Why Are We Putting All of Our Eggs in One Basket?

Why are we doing this to ourselves?

Most of you reading this post had a full-time job with an employer and that was your only source of income. You lost your job for whatever reason and now you are again looking for a full-time job which will be your only source of income.

What happened when we lost our jobs? We lost our only source of income...which put us in a really awkward, chaotic, anxious situation. Instead of stopping to reflect on what happened to us, so we never put ourselves in this situation again, we jump right back into the game of finding a full-time job.

I challenge you to think about what your lives would be like if you were to create multiple sources of income. Wouldn't your livelihoods be less affected if one of those income streams were to dry up? Instead of having all of your eggs in one basket, spread them around.

I've been thinking about this idea a lot lately. Someone got it stuck in my head...

Wondering what you could possibly do for these jobs? Get creative. If time and money weren't an issue, what would you do? (I stole this phrase from Tim Bianci) Chances are, it's something you could turn into an income stream; if not a river, at least a stream.

What are your thoughts on this concept? I've been laid off twice this year and it didn't feel too good. I'm thinking about taking control of my income streams instead of allowing someone else to have control over my livelihood...

Two-Time Victim of the Economy

I've got a confession to make. I got a job...and then was laid off two months after I started...to the day.

After the 4th of July, I was hired through a recruiter to do some sales and marketing support for a prominent, well-established company in Des Moines. (The challenge of working with this recruiter may be its own blog post at a later date :P)

I took the job because it was sort of in line with what I had done before and incorporated some of the social media skills I've acquired over the past several months. AND because my husband and I decided I'd been laid off long enough...mostly my husband...

I'll admit, it was a HUGE challenge having a structured day, sitting in an open cubicle (I previously had an office) and thinking about all the other projects I had going on that I had to put on hold.

After about a week, I realized that this job wasn't for me and began my job search with earnest. Let's just say that the "prominent, well-established" company in Des Moines was being sucked dry financially by a start-up company they began three years ago. I bought my own office supplies and had to bring my own cleaning supplies from home to clean my cube on Day 2. This was all a little strange to me. Why did they hire a support person if they can't buy legal pads or pencils?

After the two months I worked there, of the job duties I was hired to do, I would say that I devoted about 5% of my time to them. The other 95% of my time was devoted to cold calling in order to drum up business for the start-up side of the company. This was a responsibility that wasn't made known to me by the recruiter or my supervisor before I was hired. There are a lot of things I'll do, but cold calling isn't one of them. Let's just say that I'm not that good at it...Had I known this before I was hired, I wouldn't have taken the job.

So, 2 months after I was hired, the day after we returned from our Labor Day vacation in Northern Wisconsin, my supervisor called me into his office at the end of the day and told me that they were going to have to let me go:

"You've been sitting in on all of our meetings; you know what the state of the company is. We just don't have any money. We'd hoped that there would have been an improvement in the last 30 days."

I asked him 2 questions before I packed my things and left. "Was it something I've done?" This determines whether or not they'd contest my claim for unemployment. He confirmed that it was through no fault of my own. "When is this layoff effective?" He said immediately. That's all I needed to hear.

Now I'm back to being Unemployed in Des Moines and loving it. I am working part-time for the Iowa United Nations Association planning events for the Des Moines/Ames Chapters, but I am still looking for a full-time gig or freelance opportunities. If you'd like to connect, please let me know.

I've noticed that there aren't that many networking opportunities this week. Wondered if any of you would like to meet up for coffee - the more the merrier. Just let me know and we can make a big group of it. I'm thinking Thursday at 10:00am at the Caribou on Ingersoll downtown...send me an email suzanne_hull@hotmail.com or make a comment below this post. Have a great week!

Project Lemon-aid

If this event isn't on your radar yet, put it there. Project Lemon-aid is a group of very passionate people that have come together to offer their time, services and knowledge (free of charge) to help the unemployed in Iowa. Check out their website for more information. Their next event is on 17-Aug from 8-12 at Connxions in Urbandale. Make sure to arrive early to register and network.

