Tips for Job Searching When You are Unemployed

Tips for Job Searching When You are Unemployed Tips for Job Searching When You are Unemployed If you’ve ever been unemployed for any length of time, you know how difficult it can be to keep to a routine or perform necessary tasks without the threat of an angry boss looming over your shoulders.  Sure, you have plenty of time for personal development, networking, and sharpening your professional skills, but then there’s also the latest episode of “The Dr. MacDoogan Show” to distract you. Don’t get us wrong, we feel your pain.  Heck, after just a three day weekend it seems like a herculean effort just to get out of our PJ bottoms and into work slacks, much less after any break longer than 72 hours.  Unless you feel like taking up residence in the garden apartment (read basement) of your parent’s home for the remainder of your adult years, getting started on the job search and landing a new gig ASAP are essential to your bank account and sanity.  With that in mind, here are a few pieces of sage wisdom designed to help put a get in your giddy-up and kickstart your job searching when you are unemployed.   Schedule Your Time What do successful individuals from military generals to venture finance professionals all have in common?  They schedule their time.  When unemployed, it’s often easy to think that you have all the time in the world to polish up that resume, search for open jobs and submit an application or two, while fitting in your newly found obsession with daytime television.  In reality, however, by the time you’ve crawled out of bed, brushed your teeth, downed a cup or two of coffee and indulged in an episode of the “Young and Impossibly Manicured” your day is half over.  Cram in your laundry, picking up the house and minding the incessantly barking dog, and it’s time to go to bed and wash, rinse and repeat all over again. Creating a schedule for both your job search activities and your daily life helps unemployed candidates keep a handle on how they spend their free time.  This can help job-seekers ensure they’re spending sufficient time every day on career making activities.  In addition, setting a schedule can help make the transition back to the real world of employment easier once you’ve landed that position. Start out by making a list of daily must-dos such as job searching, networking and following up on opportunities.  Make another list of important, but not mandatory items such as household chores or social engagements that can be put off or that have time and date flexibility.  Finally make a list of purely optional, fun or recreational items that help keep you sane.  Assign each of the tasks an estimated time.  The important tasks should get reserved time slots daily, with the remaining openings filled in with items from the other two lists. Once you have a schedule, stick to it.  A structure can be hard at first, but, over time, can become freeing as you learn just how much of your day or week was wasted on spinning your wheels.  Last but not least, be sure to schedule exercise time on a regular basis.  Physical activity is important for physical and mental health and is especially useful for getting you out of the house and active when unemployed. Volunteer or Become an Intern Most unemployed individuals spend their time looking for full time, paid positions.  While your budget will certainly approve of this approach, if you’re struggling to find a winning role, a volunteer position or internship may be the ticket to job-hunting success. Volunteering for local organizations or charities in need helps get you out of the house and giving back to the community.  Many hospitals, schools, nursing homes and government buildings are often understaffed and in need of qualified and caring individuals to perform essential job functions.  Both non and for-profit companies also often have openings for unpaid internships.  With both of these opportunities, you may be able to keep your essential job skills sharp.  In addition, volunteer and intern roles introduce you to a host of different people at all levels of a community or organization.  These interactions can lead to beneficial social or professional opportunities and could even turn into an offer of employment down the line. Network and Then Network Some More Most candidates recognize the effectiveness of networking in order to attain upward mobility in their given field.  What may be less obvious, however, is that networking with others in your profession can also help when you’re looking to land a job outright.   Start out by reviewing your personal and professional contacts.  After a few emails and phone calls, you will most likely have a full roster of dinners, cocktails or casual conversations.  During these events, be sure to mention that you’re on the hunt for a new position and are interested in knowing what may be open with the individual’s company.  You may also do a little internet sleuthing for scheduled networking events offered by companies or services in your career field.   It’s important to network wisely to avoid leaving the wrong impression.  If you haven’t spoken to a contact in a number of years, hearing from you out of the blue when you’re in need of a job can leave a bad impression in addition to most likely not being beneficial.  Sending follow up emails and reaching out after your networking event with a personal phone call can leave a good impression in addition to keeping your need of a job fresh in the person’s mind. Don’t Over Criticize or Nitpick When you’re unemployed, searching for a job can often seem like an emotional roller coaster.  Combine that fact with the inevitable extra time on your hands and you can be left with a potential ego killing cocktail of self-doubt and criticism.  Likewise, the failure to land a job right away can often lead to nitpicking of perfectly good resumes and cover letters often with counterproductive results. If you’re unemployed its important to work to stay positive about your job prospects.  Speaking with a recruiter or trusted friend or previous work colleague can often provide much-needed advice in addition to boosting that self-confidence.  Having a positive outlook will benefit you both in the job search and when you inevitably land that interview or call back and are in the running for a job offer. Our last and final piece of advice for those who are unemployed but seeking a job is to avoid being stagnant in your life and job search.  Keep your eyes open for opportunities and constantly seek out contacts and job openings in a variety of forms.  Building on the momentum of the previous day’s job search, networking event or other activity will see you landing a job all the more quickly while helping keep your spirits high in the process.  

