Posts Tagged ‘unemployment’

Q. After graduating from college in May, I have found a full-time position at a plant nursery near my home. I am the receptionist. Unfortunately, the closest I have gotten to using my B.A. in English has been proofreading some things. I am very thankful to have a job, but I am also worried that I am so far from getting any real experience, I will never be able to work within my desired fields of public relations or publishing. Should I freelance to get some writing samples?

Dear Readers,

Having to take a job for which you are overqualified is such common problem nowadays that it would be foolish for job interviewers to hold it against you. Instead, they should respect you for making the mature choice of doing whatever it takes to support yourself.

That said, you will have a better chance of breaking into your chosen field if you figure out a way to get some experience even while you are working full time at something else. A budding writer has all sorts of options. She can write freelance articles for print or internet publications. As a volunteer, she can approach nonprofit organizations and offer to help with their newsletters or other marketing materials.

But publishing is just one of many fields where there are many opportunities to work as an independent contractor or consultant. Sologig.com is one web source for people searching for freelance opportunities in a wide variety of fields.

If you cannot find freelance jobs, look for ways to volunteer. Choose opportunities that are challenging enough to give you some significant experience. Also make sure that there is someone willing to document your contributions and give you a reference when the time comes. In addition to gaining valuable experience, you will meet people who are likely to be impressed by your determination, and consequently may alert you when job openings appear.

Repair Resume With Resilience

Q. I have a question about resumes. I will be applying for a new internal position with my company. My resume has a two-year period of work experience that does not relate to my current or new job. (This was a time when I was out of work and was looking to put food on the table.)

Should I delete these two years from my resume, and if I do remove these years, what should take their place? The prior job (for a year) was as a private contractor. Should I extend this time frame to cover those years?

Dear Readers,

You should never fudge facts in your resume. If any falsehood is discovered, it can undermine your integrity and ultimately your employability. “I always say honesty is the best policy,” says Mary Janaitis, principal at MSJ Consulting in Oakland, Calif. “Otherwise you can get wrapped up in a series of lies. Any discrepancy can cost you your job.”

Janaitis suggests taking a close look at the opportunity you are applying for and highlighting on your resume the skills and abilities at each prior position that would advance your candidacy.

Do the same for the two-year gap that worries you. If there is no connection, then either minimize that period or omit it entirely. You can cover the gap briefly in your cover letter and point out the characteristics that make you shine, like your sense of responsibility towards your family, resilience, resourcefulness, or determination in the face of adversity, says Janaitis, and “use them to sell yourself.”

Determination is a big selling point, whatever the job. As the late Senator Ted Kennedy told his son, when Ted, Jr., asked his father why they always were the last ones out at sea practicing the night before a sailing race: “…most of the other sailors we race against are smarter and more talented than we are. But the reason why we are going to win is that we are going to work harder than them, and we will be better prepared.”

As his son wisely observed, the Senator was not just talking about boating.

I’m on the verge of quitting my job. My boss and I do not get along. If I quit, would I be eligible for unemployment insurance? I am tempted since the federal government just extended benefits for another 13 weeks. A smart move?

Dear Readers,

The prospect of collecting unemployment benefits is rarely a good reason to quit your job. In fact, it’s generally true that if you quit, you are not eligible for benefits. This safety net was designed to lend support to those who lose jobs through no fault of their own.

That said, most states have some exceptions for extenuating circumstances. In Wisconsin, for example, if you quit because your paychecks bounce or you have to relocate to a different market to keep your job, you may be eligible. In Connecticut, you may be entitled to benefits if you quit for “good cause,” which may include reasons like caring for a seriously ill child or spouse. Even so, you have to be available for full-time work.

Because unemployment is administered by each state and the rules change periodically, it is important to check with your state labor department to find out the latest requirements. Even if you do become eligible for collecting unemployment checks, either because you are downsized or quit for what is ruled “good cause,” you will be required to engage in a job hunt. Since you are unhappy in your current situation, why not get a head start?

Interviews Galore

My friend is applying for an executive position. She’s been interviewed more times and by more people than for any other job she’s ever held, and still there’s been no decision. What’s going on?

Dear Readers.

Now that the high unemployment rate has put employers in the driver’s seat, they are being more selective than ever. They also more cognizant of “the costs of making a wrong decision,” says John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the Chicago-based outplacement firm. Often it takes six to eight months to realize that a mistake was made, says Challenger, which means at least half a year’s salary can be wasted.

Consequently, employers, whether they are hiring executives or temporary employees, are beefing up their screening process, confirms Mike Steinmetz, vice president and general manager of Manpower Inc.’s Midwest division. “Some of the larger firms have been trying to reduce risk through multiple rounds [of interviews], getting multiple people involved,” he says. Rather than be interviewed simply by a prospective supervisor, for example, a candidate also may have to meet with the supervisor’s supervisor to make sure there is a consensus on the hiring decision.