Registration: 7:15 AM
After registering take advantage of having a professional photograph taken to use on your networking sites

Program: 8:00 AM
Employer panel – straight talk from employers about how to find your next job

Breakout Sessions: 9:00 AM
Social Media for Job Seekers – Ben Stone
Interviewing Strategies – Shelly Rusch
Job search strategies 101 – TBA
Being fearless in your job search – Crystal O’Connor/ Jason Kiesau
Tips on financial success in your job search – TBA
Networking within your job search - Renda Lutz/ Tim Bianchi

Drawings for free professional services such as:
Career Coaching
Personal Leadership Coaching
Video Resume
Social Media Personal Consulting

What's Your Job's Version of a Perfect Game?

Andrew G.R.'s blog post that I read with my reaction below:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's the dream of any kid who has ever picked up a baseball. 27 up, 27 down. Sure it ranks behind the bottom of the ninth grand slam and the over-the-wall-homerun-robbing catch, but the perfect game definitely cracks the top 5.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle became the first major league pitcher in five seasons to hurl a flawless game. And that got me thinking...

WHAT WOULD MY PERFECT GAME LOOK LIKE?

I'm not a baseball player. I'm your average middle class, blog-writing, new-media loving Webaholic who mostly operates under the radar.

I have work goals that I would like to accomplish; career feats that I am driven to achieve. But when I sit down, take a few deep breaths and clear my mind, I still have no idea what my version of a perfect game would look like.

That's a problem.

Since dream chasing is an important aspect of success, I'm now determined to put more thought into what ultimate perfection looks like for me. Is it an error-free presentation? Consecutively successful projects? Increasing ROI by 100%? I don't know, but thanks to Mark Buehrle's magical performance, I am now on the path to find out.

What does a "perfect game" look like for you?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I read this blog post and started thinking about what my “perfect game” would look like. If you’re on the job hunt and someone asks you what your dream job would be, do you have an answer? If you can’t articulate it, you’re never going to be able to find it.

My perfect dream job would be one where I could work from home because I really enjoyed not going to work. I found that I can still be dedicated and focused without being in an office setting. I have a relatively short attention span, so sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day can be trying at times. I get more accomplished without the interruption of office politics.

I want to make a difference. Over the last couple of months, I’ve been doing a lot of things and not getting paid for it, but I love it because I feel like I’m helping people. I want to add value and I want my voice to be heard.

I’ve discovered in my time off that I can write and be creative.

I enjoy meeting new and interesting people and learning what they’re passionate about.

I love social media. Writing this blog, twittering (tweeting?), keeping up with contacts on LinkedIn; it would be great to continue working within these mediums in my dream job.

So, dream job includes working from home, making a difference, writing/being creative and using social media. Oh, and if I could get to Europe every couple of months on a “business trip”, that would be great :)

My dream job has changed over time because kids are on the horizon, so working from home has really been on my mind. You need to reassess your dream job scenario and keep in mind what’s important to you and yours.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB? Post it here for all of the readers to see – who knows, you might make a connection through this blog!!!

Employee Loyalty

I'm on the cusp of GenX/GenY - as such, I've heard through the grapevine that we're not too loyal to our jobs and that we change jobs more often than the generation that came before.

Some of you that I've met through networking over the past couple of months describe rounds of layoffs at the companies you worked for. If you were still there after round one, how did you feel? Were you looking for a job while you still had one? Did you think that after 25 years with the company that you wouldn't be affected? Maybe there's only going to be one round?

After the next round, what did you do? I've met people who worked for companies through five rounds of layoffs and then it was their turn to be dismissed. Through that whole situation, they remained loyal to their company and stayed with them - not looking outside their company for other opportunities. I even know some people who are very open to returning to the same companies who laid them off. They've even received invitations from their former employer who would love to have them back when "the economy improves".

I would love to hear your opinions on this phenomenon called loyalty. Would you return to the company that laid you off if they made you an offer right now? When the first round of layoffs happened, did you start looking for another job? Are you going to be as loyal in your next position?