3 Easy New Years Resolutions You Can Keep - The Muse

3 Easy New Years Resolutions You Can Keep - The Muse 3 Easy New Years Resolutions You Can Keep In case you just woke up from a very long nap and missed it, a new year is officially here! Everyone you know is making resolutions to work out more often, eat less fried foods, and find a job that pays them one billion dollars a year to do the exact thing they want to do. You probably roll your eyes every time you read a status along these lines, and when you do, I have a feeling it makes you think that making these resolutions is an exercise in futility. I’m as much of a skeptic as the next person, but there are a few things I know you can achieve by the end of the year. 1. You Can Stop Thinking About Networking and Just Do It How many times have you bumped into someone you knew and said, “Hey, this was great. Let’s set up some more time to talk about what I want to do with the rest of my life,” only to see three months go by before you even think about following up? I’m not here to give you a hard time for ghosting anyone you intended to connect with. But at the same time, this is an ideal time to be more intentional about staying in touch with your network. If you meet with someone and feel the urge to say that you’ll reach out to set up some time, stop yourself and just schedule the meeting in that moment. If you can’t commit to doing this, don’t feel guilty about not throwing out the “let’s catch up” line to close a conversation. Nobody will hold it against you for not offering to meet whenever you run into each other, I promise. 2. You Can Look For New Career Development Opportunities I get it- sometimes it feels like there are so many options out there to “boost your career” that it’s impossible to narrow them down and make any progress. But as daunting as it might seem, the truth is that simply looking at your options is a great way to kick-start some serious career growth. You can sit down and create a list of all the options out there- courses, books, career coaches. And you can just pick one and follow through. Whether that requires you to create calendar events for yourself (with annoying reminders) to keep at it, leave Post-it notes around your place, or have a friend text you every week checking in- get started by surrounding yourself with as much encouragement as you need to make this one thing happen. Sure, you might find hundreds of classes and thousands of books that aren’t relevant to what you want to accomplish this year. But when you find the one thing that inspires you to dig a little deeper, you’ll be amazed by how motivated you’ll be to keep going. 3. You Can Take a Hard Look at How You Feel About Your Current Job You might like your job right now. In fact, if you’re lucky, you might really like it. But there will come a time when you like it a little bit less, and a little bit less, and a little bit less- until one day you wake up and want to quit. Avoid that feeling of “How the heck did I get here?” by setting regular checkpoints for yourself throughout the year (and creating actual events on your calendar that’ll pop and and remind you). On each of these days, ask yourself the following questions Was I happy to come into the office this week? Have I done anything recently that I’m proud of? Does my current path still fit my long-term goals? As long as you can keep answering yes, keep on cruising. But the first time you have to pause and think for a second, it’s time to have a heart-to-heart with yourself on what you want your next step to be (whether that’s addressing a problem or starting to make small moves). If you want to set some lofty goals for your career this year, I’m not going to stop you. But there’s nothing wrong with going easy on yourself and setting a few achievable resolutions. Remember: If you run into any roadblocks along the way, try not to let it get you too down for too long. The beauty of these options is that they’re ongoing and it’s hard to fall behind.

