on the classifieds and the Internet is a passive approach to job hunting and both have about a 1-7% success rate. A successful job hunter will network, cold call, research, and hustle - full time.
2. If I work hard, get a good education and am loyal, I will have a good job. False! According to Levinson and Perry, in Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters, the best person does not usually get the job - the best person who interviewed the best and showed (s) he could contribute to the success of the organization, gets and keeps the job.
3. You'll find a job by working with human resources. Nope - you will find a job seeking out and establishing a relationship with the DECISION MAKER. HR will gather the resumes, applications, etc and screen them (giving each about a 4-10 seconds glance) and pass on a few of the applicants' information to the decision maker.
4. Most jobs are with big companies. Nope, most are with smaller companies - about 2/3 of the companies are smaller operations and in today's competitive marketplace, may actually provide more positives than one might think.
5. Most employers won't talk to me if they don't have an opening. Most employers, actually the decision makers within a company or a chain of command to which you would report, are interested in finding people who have spunk or get up and go and will help them achieve their goals. Taking initiative to reach out and meet someone and ultimately help them means a great deal to most leaders.
6. Most interviewers are well trained. Not true, especially if they do not have a skilled and knowledgeable HR manager or employment attorney.
7. I haven’t ever worked for pay; I have nothing to put on my application and I certainly don’t have anything for a resume. False!!!! Volunteer work is work without pay. If you have volunteered, put it down. Parenting and running a household is work. Anything that involves work with or without pay has provided you with knowledge, skills and abilities that can be transferred to another work environment.
8. There are good times and there are bad times to look for work. Anytime and all times are good times to look for work. Funding is here today and gone tomorrow. Never stop looking for work.
9. Sending out 1000 resumes will surely get me a job. Now it will get you frustrated and spending unnecessary money. Learn how successful job hunters find jobs in the hidden marketplace. One good place is this blog. Another is to check out books that are listed in this blog.
   

Jobs that won't be offshored

According to Guerrilla Marketing for Job-Hunters by Jay Levinson and David Perry, (ISBN: 0-471-71484-4) the following industries will have jobs which will be difficult to impossible to offshore:

1. Energy
2. Preventive Health Care
3. Security
4. Military
5. Government
6. Insurance
7. Consumer Financial Services
8. Agriculture
9. Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical

I personally add most of any type of health care practitioner as long as they need to physically see you. If the information can be electronically sent to another country, such as medical transcription, those jobs are at risk.

This may be the once in a lifetime opportunity to get some retraining. Meet with a career counselor to take some assessments and learn about different jobs then meet with the financial aid counselor. There are many grants and funds available and I believe more will become available, as more companies layoff employees who need retraining.

COLD CALLING

I mentioned in an earlier blog that 1/3 of all new employees find jobs because of someone they knew. Also mentioned was a statistic that about 80% of job openings are not advertised in a newspaper. So...how do you find these "hidden jobs"?

Depending upon what book/reference you read, cold calling is how somewhere between 64% - 85% people find their jobs.

What is cold calling?

Cold calling is either (1) going into a place of business to seek a job or (2) calling a business to see if they are hiring.

Since money is tight, let's focus on calling a business on the phone to see if it is hiring.

Most people will call without researching the company to find out what the company provides/does or the company's organizational structure. When I conduct my class, I ask participants what they would say if the called a company to see if it was hiring. Most people tell me they will either ask "are you hiring" or "are you taking applications"?

Two mistakes just happened. The first is, the caller did not determine who the decision maker was - they either asked the receptionist/switchboard operator or they asked for Human Resources.

To increase the probability of being successful, you need to determine who is the person you would be reporting to - a supervisor, an owner, etc. This is the person you want to speak to. There are times when the decision maker knows (s)he will be hiring or is thinking about it, and may have not informed HR.

After you determine who the decision maker is, you might be tempted to ask if (s)he is hiring, however that puts you in a "needy" position (I know you need a job, however you are employed to solve an employer's problems; to make him/her money or to save him/her money - not the other way around with you asking him/her to solve your problems).

