Wednesday, May 27, 2009

10 Tips for Job Seekers

Having had the experience last year (2008) where my employer went out of business unexpectedly I know what it's like to be in this economy without a job. As a matter of fact, I had a pregnant wife and three little kids at the time. While it wasn't my fault, it had a real impact on me both personally and professionally. It also changed me spiritually, emotionally and probably physically as I went through quite a bit of stress over the incident. Here are some thoughts I've put together to help others in "career transition" in 2009.

1. File for unemployment - Do it. You will need the money and you've paid your taxes for years so take advantage of it.
2. Get into action – Leave the results up to God or whoever you pray to.
3. You don’t know where it will come from - You might think that your next job will come from source xyz, but my experience (having been on the job market more than once over the years) is that the next job lead will come from perhaps an unlikely source. Stay alert and open-minded.
4. God hasn't forgotten you even in your tough times. He's got your back.
5. Mind your manners – Send Thank You cards, help others with their obstacles, etc. Trust me on this one, you never know who you help up today that will help you tomorrow.
6. Keep in mind that Plan A might not work. Plan E or Plan M may be your Plan A someday too soon.....
7. It could always be worse. It could always be worse, my friend. Keep perspective and remember that this too shall pass.
8. Be realistic - You can't afford everything you could 6 months ago. You will have to adjust your lifestyle during this time. Also, be realistic in the fact that you can't be super picky about what job you take in this economy.....sorry, had to say it at least once in this post.
9. Balance - you still need to eat, sleep, spend time with your family, etc. You have to keep some sort of balance though it will be difficult. Finding a job is a full-time job, yes. But...remember you need to stay in good health and "sharpen the saw" on a regular basis.
10. Journal and talk to people - Something that helped me was for me to write my thoughts down and to bounce my thoughts off of other people to see how they sounded coming out of my mouth. Normally I can think something that makes sense to me in my head but when I say it or write it I can see that it's off......sometimes really off! ha

Hang in there and remember that better times are on the horizon. Stay in action and reach out to everyone with a smile and a handshake. Email me if I can help you. sburkey1@gmail.com

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

And the beat goes on.....

I'm seeing two things today:

1. Just found out that yet another friend/networking buddy was laid off from Sterling Commerce in Atlanta. I hate it. Hate it. Hate it. Unfortunately I still see layoffs today but at a slower rate than two months ago.

2. I'm seeing small signs of hope in the economy. Leads are picking up and buyers are starting to stick their heads out of their holes. Let's keep it going......