The hiring process is also more likely to include “behavioral interviews” and other sorts of assessments, such as skill tests. Behavioral interviews incorporate sets of questions that “attempt to elicit a candidate’s behavior in concrete situations that parallel what might be found at the company,” Challenger says. When Steinmetz interviews candidates for managerial positions, for instance, he typically inquires about difficulties they encountered and how they dealt with them. “I don’t want all rosy stuff,” he says.

Steinmetz notes that “soft” skills, such as leadership, teambuilding, conflict resolution, and the ability to motivate employees who are not direct reports, are highly prized. The best way to prepare for an interview nowadays, adds Steinmetz, is to come with some specific examples that can illustrate any number of these traits. “If the illustration can answer two or three questions at once,” that’s great, he says. “I like it when I don’t talk very much.”

With so many layoffs, Steinmetz notes, many “A-players” have been downsized. Whether companies are hiring new employees or hiring back old ones, “they are trying to upgrade their staffs by identifying and adding the available A-players.”

Candidates do not have to be proficient in every single area. Screening also helps employers identify areas that need coaching or on-the-job training once you are hired.  Most of all, you want your interviewer to view you in the following way: as someone who is reliable, trusthworthy, teamwork oriented, inquisitive, and always looking for a better way to do things. “I much prefer someone with those skills and mediocre technical skills than the other way around,” says Steinmetz.  That’s because technical skills are more easily taught.

I’ve got a disability that’s not obvious to anyone but that can occasionally make it hard for me to work. It is usually controlled by medication, but that’s not 100 percent reliable. Is this something I should disclose during a job interview?

Dear Readers,

If you are a job seeker wrestling with this question, you are not alone. Depending on who is doing the estimating, somewhere between 17 and 32 million people of working age (16-64) have a disability. As defined by the U.S Census, a disability is “a condition that limits or prevents working.”  Even almost two decades after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was drafted to provide equal opportunity to people with disabilities, this group has among the highest unemployment rate in the U.S.

Whether you are disabled or not, take a minute to think about the various ways a disability can affect someone. An enlightening chart in Richard Nelson Bolles’ book, Job Hunting for the So-called Handicapped (Ten Speed Press, 2001), may broaden your perspective. Under the heading, “No Two Disabled Persons Are Alike,” the chart lists some of the variables. For example, some disabilities are hidden while others are visible. They may range from mild to moderate to severe to profound. They may have occurred at birth (congenital) or after age five (adventitious). They may affect one’s ability to see, hear, speak, move, think or learn, or feel or behave. In areas that are not affected, the disabled person may be normally or extraordinarily gifted. The disability may be viewed either as a disaster or a challenge, and it  may result in social isolation or support.

If you have a disability that is not always apparent, deciding whether to disclose it to a prospective employer can be a difficult decision. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society offers a worksheet on its website that can help anyone think through this issue, whether you are wrestling with a permanent disability or temporary medical condition. It lists possible emotional reasons you may want to keep the condition to yourself (I feel guilty.), or tell others (I feel dishonest – I’m just not comfortable keeping it a secret.). It lists practical reasons to consider as well (Examples: I need to take time off for medical appointments; I’m afraid of a bad job evaluation; I need an on-the-job accommodation; or I need a medical leave of absence.)

The MS Society’s accompanying “Disclosure Decision Worksheet” helps people chart the possible positive and negative consequences of your decision, based on why you are informing your employer, whom you tell, and how much you say.

If you decide to disclose your condition, or you have no choice because it’s readily apparent, Bolles lists numerous employer fears that you should plan to address. Among them, along with his advice, are the following:

It may cost more to hire this person: If hiring you will entail no extra costs, make that clear. If you will require some accommodations that cost money, lay out the expected expenses and provide an upper ceiling on what it will cost, expressing your commitment to come in at or under that figure.

I don’t understand the disability, and I’m afraid to ask: Ask the interviewer if they have any questions. Explain what you do well, what your limitations are, and list the things that you’ve learned through being disabled.

Won’t this person be a safety hazard?: Share your past safety record.

What if it doesn’t work out and I have to fire her. Am I inviting a lawsuit?: Explain that people with disabilities are fired at the same rate as everyone else.

This applicant may have trouble communicating with other employees: Make sure that you are articulate and animated during your interview. Demonstrating your communication skills is the most effective way to allay fears along these lines.

What if a person with a history of mental illness turns violent on the job?: Discuss a potentially volatile situation in the past that you handled with aplomb.