John H. Lienhard Engineer, Educator, Communicator

John H. Lienhard Engineer, Educator, Communicator John H. Lienhard Engineer, Educator, Communicator John H. Lienhard: Engineer, Educator, Communicator If John Lienhard, of Engines of Our Ingenuity fame, had not lived his life following the advice of the early Roman poet Horace to Carpe diem (Seize the day), he likely would not have been able to have a career that has combined his love of engineering, teaching, and cultural history. His personal story of struggle to earn a Ph.D. in engineering and of broadening horizons much further is an inspirational one although not a master plan. Commenting on his career track, he noted, Is anyones path built in from the outset, or is it formed by a succession of circumstances? Perhaps the person in question is least qualified of anyone to say. His early school years did not portend well. I couldnt read and write, could barely scrape through school, he said. Finally, his world opened up, when he began a drafting course as a high school senior. I just loved it and realized here is something I can do, he said. I didnt think I was stupid, but I recognized that there was a hurdle to overcome. The hurdle was dyslexia, which was identified in the late 19th century, but which was not on educators radar when Lienhard was struggling. There was no diagnosis back then except for lazy and stupid, he said. In 1980 John H. Lienhard received the ASME Heat Transfer award. But overcome it he did, mostly on his own, and then went on not only to train future engineers but also to incorporate his love of teaching and cultural history reaching the general public via radio with stories of how culture formed by technology and other creative enterprises in turn shapes technology and science. It was the drafting course that gave him some confidence, but he still struggled at community college as a C or D student in pre-engineering until he figured out how to make As. He repeated the same pattern before earning a B.S. in mechanical engineering at Oregon State College and took a job in the drafting department at Boeing. But drafting was mind-numbing for him. After some aptitude tests, he transferred to Boeings education department training new hires in skills such as drafting and design practices, and he loved it. But then he knew that meant he would need a higher degree to continue in education, and he enrolled to earn a masters in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington, only to be drafted by the Army upon graduation. In the Army, he found himself spending a lot of time just standing in lines. Again, carpe diem came into play. He tucked a paperback book in the breast pocket of his fatigue jacket. When I was standing in line, I would practice eye tracking, he said. That was his solution to improve his reading with his dyslexia. Discharged from the Army, he returned to the University of Washington as a teaching instructor and. Knowing he should have a Ph.D. for a career in academia, enrolled in the engineering program at the University of California at Berkeley. Same old story, he says, I started out as a C student and ended up with As. After graduation he returned to his first love â€" teaching â€" first at Washington State and subsequently as a full professor at the University of Kentucky, while continuing work in thermal sciences for which he was recognized as making outstanding contributions to the science of heat transfer and phase change. Always eager to learn new things, one summer he applied and was accepted at a Smithsonian course on how to write about the history of technology. Immersed in the Smithsonian archives, he was captivated by how much art, technology, and cultural ideas are all intertwined and have shaped society. Back teaching in Kentucky, he wanted to share that insight with his engineering students so he created a course in cultural history, a program of study that went so well that he also introduced it when he joined the engineering faculty at the University of Houston in 1980. One summer in the late 1980s in a chance conversation, the dean of engineering mentioned that he was considering creating 30-second radio spots to highlight engineering. Lienhard responded that they shouldnt be short advertising spots. We want to be telling stories, he recalls saying. Three days later, he had prepared three scripts, about four minutes each. Nobody thought it would work at that length, he said. But the show, Engines of Our Ingenuity, was produced by the University and its public radio station and began airing Jan. 4, 1988. It continues to this day as a five-day-a-week radio series now available on scores of public service stations across the country and other outlets overseas as well as in space (the International Space Station) and online. As of Jan. 7, 2016, 3,038 new episodes have aired and are posted on the Engines web site. The essays tell the story of human invention and creativity. The stories focus on engineering and technology, but bring in math, other sciences, art, literature, medicine, and music. For more than two decades while still teaching, writing, researching, Lienhard was the author and voice of the show before others joined his team. At first I cherry-picked things from teaching and put them together in episode form, said Lienhard, author or co-author of four books and more than 300 published articles. Then I had to learn new material and spent an enormous amount of time in the library and seeking out stories wherever I could find them, establishing threads of continuity. The threads weave, mix, and blur and start bifurcating into other topics. Something emerges out of this whole business of creativity and invention, and its that invention is a matter of catching the fleeting idea as it whips past you, and other people miss it. Carpe diem, full circle. Nancy S. Giges is an independent writer.Invention is a matter of catching the fleeting idea as it whips past you, and other people miss it.John Lienhard