This said, you have about 30 seconds to catch the decision maker's attention - (s)he is a busy person and does not have time to waste (remember time is money).

Successful people will (1) ask if the person has about a minute of time and will (2) introduce themselves giving their name and job title followed by (3) a very brief statement of what knowledge, skills or abilities can be offered to any employer. They then ask the question (4) Do you have a need for my services? Do you need my help at this time?

There are only two answers to this question: 'yes' means can you meet with the person or send a resume and 'no' is an opportunity to (a) thank the person for his/her time and to (b) ask 'who are two people who might need my help?' (Do NOT ask, do you know someone I could call? The answer is most likely "no" followed by hanging up). Most of the time, if you ask, who might need my help, you will most likely hang up with at least one person you can now call.

When you call the person whose name was provided, tell the prospective employer who provided his/her name and repeat the dialogue from above.

Every call should be followed up with a short 'thank you' enclosing either a mini resume business card or a resume. Why? Maybe today the "big cheese" is not hiring, but tomorrow someone may quit, be fired, or whatever. You want to keep your name in front of prospective employers. Also, my personal bias - "we" have lost a great deal of our civility and writing a "thank you" night is something which "makes my day" - it's a lost art that is still valued by those people who receive the note.

Job Search Sites

http://www.oklahomajoblink.com/

http://www.monster.com/

http://www.flipdog.com/

http://www.thingamajob.com/

http://www.careerbuilder.com/

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/

http://www.ajb.com/

http://www.employment911.com/

http://www.constructionjobs.com/

http://www.everytruckjob.com/

http://www.indeed.com/

http://www.beyond.com/

http://www.nationajobs.com/

Networking

Most people do not realize that approximately 20% of job openings are advertised leaving 80% of the openings unadvertised.

References will state slightly different statistics, but about one-third of the new hires found their new job from somebody they knew. This means, you need to be "yacking it up" to everybody you know! And, get yourself some business cards that are designed like a mini-resume (this blog site has a hyperlink to a place where you can get FREE business cards).

Telling everyone you need to find a job and what kind of job you are looking for is called networking. In addition to your friends, family and neighbors, have you told:

• Your mail carrier (about 2/3 of the jobs are small operations and your mail carrier may deliver to businesses as well as business owners)
• Your doctor(s), dentist, CPA, attorney (these professionals know you, have accepted your money and have a vested interest in you getting a job). Let your doctor/dentist know you are looking and give him/her a business card.
• Your Bank Manager/President is also a good source for finding a job. These professionals attend Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, etc. clubs, attend Chamber of Commerce meetings, socialize with other professionals and are always trying to persuade businesses to start banking at their establishment. Many times Bank Managers/Presidents know of job openings.
• Hair dresser/barbers also have a wealth of information. Let your barber/hair dresser know you are looking for a job and give them a couple of business cards to pass to their associates.
• If you go to a church, synagogue, temple or mosque, let your religious leader and members know you are looking for a job, what kind of job and give out business cards.
• Do you belong to a community organization? Let the other members know you are looking for work and give them some of your business cards.

The bottom line is...if you are dealing with someone for any reason, let them know you are looking for work. Remember, about 1/3 of the workers found their jobs through someone they knew.

Sample Mini Resume Business Card

You need to be prepared to sell yourself at all times. Many job hunting books suggest you keep your resume with you at all times. However...my resumes did not include basset hound foot prints! Think about it, if you keep some resumes with you in the car/truck, you will either spill a drink on them, have the kids throw them on the floor or like me, have a pet give them a personalized look which despite her best efforts, was not the appropriate look for a prospective employer to see.



SOLUTION: Create a mini resume business card by visiting: http://vistaprint.com/
A mini resume business card includes:

• your name


• phone number with area code


• email (if you check it daily)


• job title


• and three to five bulleted phrases about your knowledge, skills, abilities, or strengths.

Here's a sample:

John Smith, S.P.H.R.

Human Resources Manager

(AC) 123-4567

Email address

• Over fifteen years experience in both the manufacturing and service industries.


• Over five years in recruitment and four years in labor relations and negotiation.


• Seven years experience in corporate training which includes executive training, safety training and management and .