Caught in the Middle

The Wharton School in Pennsylvania recently wrote an interesting article regarding middle managers and how the tides may be turning for them in their job search:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rising unemployment is taking its toll on older managers, who are more likely to be laid off and may stay that way longer. Middle-aged employees will find it harder to get a job, compared to younger workers with newer skills, experts say. But the tide may be beginning to change.

U.S. recessions since the oil crisis in the early 1970s each had their own special causes and victims, but they also had something in common: They were over relatively quickly.

The current downturn, however, is deeper and already longer than any since World War II. This spells trouble for one especially vulnerable group — managers in their 40s and early 50s.

They tend to be more expensive than their younger counterparts; they may lack some of the high-tech savvy needed to succeed in a more efficient workplace; and they face a downsized job market that will stay that way much longer than usual.

Even in a “normal” downturn, the job market is a “lagging indicator” (meaning it does not show improvement for several quarters after the start of a recovery). And the current recession is anything but normal.

According to Wharton finance and statistics professor Francis X. Diebold, co-director of the Wharton Financial Institutions Center, the employment picture is closely aligned with the depth of the recession.

If the recession really did bottom out in February or March, and if we stay on track and start growing at a positive rate by the end of this year — which is by no means certain — it could still be 2013 before we see some significant employment optimism.

A generation ago, says Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli, director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources, “layoffs at this level were temporary. Not now.”

Even if an equivalent job were open at another company, that company will most likely not fill the position or will hire from within. In addition, Cappelli notes, in the 1990s, the economy experienced a “big wave of startups that would take on corporate people who had lost their jobs or bailed out of them. These days, we don’t see those smaller companies on the horizon.”

To continue reading, click here

IWD: Iowa Unemployment Tops 6.2 Percent

This rate is a 22-year high! If you can recall, last month the unemployment rate was 5.7 percent...The national unemployment rate in June 2009 was 9.5 percent.

What do I think this means?

I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago, about the fact that the unemployment rate is really tough to calculate. I feel that we are always at a higher rate of unemployment than Iowa Workforce Development statistics indicate because their information is based on their assumption that those who are out of work file for unemployment insurance benefits. And this is simply not the case.

I feel that the increase from 5.7 to 6.2 percent is due to severance packages running out which now allows for the laid off workers to file for unemployment insurance benefits. They're now finally being recognized as unemployed even though they've been out of work for quite a few months. Will we ever really know what the real unemployment rate is?

If you think the job situation in Iowa is bad, check out other states in the nation. The central United States doesn't have it too bad...

Making Lemons out of Lemonade

Guest blogger Monika Agic is a contemporary artist living in Urbandale who grew up in Bosnia but has made Iowa her home since 1995. After a successful financial services career lasting 9 years, she found herself unemployed and started exploring her creative passion which lead to the creation of the Art by Magic studio. Monika provides free in-home art consultations and designs custom one-of-a-kind paintings that capture the personality, sense of style, wants and needs of each person or group she works with. To see her portfolio, visit http://www.artbymagic.com .
___________________________________________________
Suzanne, thank you for inviting me to be your guest blogger. You are doing a wonderful job with unemployed in Des Moines blog that provides multitude of great information and networking opportunities.

I met Suzanne at one of the events organized by the Kaplan university. Suzanne had a bad cold, was dressed up really nice, and for one reason or another, we connected. Sure enough, both Suzanne and I have found strong passions to pursue our natural talents and provide service to others.

I was laid off from the Principal Financial Group back in December 2008. The event was nothing unusual for the state of the economy, and the first reaction was one of disorientation. Perhaps loosing a job that you were so good at for 9 years is not as hard as taking that next step. And weather we want to admit it or not, life goes on, we are the only ones who can make it different. Looking back to January and February it is amazing to think that I did not know that I'd be a business owner and create custom artwork for people only a few short months in the future. I've owned the Art by Magic domain name for almost 3 years, and my unemployment situation allowed me more time to paint. I always had the idea but never had the time. Apart from my love of art, it was also therapeutic and meditative to paint and process my new life situation. In April, I registered the trade name, and today I have clients; there are newspaper articles about me, and I even have a fan page on the Facebook. Wow, what a transformation in only a few short months!

