Happy Thanksgiving

As part of my ongoing mission to help the homeless, I made the trek yesterday to a local food pantry to donate a few sacks of groceries.  Granted, it was a small offering, but I'm hopeful that my next donation will be bigger.  And the next donation won't be next Thanksgiving.  My goal is to eventually donate on a once-monthly basis, contingent on my financial circumstances.  But I promise to do my best.

As you segue into the start of the holiday season, please take the time to remember the less fortunate.  If you're willing but unable to donate to a food pantry, simply send your silent but loving good wishes their way.  Pause for a few minutes to give gratitude for the warm bed you sleep in, the scrumptious feast you'll dig into, the roof over your head or the good health I hope you enjoy.  If you're employed, appreciate the opportunity to work and for a regular income.  And if you're searching for a job, hang in there.  Just remember -- your new career may be only days away.  You never know.  Please carry that hope in your heart.  It's so important.

Happy Thanksgiving from The Pensive Proofreader!

P.S. -- If you're able to donate, please consider the links to the right of this page.  Thank you.

A Gentle Decline

Today I received a rejection letter from a hiring company, and surprisingly, I'm thrilled about it.  It's not because I don't want the job.  Quite the opposite, actually.  But I'm pleased that management took the time to thank me for my interest in the position with a polite and friendly email -- an increasingly rare practice these days.  But as impressed as I am, it makes me wonder why good manners are no longer in vogue in the business world.  Could it be that Corporate America has forgotten what really should be amongst the best business practices?

As it happens, big business actually can't be faulted for its seemingly faulty memory.  The lack of rejection letters from hiring organizations is simply a sign of the times borne out of the current unemployment crisis.  Theoretically, larger organizations should have the manpower and the budget to expedite rejection responses, but conscious of costs, even corporate giants are cutting back.  The majority of small to midsized firms cannot even consider the expense, so job-seekers are often left hanging due to these new normal economic restraints. 

A plethora of issues exists behind the lack of rejection letters, ranging from understaffed organizations and overwhelmed talent acquisition departments besieged with legions of resumes to the costs associated with sending these often meaningless missives.  These days, the reality is that corporate staffers simply cannot keep up with the volume of responses to job listings, resulting in the rejection letter becoming a casualty of the unemployment crisis.  Making matters worse, staff cuts and hiring freezes have resulted in a lack of manpower necessary to accomplish the task of expediting rejection responses, so again, the rejection letter falls victim to the many wrinkles in the job market.  And then there's the economic angle to consider.  Most organizations are not budgeted to expedite mass rejections letters.  Putting it into perspective, if a hiring company receives 300 resumes in response to a single help wanted listing, realistically speaking, the hiring company is not going to spend approximately $130 (at the first-class rate) on the cost of postage alone to send out scores of rejection letters -- never mind the expense of envelopes, paper, et cetera.  It just isn't economically feasible, so many organizations have done away with this practice, and probably wisely so, considering current economic conditions.

Fortunately, electronic mail has proven itself to be a cost-effective method of getting the rejection message across.  However, the major knock on email is the manpower which must be utilized to expedite rejection messages.  With so many personnel cutbacks in the workplace, most firms simply cannot assign workers to this task, which is time-consuming and admittedly benign.  Perhaps an intern could be pressed into service, but most talent acquisition departments are unlikely to entrust this more or less confidential duty to a college student who, technically, isn't an employee.  

So, for all the resumes I've sent out -- and this number is probably nearing the 150 mark by now -- this is actually the first rejection response I've received.  Granted, it's via email but I think we all agree that electronic media is a perfectly acceptable mode of communication.  Snail mail, of course, is a thing of the past, and I certainly don't fault firms for slashing their postage stamp budgets during this time of economic uncertainty.  Regardless of the method of expedition, I appreciate the outreach, as well as knowing where my application stands, even though an interview isn't the end result. 

A Possible Plan B

During this unfortunate lapse of employment, I've thought about volunteering in my local community. I've also considered joining the Peace Corps, and I'd rather far rather be a freelancer than a freeloader.  But what about pursuing an internship?

It's not as if I haven't interned in the past.  As a college graduate, my first foray into the professional world was as an intern in the news department of a local adult contemporary radio station.  It was your standard issue internship: early morning, unpaid, and not particularly glamorous.  I assisted my supervisor/mentor by phoning local police and fire departments at precisely 5 a.m. to determine if any newsworthy stories had occurred during the wee hours of the morning.  I also arranged for election result returns with local school districts. I clipped news of the odd from local papers for potential on-air usage, monitored the Associated Press wire with a vengeance, and performed with a smile any other clerical chores that the rest of the regular, full-time staff refused to touch.