Still up in the air? Additional information and guidance can be found from the Job Accommodation Network, a government-funded website that covers job accommodations, self-employment, and small business opportunities. Another useful source is the Epilepsy Foundation of America.

I never thought having 25 years of experience would be a liability, but that seems to be the case when you are looking for a new job. Is there any way to turn the negative perceptions about “older workers,” true or not, to my advantage?

Dear Readers,

Even if you have false teeth and use a walker, there are ways to take a bite out of the job market and sail past your younger competitors. Most likely you have collected a lengthy list of accomplishments, navigated a rough patch or two, and developed perspective that only age can bring. All you have to do now is convince a prospective employer that, in addition to your unmatched experience, you have tremendous energy and enthusiasm.

Charles Hays, vice president at Right Management Consultants, Inc., gives a monthly seminar for job hunters over 50. He offers the following tips to boost your chances of success:

Attitude Matters: “If you think you’re old, you are,” says Hays. Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle pays off when you interview. Work in some mention of your life outside of work “so interviewers get to know the whole person.”

Appearance Counts: Some older workers show up at interviews wearing ill-fitting clothes commenting that, “they just want to feel comfortable,” Hays says. If interviewers are looking for a reason not to proceed with the hiring process, those applicants just handed it to them. Stick to tailored clothes and an up-to-date look for a good first impression. Also important is upright posture, a lively gait (if possible), and lots of eye contact.

Animation Helps: What gets a higher rating from interviewers – experience, communication, enthusiasm, or personality? Answer: enthusiasm. Research shows that it “wins by quite a bit,” Hays says. Upgrade your mildly positive, I-can-do-that-in-my-sleep approach to true enthusiasm for the position.

Emphasize Your Work Ethic: The view that older workers have a stronger work ethic than the younger generation “is the biggest thing older workers have going for them,” says Hays. To underline this point, mention the times you have gone the extra mile, worked after hours, and held fast to your commitment to a stellar attendance record.

Stretch Often: To counter the perception that people age 50 and older are inflexible, demonstrate involvement with new managers, different product lines, and expanded responsibilities. Keep current with technology and management styles. Managers who came up through the ranks and have trouble adapting when their organization takes a flatter, more inclusive approach often lose their jobs, Hays says.

10 Is Better Than 35: “Everybody wants to tell you their life story,” says Hays, but it’s far better to focus on your accomplishments of the last 10 years.  This true of your resume, too, which he advises keeping to two pages. One way to stand out, especially if the company you are applying to has experienced some ups and downs, is to indicate your accomplishments in both growth and consolidation environments.

Short Answers: Another stereotype is that older people ramble on. Keep your answers short and to the point. Start with “what” not “how,” Hays advises Prepare a few sentences about your most impressive accomplishments and stop there. If your interviewer wants to know more – the details of how you did it – she will ask. “Pay attention to the eyes,” Hays says. If they start wandering, you’ve lost her and should stop talking so she can redirect the conversation.

Reassure The Youth. If you will be working for someone younger, she might feel threatened by your experience. Stress your largesse. Among the things you might say: Which needs do you think I can fill?  How can I help you grow?

Over-qualified? To head off the question of whether you will move on if you find a more challenging position, pare down your resume. “We tell people not to fluff up their resume, but nothing says you can’t dumb it down,” says Hays. When one of his clients applied to a company that was smaller than the department he had previously run, the client omitted numbers from his resume that made the contrast too apparent, and “it worked out quite well,” says Hays. He landed the job. Furthermore, he enjoys it and has no plans to move on.

The other day I was at an interview and one of the questions was, “What are your weaknesses?” I consider this a depressing, senseless question. How does one answer this? I said, “Chocolate.”

Dear Readers,

Interviewers generally ask three kinds of questions, says Charles Hays, vice president, Right Management Consultants, Inc., a career transition firm. The first category consists of positive questions in which they ask you about your accomplishments. The second aims to get at character traits, which is another chance to extol your strengths. These are questions like: “Tell me about yourself,” and “Where would you like to be in five years?”

The third category, negative questions, can be the toughest. While it’s probably okay to give an answer with some humor – like the “chocolate” retort – come prepared with a more serious response as well.

First deflect the question by rewording it, says Hays, who advises his clients to prepare two to three responses to this question before each job interview. You can do that by identifying an issue, followed quickly with an explanation of how you are addressing it. If you are in sales, for example, you might say: “I really wouldn’t call it a weakness. My bottom line is sales, and I don’t always focus on record keeping, so I need to keep my eye on that.” Your goal, says Hays, “is to downgrade the weakness and show what you’re doing to correct it.”