Had I allowed my past career to define me, I would not be able to see past my CLU (chartered life underwriter) designation. Initially, at least in January and February, I thought all I can be is an insurance agent. However, after some soul- searching, I knew that I could do anything, even art!

Since it happened so quickly, I am not sure if Art by Magic is destiny or my own choice. I have realized that being a small business owner, trying to create the product and launch it in the marketplace takes a whole array of skills and is much more complicated than having a corporate job. I must give myself kudos for that kind of growth! Not only I am now more skilled, I am also in a better spiritual and emotional place than I have ever been before.

While art is hardly a profession with which one can make a living, it is something I am dedicated to pursuing long-term. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the happy face of a client whose home is now suddenly enhanced with the beautiful custom art they'll be able to brag about to their friends and family. Yet, I'd really like to have a good paying job, like I was used having. Someday, I'll be doing both. While in search - it is Art by Magic all the way.

Art by Magic web site http://www.artbymagic.com
Art by Magic on twitter http://www.twitter.com/artbymagic
Art by Magic on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-by-Magic/62182248814?sid=076fdd20e52bd242b2ff0aa2b6d3aac0&ref=search
Des Moines Register article http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090618/NEWS/906180314/1131
Monika Agic linkedin profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/monikaagic
Art by Magic upcoming events / also listed on the web site:
July 18th - Art Sale in front of the Art Store - 9:00 - 5:00
July 21st - Jazz in July at the Roosevelt Cultural District 6:00 - 8:00
Aug 1st - Waukee Art Fest 2:00 - 7:00
Sep 24th - Art Sale and Free Class 3:00 - 7:30

Finding a Job Without a Harvard MBA

Guest blogger Harry Urschel has over 20 years experience as a technology recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives and writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search.
____________________________________________________
Too many people treat their job search as if they had an MBA from Harvard. They send their resume or apply online for an appropriate job opening and wait for the phone to ring.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t have that highly valued sheepskin, or some other ‘bell ringer’ that will jump off the pages of our resume to reliably cause recruiters or hiring managers to call. So the rest of us have to be more proactive in our search. The key, especially in today’s job market, is to always remember that a job search is a Sales Process!

For many people that aren’t in a sales career the thought of having to ‘Sell’ is frightening. That fear often comes from a misperception of what a good sales person does. Good sales people don’t fit the stereotypical ‘Used Car Salesman’ persona. They don’t deceive, gush false flattery, manipulate, or exude a ‘large personality’. A good sales person is real, and conveys the value of what it is they have to offer to fill the want or need of a potential buyer. That’s your job!

It’s not good enough to have a good generic resume that you send for every job opening. You must tailor your resume to show what experience and successes you’ve had that matter most for that particular position.

It’s not good enough to wait in the showroom (resume on job boards) for customers to come in to buy. You must proactively contact them professionally to market your value to them.

It’s not good enough to expect them to determine your unique value by waiting for them to ask the right questions. You must know, and be able to articulate why you are the best choice for the job.

It’s not good enough to boast about yourself. You must show sincere interest in them and the role.

It’s not good enough to wait silently for weeks for a decision. You must follow up, thank them for their continued consideration, ask if they have any further questions, express a continued desire for the role, and offer additional reasons you are uniquely qualified.

A good sales person makes sure they are seeking, approaching, and professionally presenting their product or service to enough qualified prospects each day, each week, and each month to reach their goal. As a job seeker, your objective is the same. You must plan your work thoroughly, and work your plan diligently.

If you approach your job search as a full-time job… a Sales job… you will get to your goal much more quickly. If you don’t have a “Harvard MBA”, don’t treat your job search as if you do!

Guest Blogger Invitation

I wrote my first post for this blog on 21 May of this year and since then, I've been extremely busy. Many people in the community have reached out to me in my time of need to lend support. The creation of this blog has resulted in invitations to go for coffee, job interviews and offers to work on special community projects.

I'm writing to invite any of you who are unemployed in the Des Moines community to write a piece for this blog. You could critique an event you've attended to let others know whether it is worth their time or not; you could write about your unemployed situation, the good, the bad and the ugly; you could let the leaders of Des Moines know what you would like to see done to help the unemployed get back to work. Readers include recruiters, career coaches, and many people in the community whose job it is to help the unemployed get back to work.