While I'm not altogether certain I'd be willing to intern again as I really need health benefits and a decent enough paycheck to foot the bills, the notion of displaced workers tackling internships at what usually is the mid-level trajectory of their careers isn't too far-fetched.  According to Maggie Galehouse's 2009 article in the Houston Chronicle, Here's a Plan B for the Unemployed: Try Internship First (http://www.chron.com/life/article/Here-s-a-Plan-B-for-unemployed-try-internship-1747123.php), an internship may actually be an ideal scenario for laid-off employees who want to explore new career options while keeping their skills fresh and relevant.  It's a professional trend which is continuing to grow and is reaching a range of personnel, from the recent college graduate to the seasoned worker.  Internships aren't just for displaced employees either.  They're also a sensible idea for homemakers or caregivers who've been away from the workplace for awhile or for those who want to test the realistic waters of a supposed dream career.

Laura Casey, scribe for the Chicago Tribune, concurs that mid-career internships can come in handy, especially for displaced workers desperately in need of a new professional direction.  In her October 2011 article, Mid-Career Job-Seekers Turn to Internships, Volunteer Positions (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-24/business/ct-biz-1024-midcareer-interns-20111024_1_internships-career-change-midcareer-professionals), Casey cites the case of Jagpal Mandaher, an experienced commercial aviator who found himself out of a job when the travel industry slumped shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Mandaher kept his cool, remained practical, and tackled a ten-month paid internship at Sensitel Inc. with a vengeance, eventually landing a full-time position with the firm in their finance department.  In the end, the internship proved to be an invaluable experience for Mandaher, who interned in several departments at the Sensitel organization before finding the right professional fit.  "I actually learned a lot," he said.  "The internship helped me realize I felt more comfortable in a financial analyst role than I would've felt in accounting."

While Mandaher's internship experience proved to be a positive one, there is a downside to interning.  While an internship can consist of invaluable, practical experience which may very well give a displaced worker a much-needed inside track to a regular, full-time position, there are no guarantees of permanent employment once the internship concludes.  Regrettably, interns are expendable, and for the displaced worker who overextends himself/herself with effort during an internship, it's a gamble which may or may not pay off.  No health benefits are offered -- an absolute necessity for some.  And in some cases, interning can even jeopardize unemployment benefits.  As the Laura Casey article points out, displaced workers receiving unemployment insurance must always be ready, willing, and able to accept traditional employment, so if the internship impedes that availability, it could be an issue.  For-profit organizations could also find themselves in hot water for not extending a training wage, an act which could result in having to pay interns minimum wage in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

But for those who are willing to take the risk and ready to roll up their sleeves at an internship, it could very well be an ideal short-term solution to their unemployment woes.  And it could possibly result in a job offer.  It's a risk, but could be a worthwhile one, so it only seems appropriate to quote our friends at the New York State Lottery here by saying, "Hey, you never know."

Happy Hour?

I recently applied for a position at a marketing communications firm, not quite five-years-old, which specializes in vehicular marketing.  I'm sure you've seen this type of drive-by advertising by now -- trucks with side panels which continuously shift to reveal changing ads.  According to the company's website, they operate on an eight-second principle, meaning that their ads transition every eight seconds as they believe it's plenty of time for the message to sink in, and it's also as much time as they believe people want to spend looking at an advertisement.

 

Since this firm has been in business for a few years now, I'll assume they know their business and I won't question their advertising wisdom.  Far be it from me to assess the advertising interest or the attention span of the average American consumer.  However, what I do question is the reply I recently received from this firm via email in response to my resume.  It goes a little something like this:

Applicant,

Thank you very much for responding to Company X's ad.  I apologize for our delayed response but we’re currently sifting through hundreds of resumes due to the enthusiastic response.  In the meantime, we'll be hosting a meet-and-greet event.  We’re hoping that you and any of your friends, family, co-workers or anyone else that is interested in learning more about our organization will be able to make it.  For more details on the event, please click on the link below.  Thanks again for submitting your application.  We hope to meet you soon.