Yes, attractive people really can earn more money

Yes, attractive people really can earn more money Yes, attractive people really can earn more money Self-Assessment Quiz: True or False What I wore in college is okay to wear in my new role because I work in Silicon Valley and we have a relaxed dress code. TRUE / FALSE I look this way because I can’t afford to buy nicer clothes. TRUE / FALSE I usually just roll out of bed and grab the first thing in my closet. TRUE / FALSE I prefer the less-is-more look when it comes to hair and makeup, so I don’t wear any makeup. TRUE / FALSE I know I’m going to get some hate mail for this post, but it’s my blog and my opinion, so let’s get this cold, hard truth out of the way right off the bat. “Attractive people earn an average of 3 percent to 4 percent more than people with below-average looks,” according to Daniel Hamermesh in his book  Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More  Successful  (Princeton University Press, 2013).So what are you saying, Cheryl? Only pretty people get hired? Read that quote again, please. It didn’t once mention the word “pretty.” It said “attractive.” And in my opinion, anyone and everyone can be attractive, if they take the time and pay attention to how they dress, act, and carry themselves.Why is this important? Did you  read  the quote?  You can earn an average of 3 to 4%  more  if you just spend some time caring about how you present yourself to the world.  To me, that’s the definition of attractive. And if how much you earn at the start of your career plays a cr itical role in how much you earn going forward, doesn’t it only make sense to get as much as you’re worth right from the start? If your looks can help with that, why not maximize them to your benefit?!I know the world has changed! Gone are the days when you were expected to show up wearing the same dark blue or black business suit for each and every job interview you went on. However, it does not hurt one iota to dress up for an interview. Even if you’re applying for a tech position at the latest internet or social media company  du jour  in Silicon Valley, or a hip retail establishment, it won’t hurt you to show up for that first conversation looking like you care about personal hygiene and cleanliness, or that you know how to use a comb. No matter how smart you are. I stand firm on my assertion that you work better when you feel better about yourself. That includes your appearance. So if you answered TRUE to the quiz questions above, I encourage you to rethink your strateg y for long-term success. Dress for success still means something. I don’t care if the rest of the work crew is wearing flip-flops. Standing out can pay off in the long run.Cheryl Grace is the sassy aunt, best friend, and mentor you’ve always needed in your life. The successful jet-setting, global corporate executive founded the aspirational lifestyle brand Powerful Penny LLC. Her products, workshops and speeches probe, inspire and empower to ensure those who really want to can get to their next level of best. Her blogs on careers, prosperity, relationships, family, looking and living fabulously, and living a five-star life can be found at  www.powerfulpenny.com.