Not only will you draw attention to yourself and your unemployed status, but you'll also demonstrate your writing ability; something I haven't had the chance to demonstrate in my previously paid positions. People have picked up on my abilities and I've had several conversations regarding being paid to write.

The most rewarding part of contributing to this blog is that you are creating a dialogue with people who are in similar positions. You may provide information that could potentially help someone. That's why I started writing this blog.

If you have an interest in writing one post or even being a regular guest blogger, please let me know...suzanne_hull@hotmail.com

Project Lemon-aid

Project Lemon-aid is unlike any other event you will attend. Geared towards those in job transition, Project Lemon-aid's mission is to:

Educate - The speakers will will provide relevant, real, tangible, information you can turn into behavior for success.
Equip - The speakers will provide you with resources and tools that you can walk away with and use now.
Connect - This event will create a forum that will allow you to share connections and networks to find a career.

The agenda for Monday, 20-Jul will include information on:

• How to find the jobs that aren't advertised and get the interview
• Learning a new way of creatively connecting with people in the business community
• Selling yourself with confidence and purpose
• Facing your fears and overcoming them in your search
• Identifying your talents and strengths with new clarity
• You will leave this event with new approaches and a new perspective on your job search

The first session will offer a variety of professional services, including free professional photographs for every attendee. There will also be drawings for free services, including:

5 - 30 minute free career coaching sessions
5 - 1 hour personal leadership coaching sessions
5 - free video resumes
3 - 30 minute social media personal consulting sessions

This event will be from 8 a.m. to noon on July 20 at Staybridge Suites, 6905 Lake Drive, West Des Moines. Registration will start at 7:15. For details or to RSVP, write to ProjectLemonaid@yahoo.com.

Alone In A Room Full of Unfamiliar Faces

Guest blogger Jenny Guerrero is a twenty something social media enthusiast. Since leaving her job she takes the time to learn new skills and blogs about the many things she encounters over at A Note or Two . You can also find her on Twitter.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Do something that scares you every day. That scares you. Every single day.”

I came across this saying while reading a blog post over at Transient Travels. Although this was not the first time I came across this, something about it hit me this time.

I am a very friendly person but find it hard to take the initiative and go to a networking event alone. There have been many non-profit, social media, marketing, and networking events that I wanted to attend. For some reason or another I am scared at the idea of walking into a room full of unfamiliar faces.

I know, I know, why not go alone? That is the nerve-racking part for me, walking in a room where I don’t know anyone. Yes, I know that once I go to these events I will meet people whom I could possibly establish a relationship and attend future events with. (That doesn’t make it sound any less frightening) Don’t get me wrong I have tried to get over this weird fear. Bizarrely, I only feel this way about networking events. Last summer I joined an internship program in California, flew out not knowing a single soul, and lived there for a couple of months. It turned out to be one of the utmost experiences of my life.

I know that once I get past the awkwardness and meet people I will do perfectly fine. It is the first couple of minutes that scare me. This is where “Do something that scares you every day” comes in. I am ready to get over my fear and stop missing out on great events and the chance to meet great people.

After doing some research I found some good events right here in my hometown. Thursday, June 25th is Young Professionals night at Trinity Brewhouse. I can make some social connections and possibly form great relationships. I guess now that I blogged about it I have to go huh?

Do you do something that scares you every day? Did you ever find yourself attending an event alone? Was it easy/hard?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Early on in my unemployed career I managed to mustered up enough courage to go to my first "social hour" alone. I was a bit nervous, but it didn't really hit me until I got there and saw the room full of strangers. I asked the greeter where the bathroom was and left the building through the back door. The whole way home I was beating myself up. Why couldn't I just do this? Go up to someone I don't know and introduce myself. Besides, there are probably other people there that don't know anyone either. When I got home, I vowed NEVER to let my nerves get the better of me. And they haven't.

Actual, Jaw-Dropping Interview Questions

Certain questions are illegal for interviewers to ask. How old are you? Are you married? Are you pregnant? Height? Weight? Do you have any disabilities? Which church do you belong to?