Best regards,

Company X

Now don't get me wrong.  I appreciate the response and I appreciate the attempt at candidate outreach, even though it is en masse and apparently we're allowed to bring our moms, the neighbors, and the cashier at the bank.  The more the merrier, I suppose.  As it happens, I've probably applied to at least fifty jobs -- or more -- by now, and have heard back from a grand total of four.  So I applaud their efforts with the wildest of enthusiasm.  I really do.  But what I'm a bit concerned about isn't the meet-and-greet approach.  It's the location.  You see, the the meet-and-greet is being held in a bar.  That's right, a drinking establishment. 

I'm certainly not against drinking establishments.  I've found myself in a few over the years.  What I object to, however, is the context.  Holding a meet-and-greet in a bar during evening hours for management to ostensibly size up potential job candidates does not seem to be particularly fair or especially professional to my way of thinking.  Why hold what should be a serious event in an environment potentially conducive to out-of-control behavior?  I can understand a wine-and-cheese gathering in the conference room of a respectable hotel or conference center between the hours of 6pm to 8pm.  This makes for a professional and dignified atmosphere.  But a meet-and-greet at a bar on a weeknight where hard liquor will be served which concludes at 10pm is not my idea of the best business practices.  Do some of these people not have to get up and go to work the next morning?  Perhaps not.

Of course, not every person who attends such an event in such an establishment is a reckless party person.  Most will enjoy a simple glass of wine, a little conversation, and call it a night.  But for those job-seeking souls who aren't quite as genteel, it could be an issue -- not to mention a pox on them during an event which could potentially lead to an interview -- or even a job.  This seems a bit unfair on several levels.  En masse meets-and-greets of this type attract a range of people, some of whom may be alcoholics or recovering alcoholics.  Some may abstain altogether as part of their lifestyle.  There is nothing teetotalers like less than having to attend events in drinking establishments.  It's a thoroughly uncomfortable experience for them, plus it leads to an evening of multiple repeats of the same inquiry: "Why aren't you drinking?"  This is an off-limits question if ever there was one and it's a query no job-seeker should have to respond to during an allegedly career-oriented event.

Clearly, this meet-and-greet is not my cup of tea, so I'll be abstaining entirely from this event.  I realize that networking opportunities are just that -- a chance to get out and meet people with job market connections.  And since it isn't easy connecting with hiring managers, I probably should just go for it.  But the truth is, I wouldn't feel comfortable, nor professional.  So while I thank Company X for the invitation, and I certainly do, it's just not happening.

T'is the Season

I'm slightly blue today over the job search.  The classified ads haven't been particularly promising, my phone hasn't exactly been ringing off the hook, and the only emails I've received recently are from friends, family, and spammers.  Hiring managers haven't been touching base lately.  Despite everything, I continue to respond to the few applicable classified ads I've come across, in hopes that the telephone will ring or the email inbox will fill. 

I'm a bit bereft, but I'm also filled with optimism over the upcoming holiday season.  Granted, Santa can't bring me a career in his sleigh, but according to an online article on cnn.com, Best Time to get a Job (http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/04/news/economy/job_seasons/), December is, interestingly enough, one of the best times to find work during the year.  And we're not talking seasonal employment here.  As CNN scribe, Jessica Dickler, sensibly points out, different companies have different busy periods.  Some organizations may have quite a lot going on at the end of the year -- undeniably welcome news for late-autumn and early-winter job-seekers -- and may need to fill positions.  Other organizations may still have a few dollars kicking around in their hiring budgets and may need an extra set of hands by year's end, which means opportunity could very possibly present itself in December.  Often, hiring managers are operating at a more relaxed pace by year's end, and possibly in the spirit of the holiday season, may be willing to extend a job offer simply if the need exists and the right candidate presents his/herself at the right time.

The holiday season also provides yet another outlet for job-seekers looking for work in late autumn or early winter via networking.  Many corporations hold events or parties at year's end, which provides an opportunity for candidates to introduce themselves to hiring managers on a friendly, less formal basis.  While I'm hardly a party person, job-seekers who are would probably do well to ask employed friends if it's at all possible to accommodate them to a company's holiday party or other social event.  Again, while this approach really isn't for me, it may work well for others, and I certainly wouldn't discourage a job-seeker who's interested in going this route.  It could work.  You never know.

This is why it's critical for job candidates to remain on high alert post-Thanksgiving.  Many job-seekers put the career hunt on hold at the end of the year, assuming that it's a slow time of year and companies won't be hiring.  But sometimes this period of quiet can prove itself to be the solution -- not the problem -- as there tends to be less competition, which means a greater chance that the phone will ring or the inbox will fill as hiring managers may be interesting in touching base during the holiday season.