Customize this Outstanding Guidance Counselor Resume Template

Customize this Outstanding Guidance Counselor Resume Template Customize this Outstanding Guidance Counselor Resume Template Guidance counselors are generous and thoughtful human beings, and it is important to have a resume that reflects these traits. Crafting a resume that really captures your personality can put you ahead of the competition and help you obtain the job you want.Refer to the guidance counselor resume sample below for information and insight into writing your own resume. We also provide tips and guidelines to help you know what to put in your own. All of the information here shows you how to best flesh out your resume to include a comprehensive skills section, a detailed work experience section, and a strong personal summary. Our resume builder provides even more assistance to ensure your document is top notch.Writing the Guidance Counselor Resume TemplateCreate Resume A good resume follows a set format, lists your experience and education and shows your skills. While you might have all that information on your resume, you might not follow the format that employers desire. A Guidance Couns elor resume template shows you the format and how to write a good resume.Resume Template for Guidance CounselorEmma SmithProfessional SummaryLicensed social worker and Guidance Counselor with experience working with students in high school through college. Assists students with writing resume, helps students fill out college applications, provides guidance in regards to starting careers and offers some mental health counseling. Experience in identifying and reporting abuse.Core QualificationsLicensed Social WorkerHigh School/College CounselingAdministering Career TestsResume WritingMental Health CounselingAbuse Identification and ReportingWork ExperienceGuidance Counselor, July 2013 May 2015New Cityland Community College New Cityland, CAAdministered and evaluated tests and materials designed to show students the skills they had and which careers were best for themRead through resumes and cover letters submitted by students to help them apply for jobsCounseled victims of abuse, bul lying and other problems and helped them find professionals to assist them furtherGuidance Counselor, August 2010 June 2013New Cityland High School New Cityland, CAMet with students privately to discuss their future plans and decide between working or going to collegeReviewed college applications to help students write essays and complete their applicationsWas responsible for identifying signs of abuse, peer pressure, bullying and other common problems prior to alerting the principal or authoritiesEducation2010 Bachelor of Science, Social WorkUniversity of California Los Angeles, CACustomize ResumeWhy Is This a Good Guidance Counselor Resume Sample?The guidance counselor resume sample is a great example of a document that is fleshed out well. The professional summary includes important qualifications such as licensing and then lists the applicant’s focus areas, which in this case are high school and college. It goes on to discuss what type of counseling the applicant performed. She refrains from including non-relevant information and ensures all wording is important. For the core qualifications, the applicant lists only those skills that are important for the job. She lists all skills in short phrases and sets them off with bullet points, which makes the section exceptionally easy to read. Lastly, she includes six skills, which is an appropriate number for this section. Four are too few to fully demonstrate capability, and any more than eight can make the page look too messy and overfilled. The work experience section of the guidance counselor resume sample lists only two positions; however, the applicant includes bulleted information about each position to make the section more detailed. She starts off the bullets with strong words like “administered” and “counseled.” The resume also includes proper detail by listing the name of the employer, the city and state, and the dates of employment. Lastly, the applicant includes a section for education. As shown, this section doesn’t need to be long. It is important to list the name and location of the institution, the title of the degree, and the year of completion, but leave off the year if it’s outdated. This section shows the applicant has the necessary background to fulfill the job. Any employer can scan this resume quickly and determine whether the applicant has the necessary background and qualifications to interview for the position. The jobseeker choses her words carefully to keep her document clear of any fluff or extraneous information. Doing so makes her resume look polished and shows she tailored it to her industry.Why You Need a Strong Guidance Counselor ResumeThe job outlook for guidance counselors is looking up, with an 8 percent increase between 2014 and 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Because of this increase, more jobseekers may be interested in this field, which can make the application process that much more competitive. To get the attent ion of an employer, you’ll want to have a resume that best reflects your abilities and strengths. The guidance counselor resume sample below can help you achieve this. Most hiring managers have just moments to look over a resume before deciding whether the candidate is worth pursuing. You want to make those few moments count by having a resume that really stands out. Guidance counselors work with a few different age and educational groups, including high school students, college students, and clients in rehabilitation centers. Demonstrating your area of expertise can help you gain a leg up.Costly Guidance Counselor Mistakes To AvoidOne of the biggest resume mistakes, and one of the easiest to fix, is not having a second pair of eyes look over your document for simple errors. The brain of the writer often fixes what it cannot see without the writer even being aware. However, someone else, who doesn’t know what you intended your next word to be, can more easily spot these simple m istakes. The reader doesn’t necessarily have to be a strong in grammar or spelling to spot problems. Resume writers also often have trouble talking themselves up in the document. To make the best impression, you should mention skills important for the position that a hiring manager would expect to see. Review our guidance counselor resume sample to observe how a writer can effectively advocate for him- or herself by including key skills such as mental health counseling and abuse identification, as well as the required licenses or certifications for your location.ConclusionThe tips listed here and the guidance counselor resume sample are a good jumping-off point for creating your own great document. Show the employer your passion, personality, and drive by infusing your words with confidence and clarity. Once you get the acceptance and walk through those doors for your first day, you will be able to transform lives, one person at a time.

Crypto-king pays $4.5M to have lunch with crypto-doubter Warren Buffett

Crypto-king pays $4.5M to have lunch with crypto-doubter Warren Buffett Crypto-king pays $4.5M to have lunch with crypto-doubter Warren Buffett Cryptocurrency king, founder of blockchain platform Tron, and CEO of BitTorrent Justin Sun paid $4.5 million in an eBay charity auction to have lunch with Berkshire Hathaway CEO, and billionaire philanthropist, Warren Buffett, reports the  Wall Street Journal.The lunch conversation is sure to be interesting considering Buffett’s views on all things crypto; he referred to it last year as “probably rat poison squared,” telling CNBC that it was “creating nothing” and warning his investors not to invest in crypto. But he didn’t stop there; Buffett has also called Bitcoin “a mirage” and predicted that cryptocurrency will “come to a bad ending.”Sun is definitely looking to changed Buffett’s mind, per his recent Tweet:The lunch will take place in the steakhouse Smith and Wollensky in New York, reports the Journal, and Sun will be able to bring along some friends.It was a record bid for the annual auction to have lunch with Buffett; proceeds went to the GLIDE Foundation , a San Francisco organization which provides services to the area’s homeless, poor, and marginalized.

What to do after Applying for a Job Online

What to do after Applying for a Job Online What to do after Applying for a Job Online After you press Submit on Ladders site, your resume is on its way, but you’re not done yet. There are steps you must take to improve the odds your application will result in a job.