And then there are those questions that catch you off guard. You're not quite sure whether they are illegal, strange or just plain out there.

During one of my most recent interviews, I encountered a few ambiguous comments/questions. "Why haven't you found a job yet?" A few minutes after we started the interview, the employer said that I was well-spoken and that I had great experience, so, why hadn't I found a job yet? I asked for clarification in order to give myself a few seconds to wonder where this question was coming from. I said that the job market is pretty tight right now and there are fewer jobs than there are people looking for jobs. Competition is stiff. After thinking about it for a second, I started to take it personally. "What's wrong with me that I haven't found a job yet?"

We chatted a bit more, then came the shocker, "How are you surviving?" That was very strange. I've been unemployed for 5 months, so sure, one can wonder how we've survived this long on my husband's salary and my unemployment, but to actually be asked that question was very awkward. I asked for clarification again and he said, "How are you eating? How are you paying your mortgage?" Dumbstruck and in awe, I answered that we're very frugal. How would you answer a question like that?

The kicker was when they told me that I was over-qualified. I kind of knew that going into the interview, but I'm not one to turn down an interview. I challenged this statement with the fact that there are a lot of skills that are transferable between industries and job functions, blah, blah, blah...but to actually hear, "You're over-qualified." That just isn't nice.

You've probably guessed by now that I'm sharing this because I did NOT get the job. And I'm okay with that. What are some of the off-the-wall questions you've been asked and how have you answered (or not answered) them?

Net2Work Debrief

Net2Work was different yesterday. 90 potential employees had the opportunity to give their 3-5 minute elevator speech to 6 potential employers during a 90 minute networking session. (One of the employers left with 45 minutes to go in the program.) After doing the math, I realized that not everybody would be able to speak to each employer. There was one third-party recruiter (she left early) and 5 employers, so I pared down the list and focused on how make the most of my time.

I ended up talking to Addy Gould from Aviva and a handful of other unemployed persons who I had seen at previous events. It was great catching up with them and hearing how their search was going. They had quite a bit of feedback regarding the event. Keeping in mind that this is the first time Net2Work was organized this way:

1. Sometimes it's better to have a conversation with someone if you know a bit about them first. It would have been great to know which companies were going to be there; better yet, the specific people so we could do a LinkedIn profile review. That's what I like to do anyway...
2. The first 30 minutes were completely chaotic. The unemployed started in one room, then shuffled over to a smaller room where about 20 people had to stand during the 20 minute instruction session. After the instructions were given, the leader had to "check" in the other room to see if the employers/recruiters who signed up to come had actually showed up yet. Since there were only 6, I suppose that was a good idea.
3. Some attendees didn't know that they were going to be meeting with potential employers, so they didn't feel that they had "dressed for success" and asked if their attire was appropriate. Others hadn't brought enough copies of their resumes. The only people who knew about the format change were those who received the email reminder from the Partnership and those who were invited by a friend and their friend told them.

Suggestions for success in the future :
1. Let us know who is coming and what company they work for. This way we can do what we're supposed to do, namely, research the company, so we can have an intelligent conversation. We can also get a sense of whether attending this event will be worth our while.
2. Now that they've got one event under their belt, the next one will run more smoothly.
3. I don't know how you get the word out to the attendees that they will be 'interviewing' today. Since this is a reoccurring event, and people know that, they just show up every other week and expect the program to be like the last one. Yes, those that arrived were told that attire isn't that important and if you don't have a resume, that's alright. But WE feel uncomfortable if we're not dressed how we want to be and if everyone else has a resume and we don't. It's a comfort thing.

This is what I heard from other participants who I spoke with at the event. I hope the organizers read this and incorporate these comments into the next event. For those of you who attended, do you have any comments on how things went? Was it beneficial to you? What went well? What needs to go better next time?