Break Time -- Part II

I vowed yesterday to take a break from the job search.  The initial game plan was just to relax, concentrate on home-based projects, and enjoy the day in its fullest.

I lied. 

Well, I didn't exactly lie.  I did do some laundry.  I went to the boardwalk for my usual pensive constitutional.  I donated a few bags to the thrift shop.  And I tried very hard to disconnect from the high-tech gadgetry that generally rules my day.  My intentions were sincere and my resolve started out strong.  Unfortunately, it didn't last as I found myself falling into my all-too-familiar daily pattern of constantly checking email/voicemail, scanning the online classified listings, and sending out resumes.  So the question now becomes why I'm unable to disconnect, no matter how hard I try.  Could I actually be addicted to trying to find a job?

It's an intriguing question, so I did a quick Google search on "job search compulsion".  I came up empty, so I figured it was just me.  Then I inserted "addiction" in place of "compulsion" and... voila!  Misery really does love company and apparently I've got plenty of it as job search addiction is not at all an uncommon phenomenon.  It seems there are many amongst the unemployed masses who are chained to their laptops, glued to online job-search boards, and waiting desperately for the phone to ring or an email to come in with an invitation to interview or -- better yet -- a job offer.

But according to AOL's Liz Lynch, spending too much quality time on online job boards may very well be a waste of time.  In her 2010 article, Is Addiction to Job Boards Killing Your Job Search? (http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/01/28/job-boards-killing-your-job-search/), Lynch makes the point that the return on resumes expedited through online job board channels is actually very low.  She cites the case of one desperate candidate who apparently submitted over 650 resumes online, only to receive roughly ten interviews in return.  Lynch is correct in her assertion that this may not necessarily be the most effective use of time and energy.  However, what she doesn't take into account -- or at least doesn't document in her article -- is which kinds of jobs the aforementioned candidate applied to during the search.  Did the candidate apply only to positions for which they're qualified?  Did the candidate apply to just anything simply to have something to show for at the labor department or was the candidate merely trying to get their resume in the hands of a hiring manager?  At the aforementioned ten interviews, what was the outcome?  Did the candidate possess good interviewing skills?  Did he/she dress appropriately for these interviews?  And what about the candidate's personality?  Are there any quirks or traits that may have discouraged the hiring manager from offering the candidate the position? 

These are fair questions, and as much as they make me question the candidate's judgment and motivation behind sending out so many resumes and not receiving a decent return for the time and effort spent, the article itself also makes me question the judgment and  motivation of Lynch and her editor.  Granted, Lynch's professional niche is social networking, a strategy which she highly recommends employing during the job hunt.  However, the reality is that some job-seekers have very limited professional connections.  They may be young, inexperienced, shy and socially isolated or they may be trying to break into a field for the very first time and simply lack connections.  So as invaluable as social networking may be, it may not work for everyone. 

I am considerably more impressed with Andrew Rosen's article for U.S. News and World Report, How to Fend Off Job Search Addiction (http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/11/16/how-to-fend-off-job-search-addiction).  Advice is always nice and Rosen has plenty, all rooted in common sense too.  Granted, Rosen's article is targeted more toward job-seekers who are already working, but there's a lot the unemployed can take away from this article.  He lists four warning signs of addiction, only two of which I meet, so I guess I'm not too far gone after all.  I am guilty of warning sign #1 (repetition) as I ceaselessly scan job boards all throughout the day and compulsively check email and voicemail.  Rosen's advice?  Reserve a chunk of the day (or a chunk every few days) for job-searching and stick with it.  Can't argue with this.

I am equally guilty of warning sign #3 (forgetfulness) as I've lost track of the number of positions I've applied for, not to mention the names of the hiring companies -- if I knew the names at all.  Rosen recommends applying for fewer positions and putting your heart and soul into sending tailored and compelling cover letters, which definitely seems sensible.  However, I do know better than to apply for positions for which I'm not qualified (warning sign #2), and I wouldn't dream of searching for a job in the wee hours of the morning (warning sign #4) since I like my sleep far too much.  But Rosen's article is a good reminder to job-seekers that there is such a thing as taking a job search too far.  So I'm going to tone it down a notch -- I think.  Or at least I'm going to try.

