OPINIONS

Everyone has them. When you’re on a job hunt, you may likely be in position to receive them with great frequency. Input and advice from one person may tell you to do just the opposite thing that the last person told you to do. How do you deal with the press of conflicting input?

When President Clinton was in office, one of the knocks on him was that he was overly concerned with public opinion. My memory was that he had teams of people taking polls before he would commit to a position.

In your job search, you may be getting more input than you can handle. What do you do with so much advice intended to be helpful?

My simple answer is do what you think is right.

YOU are the one who is looking for the job.

YOU are the one who will be in the interview.

YOU are the product that is being “sold” here.

In my search, I found it helpful to get lots of input. My suggestion to you is to take all that input and evaluate it based on who is giving it but more importantly what fits with who you are. If you aren’t comfortable with a suggested rephrasing of something on your resume, don’t use it. You have to be at ease with your message.

One recruiter last week told me that everyone should have their LinkedIn profile on their resume to give an interested reader a source for more information and to communicate you are up to speed on the latest technology and trends of job search. Another told me that you only put it on there if you are concerned that someone might make a value judgment about your age. Still another says not to put your LinkedIn profile on a resume because they will find you there whether it’s on your resume or not. So what do you do?

Do what you think is right.

The decision to do nothing is a decision too, and that's probably not a good choice.

Pursing a job search WELL means putting yourself in positions where you’ll be uncomfortable because you have to reach out beyond people you know. You must be making calls and for most people, that is uncomfortable. However, the input and advice you receive has to be run through your own filters to ensure the message you are communicating to prospective employers and others is right for you.

Elevator Pitch: An essential tool

Everyone knows that a job seeker must have a well-written resume to be seriously considered for employment. Did you know there are a few other tools you need to have at hand with the same degree of preparedness to greatly improve your chances of finding THE right job?

I believe you need:
1. A concise statement you can use to describe what you do. My wife asked me this very question over the weekend: “When someone asks me, what should I tell them that you do, exactly?” My wife is a pharmacist for a large chain store. I answered, “Tell them I sell debt collection services.” When someone asks what you do or what kind of job you are looking for, what do you say? Of course, if you’re an accountant, an engineer, or an admin assistant, most people understand those jobs. The challenges come in when you have been an analyst of some flavor, or something like that which doesn’t lend itself to a simple explanation. This is what you’d tell someone you meet at a party or in an elevator when you only have a few seconds to pique their interest in learning more about you (More on this later.)

2. A Two minute drill to walk someone through your career in brief. Based on what I’ve learned from people smarter than me, I wrote out my two-minute drill with a step by step plan on how you can write about yours here. A Two minute drill isn’t what you’d tell someone in an elevator, really.

3. A written explanation of what you offer a prospective employer. This should be about 25 words (a little longer than a 140 character tweet.) At the First Methodist Employment Transition Group we use this to tell people we know about the candidates who are in the group.


YOUR CONCISE STATEMENT
This statement should go hand in hand with a well-written resume. My definition of a well-written resume includes:
· Specific accomplishments that you were responsible for at work
· Quantifiable results whenever possible
· More than just a list of job responsibilities – every should be able to understand what you were supposed to do. The question is how well did you do it and can you do that and other things well for another employer?

So let’s assume you have a well written resume in hand so now it’s just a matter of pulling a few of those things out to be able to speak them clearly.

Think of this like an article in a newspaper with several of the same elements:
· Headline: Tell them what you do.
· High level overview: Explain what you do and what specifically you bring to the table that is different from someone else they might consider.
· One or two specific examples or facts to back up your claim that you’re good at what you do.
· Call to action:
o Is this something you or someone you know might have an interest in discussing further?
o I am trying to connect with more people beyond those that I already know. Could I call your office to schedule 20 minutes with you to get your input and advice?

I hope this is helpful. OJT meets at Asbury at 6:30pm on the third Tuesday of the month.


We offer breakout sessions on:
Developing a strategic plan
Resumes
Networking: both contacts for you and some help with the “how to”
Using the internet well: One hour on LinkedIn and another on everything else
Interview practice
Spouse support group

Please share this information with others. If you have recently been hired – or been hired and forgot to let me know – please drop me a note. I’d love to know what made the difference for you!

A Reminder from Wyle E. Coyote About Job Search

I originally wrote this message on 4/15/10 as a reminder to my friends in Tulsa about an event we have at Asbury UMC called OJT (Overcoming Job Transition). This is a hands on workshop for job seekers. If you'd like information about this or would like to start something similar at your church, please let me know.

Good morning!

I hope you are making progress in your job search, meeting new people, expanding relationships and feeling encouraged by positive interviews, returned calls and new contacts. That’s my sincere hope.