Pink Slip Networking Debrief

I went to the Des Moines Pink Slip Networking event Tuesday night. With over 60 people attending, I would call it a success. The $5 charge got you 45 minutes of networking, over an hour's worth of advice from the speakers listed below and the chance to learn more about my got work? online apparel store: www.gotworktshirts.com (shameless plug). The speakers included:

Billie Sucher, Owner, Billie Sucher Career Transition Consulting
Heidi Myers, Senior Technical Recruiter at Technisource
Elizabeth Floyd, President, WebPromote Kansas City & Iowa
Janet Tingwald, Owner, The Coaching Advantage Group and Professional Training & Coaching Consultant

The theme of the night was "How to Be the 1 In a Million STAND OUT (Rather Than Having a 1 In a Million Shot)". The stress again was on networking and how important it is. Get your elevator speech together and memorized; rediscover what you love to do and through that, you'll be networking without knowing it; reach out to people you know already; reach out to people who work at the companies you want to work for using LinkedIn introductions. Spice up your networking activities. Once I start seeing the same people over and over again at a networking event, I switch it up and go to a different event the following week/month.

The next Pink Slip Networking is Tuesday, 28-Jul from 5:30pm-7:30pm (location to be determined). The topic will be "Tough Interview Questions - Why They Ask & How to Respond". Click here to register.

Find your voice

This is Seth Godin's blog post of today. Thought it was very applicable to job seekers in today's market.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marketing (in all its forms) is unlike everything else an organization does, because it's always different. There's no manual because everyone does it differently, and what successful marketers have in common is that they are successful.

The only way your organization is going to make an impact is to market in the way only you can. Not by following some expert's rules or following the herd, but by doing it in the way that works. For you. Don't worry about someone else's invented standards for new media, invent your own. Avoid obvious mistakes, don't follow obvious successes.

Find your voice, don't copy someone else's.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As unemployed persons looking for work, we are essentially marketing ourselves and our skills/experience to potential employers. We all have marketed ourselves differently in order to get our last positions. We've all been successful in doing so. The only way we're going to be successful in our current job hunt is by continuing to market ourselves the way that works best for us. Don't worry so much about what other people are doing; do what works best for you - avoiding the obvious mistakes job seekers make, of course. By being you, you're going to stand out in the crowd.

Speed Networking

I attended my first speed networking event last night at Staybridge Suites in West Des Moines. I didn't know what to expect as I'd never done anything like this before. Cheryl Hayes, Regional Sales Director along with Tim Bianci, Owner of Trilogy Solutions put together a great event.

Attendees were able to tour one of the hotel rooms and your $5 entry got you beer, wine and a filling spread of appetizers. Before we got started, Tim told us the "rules of engagement", basically how to get the most out of our networking experience. Each person had 3 minutes to talk about themselves and what they do, then it was the other person's turn. Then Cheryl blew a whistle (we need to work out a better system for signaling when it is time to switch!) and then the person you were talking to shifted over a chair and you had someone new to talk to.

Because of our short time together, Tim made it clear that we should talk about what we do, but then focus on who we are as a person. We're more likely to do business with people we connect with on some level. Then, the next day, take a couple minutes and see if you want to take the next step to further your relationship with those you met; make an appointment to go grab a coffee and have a one-on-one conversation that lasts more than 6 minutes without the interruption of a whistle.

I was a little disappointed that there weren't other unemployed people in the room. This would have been a great opportunity to meet 25 people. No, I didn't get a job offer, but I met people who now know that I'm looking and they know what I'm looking for.

It was a great first event for the Staybridge and I hope that more are organized in the future.

I'd better see all of you tonight at Pink Slip Networking! www.pinkslipnetworking.com

Using LinkedIn During Your Job Search

During my last 5 months of networking, I've met several of you who are either new to LinkedIn or don't have an account yet (Shame on you!). I can't stress how valuable this resource has been to me in my job search.

I want to find a job in the Des Moines area, so I became a member of all groups in this area that interested me. Once a month, I post the same job announcement to all job tabs within each group: "Talented, mid-level professional seeking marketing, project/product support or event planning position in the Des Moines area. Speaks German and Spanish." It felt a little redundant at first, but my message is being seen by hundreds of people. I've received information about job opportunities that aren't being published on job boards. I've had people in the recruiting industry reach out to see how they could help. I'm learning about networking events that aren't published in social media that I am then posting on this blog to share with others. I've had numerous meetings over coffee getting to know people. LinkedIn is great; if you know how to use it properly.