Break Time

I'm temporarily taking a break today from the job search to spend some quality time on cleaning and creative endeavors.  As important as it is for me to focus on finding work, there comes a time when a breather is necessary.  So I'm doing just this and taking a guilt-free brief break.  It feels incredibly liberating.  Today, I will not be chained to Craigslist, Indeed, Mediabistro or Monster.  I refuse to be tied down to my laptop or enslaved to email.  I shall cease incessantly checking my cell phone for voicemail messages.  And I will enjoy the day in its fullest. 

I'm not quite sure what's led me to this break.  Perhaps I need a change of pace in my daily routine, which usually consists of a 7 a.m. rise time, a cup of tea and a bit of breakfast while watching my favorite morning show on television, and a shower around 8 a.m.  I'm usually dressed and ready to go on the job hunt by nine -- that is, if I don't opt for a morning trek on the boardwalk beforehand, depending on my mood and the weather.  The remainder of the morning, the whole of the afternoon (save for lunch, of course), and a chunk of the evening is devoted to job-searching, cover letter-composing, and blogging about related matters.  Since I'm not a big television viewer, I don't have the lure of game shows, soap operas, and gossip programs to distract me, so I'm usually pretty focused on the task at hand.  (Yes, I'm very disciplined.)  Hopefully, this discipline will extend itself to today's vow to disconnect from my laptop, cell phone, email, and favorite job-search websites -- although I'm not counting on it.  But I will try.

This meticulous, ultra-disciplined approach is a strategy which has worked well in the past during prior layoffs, so naturally I'm hoping to repeat the success.  The end result is that I've gone on a few interviews in the past month, so I don't feel as though I've been completely forgotten by workplace society, but obviously I'm hoping to land something soon.  I'm getting antsy and being out of professional action doesn't suit my overactive nature.  But in the meantime, I'm stepping back today to clear my mind, concentrate on unrelated matters, and just have a little fun for a change.  The weather's beautiful, so why shouldn't I get out and enjoy it?  After all, there's nothing worse than being cooped up at home alone with only your thoughts for company.  So what's on today's agenda?  Nothing terribly exciting.  Paying bills.  Cleaning.  Gathering bags of clothing to donate to the local thrift shop in town.  Scrapbooking.  Just relaxing and -- as I said before -- enjoying the day in its fullest. 

"Come to me and I will help you..."

I recently received a letter in the mail from the Department of Labor instructing me to come down to their One-Stop Employment Center for a group orientation.  It's less of an invite and more of an edict, but for good reason.  The Labor Department doesn't want any slackers on the unemployment roll, so the sooner we find work, the better.  The Labor Department is more than willing to help out as far as the job search goes, but we've got to do our part too, and this means paying a periodic visit.

Even though I have been meticulous about sending out resumes, unfortunately, not every job-seeker is as motivated.  So it's actually a good thing the Labor Department holds these periodic get-togethers.  It's a chance for them to monitor the job-searching progress of the unemployed masses, but also an opportunity to showcase all that the Labor Department has to offer job-seekers.  And the Labor Department has an impressive arsenal of resources.  I must say I was quite impressed this morning.  Stop by your local Labor Department to get your job search off the ground and you'll find office equipment (fax machines, photocopiers, and phones), computers (PC and Mac) and computer courses/tutorials, workshops, a career resource library, job listings/job fairs, and most importantly, genuine, positive support from the staff.  The One-Stop Employment Center really does live up to its name as it offers job-seekers all one could ever want under one roof while looking for work.  Best of all, you're surrounded by folks in the same boat, so any unemployment-related shame immediately falls by the wayside.  So what's not to love about the Labor Department?

As it happens, I am good to go with my trusty laptop, reliable printer, and my usually cooperative internet connection.  I have a slew of media-related career websites where I spend much quality time, and I keep my writing skills sharp by continuing to blog.  My focus is firm and my commitment to my job search is undeniable.  I am also highly motivated to find work as I hate being at home and I have too much energy to sit around for very long.  I also need the paycheck, which is incentive in and of itself.  But for folks who are without these resources for whatever reason, the Labor Department is a great place to get started on the job search.  In addition to its stockpile of services, it also offers a supportive environment in which to stay focused.  Sure, you could drop by your local library to use a computer, but while you're there looking for work, you just know temptation will beckon to surf the web or check out a good book.  The Labor Department circumvents this by allowing computer users to access career-related websites only, and the only books you'll find in their library focus on finding work.  So it's a good place to stay grounded in the job search.  And who knows?  It just may lead you to a job!