To Do within the first month

So you lost your job...did you like it? Were you happy to go to work every day? Are you having aches and pains in body parts you never knew you had? If you had a fairy godmother, and could do any job you wanted to do, what would you do?

A job loss can be a great opportunity to think about what you really want to do for the rest of your life. If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you got there? This said, in today's world, there are many jobs you never heard about when you were in school.

A resource, available to most people, is a Career Counselor. Career Counselors are typically found at vocational schools, colleges, universities, technological schools. Check to see if your local two year college or votech has a Career Counselor and make an appointment to take some assessments. Typically these assessments are a no cost or very little cost when you work with your local schools - after all, how can you possibly enroll in a training program if you don't know what you want to do?

The assessments will hone in on your innate interests and abilities and will also pick up on your life experiences. There is no "pass" or "fail' in these assessments because the results are based on you and you are not a failure.

The Career Counselor will visit with you and direct you to sources where you can read more about these potential careers and will also direct you to local sources of (re)training. Additionally, (s)he should direct you to a Financial Aid Counselor because you will most likely need help funding any training. Please keep in mind that monies available are not necessarily in the form of loans - there are many sources of funding which do not require repayment (but will most likely require successful completion of courses or programs).

One of the places I visit to read about potential jobs is my favorite Internet site ONet Center which is hyperlinked in the blog however the URL is: http://online.onetcenter.org

This site not only gives information on the typical tasks performed but also the knowledge, skills, abilities, and tools used in this profession and provides information on salary ranges.

Together with the Career Counselor, you can Plan Your Work (retraining) and then it is up to you to WORK YOUR PLAN.

And for you Baby Boomers....old dogs do learn new tricks. As a Baby Boomer who returned to school for a Master's degree 20 years after completing my Bachelor's degree, I found we learned faster than the younger pups. You have real world knowledge that means a great deal - you actually have an advantage over the younger pups because of this.

Week 1, STEP 3

By now, you should have completed a BUDGET and a PERSONAL DATA (CHEAT) SHEET.

STEP 3

PLAN YOUR WORK...WORK YOUR PLAN!!!!

This is a critical step to being successful in your job search. Research shows that 95% of successful people set goals and write them down! So...if you want success, copy the steps successful people take .... after all, why fix it if it ain't broken?

Earlier I mentioned that when you lose a job, you no longer have a job description nor do you have a routine. Your job now is composed of three parts: (1) find a new job, (2) continue with your home and family responsibilities and (3) have some fun - after all, you lost a job, not your life. You didn't do anything wrong, so why punish yourself?

There are a number of ways to come up with a new routine...what I did was divide my bathroom mirror into seven imaginary columns, one for each day of the week. I then used tiny Post It notes for each task needed to be completed that day AND I included my fun stuff as tasks.

Since I cannot set this up in seven columns, lets give you a couple of ideas of what needs to be done and when....regardless of where you live and how you are looking.

SUN -

1. Check out the classified ads in your newspaper
2. Work on resume and cover letter (or whatever paperwork is requested from the classified ad).

MON -

• Morning -

1. Call employers with ads you are answering before you mail or deliver your resume and cover letter..
2. Ask how you can get a copy of the Job Description.
3. Ask to speak to the person who would be your prospective supervisor.
4. Fine tune cover letter and/or resume based on information seen in the job description or gleaned from the prospective supervisor.
5. Mail paperwork

• Afternoon -

1. Cold Call prospective employers
2. Check for new Internet job postings
3. Make a minor change to any online resumes (aka: e-resumes; electronic resumes)

TUE -

• Morning -

1. Cold Call prospective employers

• Afternoon

WED -

• Morning -

1. Cold Call prospective employers

• Afternoon

1. follow-up with employers visited this morning
2. IF Wednesday is a big ad day in your local newspaper, check out the classified ads for new job postings, otherwise the big ad days are usually Tuesday or Thursday which is the day you want to check for new postings.