Below are a few links on how to use LinkedIn during your job search.

Best Practices for a LinkedIn Job Search - Konstantin Guericke (via Dave Taylor)
How Do I Use LinkedIn to Find a Job? - Dave Taylor
How to Use LinkedIn to Find a New Position - Eric Mariacher
How to Find a Job Using LinkedIn - Liz Ryan (via Dave Taylor)
LinkedIn and Your Job Search - Alison Doyle
Searching the Hidden Job Market for Opportunities - Debra Feldman
Create More Value with LinkedIn - Darlene McDaniel

Leaving Your Job and Why It's Exactly Like Schizophrenia

Guest blogger Caitlin McCabe is a Madison, Wisconsin-based social media enthusiast and consultant. A graduate of the University of Iowa she is putting her hard earned journalism degree to work in writing a blog, Smile Like You Mean It, covering design, fashion and social media.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I left my job this week, the details of which don't really matter. Things ended well with everyone, security wasn't called, and we promised to stay in touch.

It was anti-climatic actually.

I thought that doing something as big as changing jobs would be a bigger deal somehow, like part of my identity would be missing. Like I'd wake up and be either freaked out, enormously exited, endless possibilities, or..... something. I blame social media for the ease of transition. For example, 20 years ago when you changed jobs or careers, you had to turn in your Rolodex and generally stopped connecting with a lot of the people you knew. When my Grandfather was laid off a few years ago, it was almost like they had cut off a limb. His only access to the company news, the employees, etc. was by being at the building. With social media, my LinkedIn is still there, my Facebook friends still update me on their every move, and my blog is exactly the same as it was last week. I realized that however superficial my identity is on the Internet, it's permanently attached to me. That we aren't as defined by our place of employment as we think we are.

Granted, the crazy had to set in since I am melodramatic and cannot let an event like this pass without some kind of existential drama. Turns out that drama is schizophrenia. Example: during the course of 1 conversation with New Jersey, I had definitively decided to: start my own company, work for someone else, work on my blog more, open a clothing store, open an art gallery, design a new software, or some combo of all of those. He agreed with all of those ideas because he's really supportive and probably a tiny bit frightened of multiple personality me.

I just can't help thinking that since I'm 28 now, the next thing I do is going to have to be good. Because I always thought that having career schizophrenia was ok if you were in your twenties but not in your thirties and since I'm getting pretty close, I shouldn't still be deciding what I want to be when I grow up right?

So I laid out all of these ideas (there are 6) and tried to find a common thread (there wasn't). I tried to "gut instinct" them and see which one really stood out (nope). How could there be a universe in which there are so many different versions of me and how did I not realize this until very recently?

I think that the older you get, the more these decisions we make (career or otherwise) determine how our life is going to go. These decisions start to stick longer and have a lasting impact on our lives. Also, and this is the hard part, choosing one thing means you are probably not going to ever do some of the others. Maybe I don't even really want a clothing store but the idea that I could have one always pops up at times like these and that's a very tough thing to come to grips with. Anyone else have to give up a version of themselves (pipe dream?) lately?

The Time Shift

Does it seem like it takes a lot longer for things to happen now that you're unemployed? When I was working, we would schedule in-house meetings, conversations over coffee, project deadlines not for this week, but for next week, or the week after that. Right now, I'm talking with companies about job opportunities and I'm told that "we really want to move fast on this". What does that mean? In my "unemployed mind" I'm expecting a call with some information the next day. Fast in their minds is a couple of weeks (or months). I'm finding it difficult to understand this time shift now that I'm on the unemployed side.

The employed are busier than the unemployed because they have a job, right? I don't know about anybody else, but I'm busy too - looking for a JOB! Every day I spend at least a couple of hours looking for a job. By the end of this week, I will have spent 15 hours networking and interviewing. Blogging takes time too. Imagine if we had kids!!! We're all busy with one thing or another. But I still find time to make decisions and get things done.

Are any of you experiencing this strange time shift phenomenon? Or is it just me?