Employment | Journey Along the Garden Path

The Propaganda Machine is doing its job. They are painting the unemployment picture whatever hue benefits them best. The news is so hard to listen to because you can never seem to know what is the truth on any matter.

I think some old timers have a saying that covers it all. “My weatherman is a rock. If it’s dry and hot, it’s good weather. If the rock is wet, it’s raining. If you can’t find the rock, then it must be snowing or someone stole my rock!”

All I know is that there are tons of people struggling. The ones that are working are not having an easy time and the ones that are out of work are really having a hard time.

I have done many resumes along the garden path and I’m like a bloodhound when I search for jobs. I can squeeze a penny till it squeals for mercy. Using what comes my way to the best advantage is my forte. Not that it is easy or that the food I eat is always “tastee” but survival is a necessary skill these days. Being spoiled needs to be put behind you and your willingness factor needs to be pushed up a few notches. I do that when I have to and usually have several others dragged behind me kicking a squalling. I’m sorry, that isn’t a pretty picture, is it!

There are several things that seem to be important for these kinds of days when you are searching for a job. When an employer posts an ad for a job, there are huge numbers applying for that one job.

Here are a few tips:

1. In just a few lines into your resume, grab that employers attention! Get right to the point so they can see what your skills are that will benefit the company. They are usually looking at so many resumes that all the flowery hogwash needs to go. Just the facts, mam, just the facts!

2. When you read the ad, highlight the key words describing the job and focus on your skills that match those key words. Present those skills immediately and use bold print to draw that into their sight.

3. Every Resume needs to be tailored to the job instead of using a “one fits all” philosophy.

4. Once you have compiled all relevant information on your resume and cover letter, each time you apply for a job, cut and paste what’s specifically needed onto a new document and save it like this; 2012.10.6 Lakeside Dental Supply. Cut and paste the ad and do research about the company and save it along with the ad. Save it as: 2012.10.6 Lakeside Dental Supply ad.research. Place all in a folder named: 2012 Job Search.

5. Two other documents you need in your Job Search file are: 2012 References, and 2012 Cover letter.

6. Refer to your Job Search Folder often and decide on a call back strategy. Anytime you have contact with this company, open your ad.research file and put the date, who you talked to, and the response.

7. This isn’t a complete list but there are many sites online that are more trouble than they are worth. Even with a strict no 3rd party security setting, I have found many complications when searching. The sites that I like so far in Michigan are:

http://mlive.org/jobs/ This is connected to our local newspaper. Check your area
http://michworks.org This is our local unemployment site. Check your area
http://indeed.com This can be used from anywhere. It is location specific

Summary

Create a file and save in Documents

1. Documents (Here is how mine looks)

1. 2012 Job Search

2012 Jan Lance Resume

2012 Jan Lance CLetter

2012 Jan Lance Ref.

2. 2012 Jan Lance Jobs Applied for

2012.10.6 Lakeside Dental Supply

2012.10.6 Lakeshide Dental Supply ad.research

Good Organization is Key!

Dont Ever Give UP! Hope you all have what you need!

I hope I can encourage you as I “Journey Along the Garden Path”

What things are you doing to Survive? Have you recently got a job and found something helpful in the search? please share what was helpful… it may help someone else

Thanks for stopping by to visit. Come again, Jan