THUR -

• Morning -

1. Call on classified ads from last night/afternoon and ask for a copy of the job description and to speak to your prospective supervisor as you did on Monday.
2. Fine tune your cover letter and/or resume based on new information from the job description and prospective supervisor.
3. Mail paperwork
4. Pickup applications

• Afternoon -

1. If you were able to bring the apps home, start filling them out

FRI -

• Morning -

1. Pickup applications

• Afternoon

1. Check for new Internet job postings

SAT -
Fill in applications

Week 2, STEP 2

Part of the job hunting process involves filling out applications and writing resumes. To help you make these tasks easier, you need to gather some things together.

STEP 2

1. You will need a personal data sheet (personal means for your eyes only) that has all the information needed to fill out an application or the create a resume. I call it my cheat sheet because it is what I refer to when filling in applications and writing resumes because I have to cheat/sneak a peek at it once in awhile because I can't possibly remember all the details requested on some applications.
2. Find a box about 13" long, 9" wide and about 6" tall. This is where you will stash certain documents that may be useful during an interview and are most certainly helpful when filling out your cheat sheet.

Items to stash in your job hunting box.

• Job descriptions (if you did not save these, save them from today on)
• Performance reviews/annual reviews (when you have your yearly evaluation, you need to make sure you mention accomplishments and positive events which occurred during your evaluation time period. After you note your achievements, sign and date the evaluation and immediately ask for a copy. If you don't get a copy at that time, ask for it every week until you get a copy. You are entitled to a copy of performance reviews).
• Awards. Please say any awards you receive, especially if given to you by your employer. Employment attorneys are directed Human Resource Managers to NOT save any employee awards in your personnel files because should they want to fire you, and you challenge it in court, the employer is not in the most favorable situation if the courts find employee awards in your files. This means, you save them.
• Training certificates, transcripts, continuing education documentation. Save these documents even if there is an expiration date. All your training counts for something - it tells an employer you have certain knowledge, skills and/or abilities - maybe you have some that nobody else has. This makes you more valuable to an employer.
• Addresses & phone numbers. You need to collect the names, mailing addresses and phone numbers for every one of your employers and every school attended, including elementary and junior high school information. This may sound silly to you, however many applications are beginning to ask for your elementary and junior high school information in addition to high school and post high school institutions. If you leave off a requested address or phone number from an application - you lose - HR will perceive you as unprepared.
• Military records/paperwork. You need to gather these documents and keep them in one place. Some employers may need some of the information contained in these documents.
• Social Security Card/Work Visas/Birth Certificates/Passports. You need to know where these documents are since you will need to provide them at the time you are hired, however I recommend you keep them in a fireproof box in a safe place.

Week 1, Step 1

Okay, when you had a job, you had a routine. The alarm clock sounded off, you hit the snooze button. Eventually you get out of (fall to the floor) bed. Next (nobody ever wants to admit this) but you stumble to the bathroom tripping over the dog.

Then your daily routine starts. Some of us start the coffee, some of us wake up family members, some of us hit the shower, and so forth. You finish your routine and hop into the car/truck and somehow you find yourself at work with absolutely no recall how you arrived (either the caffeine hasn't gotten to your brain or the vehicle has an autopilot function you did not know about.

You hop out of your vehicle, spilling coffee down the front of you and dropping your purse or briefcase as a gust of wind blows your stuff across the parking lot. You enter the workplace through the employee entrance and start working - hey you don't need the boss hanging over you to tell you what to do - you know what to do.

But, one day, the routine changes....Human Resources tells you that you are being laid off...your routine was just screwed up!

The next day, the alarm goes off, you hit snooze, you hit snooze, you hit snooze then rip the cord off the phone hurling it across the room. You couldn't sleep last night. You want to stay in bed - hey you don't have to go into the office! You finally get up but don't want to eat. You don't want to shower. You don't want to get dressed. You don't want to visit anyone.

Hmmmm....what do you do when you don't have a job to go to? I know I sat around the house looking for stuff to do and finally called my mom to ask her "what did you exactly do" when you were a stay-at-home mom? After receiving "thanks allot" and "you gotta be kidding me!" statements my mom delivered a litany about the things she did.