This morning as my kids were eating breakfast, we had cartoons on. This episode featured the characters abusing each other on high places and tricking each other into running off the edge. For those of you not familiar with the laws of gravity & physics in cartoon world, a body continues to move forward on their intended path until they realize they have run out of ground to run upon. The cartoon character then has time to lament the impending fall as we can physically see the realization of doom grow, sometimes aided with a sign.

For those of you who are feeling defeated, questioning what you are doing, and starting to wonder where God is in your job search, this might be an apt description of your search. You’re going hard in the direction you thought you should, but you start to look around and realize there is no ground under your feet! Maybe the direction you were running wasn’t the right way. Maybe you need help laying out a new course. Maybe you’ve been trying to do this on your own.

I can’t promise you that you will soon be hired. I can’t even promise you that you will find the specific help and encouragement that you need at OJT. Confidently, however, I can tell you that is what OJT is built for and several people in the past few months at OJT have found new encouragement, direction and guidance they needed that helped them land a job.

We meet this Tuesday from 6:30pm until 9:00pm at Asbury United Methodist Church 6767 S. Mingo. From Mingo go to the opposite side of the church, park and go in the main entrance that doesn’t have a portico or awning. There is a statue and a “Celebrate Recovery” sign there. Bring a few copies of your resume, something to write with and on I believe you will find something of use in your search.

Our volunteer team is praying that each of you find not just A job, but THE job God has for you. From my job search experiences, and other experiences in life, I have come to the firm belief that God cares about what is happening in our lives and wants good things for me and you.

Please come check out OJT again. Maybe we can get you back on solid ground!

1 Peter 5:7, 10-11 says: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you; And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. to Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

TWELVE (or so) WEBSITES THAT WILL HELP YOUR JOB SEARCH:

1. ChooseTulsaJobs.com - This is a website of the Tulsa Chamber. There are jobs from many of Tulsa's largest employers here. It looks like this site is full of
REAL jobs vs the junk that sometimes comes from monster, career builder, etc.

2. NewGradLife.com - Even if you aren't a "new grad" there are some good videos here with helpful tips about interviewing, resumes, and lots of other resources.

3. WiseJobSeeker.com - This is a new website put together by Career Development Partners. Registration is free and there are tons of great resources here. Check it out!

4. Several Staffing Company Websites:
a. VintageServices.com - Kim A. has been a great blessing to our group and she'd be my FIRST phone call if I was starting up my job hunt tomorrow.
b. JKPCO.com - Jacobi Kelley has been another good supporter of our group and would be another that I would contact early in my search.
c. PartTimePros.net - Even if you aren't thinking about Part time, they may have a contract job you can do while you are looking or sometimes they have full time roles too. Apply online, I would.

5. AUMCJobBoard.com - Asbury UMC has a job board where members can post jobs. Nice resource & no junk!

6. LinkUp.com - Pulls direct from company sites - not pay-to-post job boards.
GO CHECK THIS OUT!

7. LinkedIn.com- I may have mentioned this once or twice. :) It's so much
more than just your lifelong connections!! If you have questions, ask me or come to OJT on Tuesday to learn more!

8. Hound.com – This is a new site that I found just this week. It looks like you register and it may be a free trial for a few months at first. This may be a good resource. I’ve read on LinkedIn where several people seem to like it.

9. Indeed.com – This should be listed higher, but is a great resource as it pulls from LOTS of job boards. Check out the tools too because you can setup alerts to be emailed to you.

10. http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Tulsa_Employment_Ministries/message/116 - This is our little corner of the internet. We post all kinds of good things here and this is a place where you can post your resume, ask for advice, prayer, specific contacts, anything! Join us! It’s free, all you need is a Yahoo ID.

11. AvidCareerist.com – This is a new favorite of mine. This lady posts all kinds of articles and often seeks input from other experts via LinkedIn. She has posted some great ideas like making the coffee shop nearest your most promising local prospective employer your job search headquarters several mornings per week. Tons of good input about job search.

12. Dangerruss1970.blogspot.com – My blog. I’ve tried to capture many of my favorite ideas, things I’ve learned along the way and put them all here in one handy place!

These are the best tools I have found to suggest for the online portion of your job search, but most jobs come from networking – building relationships and connecting with people. I hope connecting with other humans is a key component in your search. If you don’t know how to do that, or aren’t doing that well today, we have a session about how to do that at OJT!

ALSO, DON’T FORGET:

FUMC Brown Bag Lunch – If you haven’t been yet, you really should come check this out! We meet on Thursdays from 11-1pm at First Methodist in downtown Tulsa. It was a great blessing to me in my search last year and continues to be a blessing to many others. If you’re working and can only get away for an hour – just come from noon – 1pm. FUMC is at 1119 S. Boulder, they have a parking lot on the west side of Boulder, go across the crosswalk, into the building, down the stairs to your right, and we are to your right.

Blessings to you on your job search!