Well...I don't know about you, but I am not going to start sewing....not going to start baking bread or making spectacular dinners....not going to start ironing (hey what's an iron) the pillowcases and sheets....not going to start going to start going to PTA because my dogs are not enrolled in school.

This may not be your scenario, however you most likely are in zombie land so, you need PLAN YOUR WORK & WORK YOUR PLAN!

Where to begin?????


STEP ONE

Contact the credit card companies to get your credit report. You need to review what's in each FREE credit report (there are three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union - links listed on this blog site and all allow you a free report or you can visit Annual Credit Report dot com). Check the following information.

1. Your personal information - is your name, address, phone, birthday, etc. correct. 80% of the credit reports have errors (now a 20% accuracy rate is something worth getting fired for - go figure!.
2. Check who the reports indicate are your lenders. If you don't recognize an account, you need to address this. Check to see the payments are correctly noted. Your creditors information should reflect the past 7 years of dealings - nothing more. If more than the past 7 years are showing, you need to have this corrected.
3. Only information pertaining to your finances/money should be listed - no arrest records, nothing except money related information.
4. Check to see who has accessed your credit reports. If you try to open a charge card, take out a loan, etc., that information will be noted on your credit report (hard inquiries). However the people mailing junk mail to you may have accessed your credit history and/or bought your name from the credit bureau. This too will be reflected in your credit history and often negatively impacts your credit score. If this is happening, you may want to contact the credit bureau(s) to have a security lock placed on your report thus preventing solicitors from accessing your history and impacting your scores.

I just lost my job....now what?

I just lost my job - it doesn't feel real - am I just imagining this happened to me or is it a bad nightmare?

The day I was fired, I felt a wave of relief, however I was also numb - how did this happen to me? I am a good employee. I have good attendance. My safety record is awesome. My performance reviews are always way above "satisfactory". What do I do and what comes first?


STEP ONE

If YOU had any of these feelings, one of the first things you should do, while everything is fresh in your mind, is to sit down and write down everything you can remember from the meeting where you were told you were fired or laid off. This information may become necessary should your former employer fight you on receiving unemployment benefits. You may need to provide details from your last meeting, or from previous meetings, to the people at your local employment/unemployment office.

When trying to remember the details, try to include:

• people present in the meeting
• date and time of the meeting
• what each person said
• what your responses were
• what documentation was present for you to review
• what you did or did not sign
• if you were forced or pressured to resign (example: "you can either resign or be fired, however if we fire you, your reputation will be damaged").

When writing, proofread the documentation several times. Ask someone you trust to proofread your notes too, asking them to not only find mistakes, but to provide feedback as to whether or not he/she understands what you are trying to say.

STEP TWO

File for unemployment benefits even if you were fired. The agency handling unemployment benefits in your state will investigate the situation and determine whether or not you can and will receive benefits. However....you can't receive benefits if you don't file for unemployment.

STEP THREE- Create a BUDGET

You need to determine exactly how much money is going out of the household as well as how much will be coming in (alimony, child support, unemployment insurance, etc). To help you, you need a budget. If you do not have "a handle" on your expenses and income, you will (1) not know how long you can last as an unemployed person, (2) not know how to effectively negotiate for a new salary and (3) will add unnecessary stress to an already stressful situation.

There are many forms "out there" you can use, however your family budget doesn't have to be fancy. Take a piece of paper and have two sections: one for outgoing expenses and one for any monies coming into your household.

In the column for outgoing expenses, some expenses might include:

• mortgage/rent
• homeowners/renters insurance
• electric
• gas/propane/coal/oil
• water
• sewage
• garbage
• vehicle payments
• vehicle insurance
• estimated fuel expenses
• food
• prescriptions
• medical insurance
• life insurance
• credit card expenses
• student loan(s)

For the income column, some funding sources might include:

• alimony
• child support
• retirement
• severance
• savings
• unemployment

STEP FOUR

After you finish roughing out a budget, you may need to call the companies with which you are dealing to see if they will lower your monthly payments and/or lower (better to see if they will do both) your interest rates. If you have been a good customer and especially if you have a good credit record, companies will tend to want to work with you and keep you as a valued customer.