As important as what you say is how you say it. “It’s a psychological test,” Hays explains. “The interviewer wants to see how defensive you get, and what you’re willing to admit.” In other words: total denial will not serve you well, but a little honesty and a lot of preparation can win you the job.

JOB HUNT

ENERGY BOOSTERS

After several months without work, it can be hard to keep your spirits up. With rising unemployment, engaging in a job hunt can seem futile. How can you motivate yourself?

Dear Readers,

This question comes up often. Rather than go to “the experts,” who generally have little first-hand experience with being unemployed, I decided to ask Mark, a former manager in the manufacturing industry who has been out of work for several months. Does he get discouraged? How does he keep his spirits up? “I definitely have some experience with the emotional ups and downs of unemployment and sometimes total lack of motivation,” he replied. But he won’t give up. Among Mark’s strategies:

Put Yourself on the Clock. I find that I start feeling guilty if I’m not spending every waking moment working on my job search. So next week I will try something that I know I should have been doing the whole time. I am going to put myself on more of a strict schedule, and when I’m done for the day, I will try not to think about it much.

Get Out of the House. I work out and go for a run. At times it’s hard to get motivated to even do that. But I have yet to find a time when I regretted it. It’s also to helpful to go to the library or the bookstore. Being around people, even if you’re not interacting with them, helps to change your mood.

Meet Friends for Lunch. This is a great way to get some reinforcement and maybe even have a few laughs. Friends also may have some new ideas or connections.

Volunteer. Knowing you are helping others may also improve your feeling of self worth, which gets lost during unemployment. It is also a constructive way to network and possibly pick up some new skills.

Write Down Your Own Strategies. Writing down these thoughts seemed to help for some reason. I would suggest listing the things you find that make your days more enjoyable and productive during an extended job search. There are many ways to push yourself, and as each day or week goes by, your list should grow.

Dear Readers,

This column is dedicated to all the newly minted college graduates who do not yet have a job offer in hand. What’s a newly but highly educated, unemployed person to do?

Try to stay energized and motivated. If you take the too-common approach of combining a defeatist with an escapist attitude – “I’m not going to win at this; what’s going on Friday night?” says Wayne Wallace, director of the University of Florida’s Career Resource Center, “you can get by for awhile, but it’s going to come back and haunt you.”

You are not alone, obviously. The ranks of the unemployed keep swelling, and the number of college students who are as yet uncommitted – without a job offer or acceptance to graduate school – is larger than it’s been in years. Take Derek Jose, who is about to graduate from the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Applied Security analysis. For the past two years, every graduate was employed within a week of receiving his or her degree, but that was not expected to happen this year. As of April 1, eight out of 17 students had offers; the rest, including Jose, were still on the market.

On the bright side, many corporations are still hiring. Even those firms that have laid off employees recently may be beefing up departments where they have an unmet need. Wallace reports that the employers who attended its spring career fair were down a third from a year earlier. But several of the university’s largest recruiters, big names like Lockheed-Martin, Microsoft, Target, and General Electric, have snapped up dozens of graduates from Florida and from other schools, just as they have in years past.

“The game’s not over,” says Wallace. Recent graduates who have the best chance at landing a job going forward are those who “take ownership of the whole process,” he says. Rather than throw your resume at a bunch of online job sites in hopes that something will stick, target your search. Take the time to answer some basic questions: “What is it I have to offer? What do I really want to do?”

Networking with alumni, former employers, and friends is another important step. For one thing, it may be the quickest route to an opening. “We work hard to connect students with our alumni because it’s wonderfully useful,” says Kathy Heinzen, director of Lawrence University’s Career Center in Appleton, Wisc.

Secondly, if you have a fear of interviews meetings with alumni can give you some practice. “Students have become so comfortable with electronic tools, we are seeing a need to help them with face-to-face meetings,” says Heinzen. “Just because you know how to speak it doesn’t mean you know how to interview,” Wallace concurs, noting that . interviews can be quite challenging, especially structured behavioral interviews and interview that test problem solving skills.

That doesn’t mean that a higher grade point average gives you the edge. Having an internship on your resume seems to be the biggest predictor as to who gets hired, says Wallace. The reasons are obvious: you have direct, related experience and have already been proven with a respected employer. “It’s as close to a silver bullet as there is,” says Wallace.

Some students are considering post-graduate internships which seem to be taking the place of being hired full time for a probationary period. “It can be a door opener,” says Wallace. If the internship does not lead to a full time position, it looks better on your resume than being hired and then failing probation. “It looks like a learning experience,” says Wallace. And, no doubt, it was.

Being flexible is another way to expand your options. If you can relocate, the world is your market. Similarly, it is wise to have several possibilities in mind regarding the type of organization, field, and even the jobs you will consider. Beyond that, says Heinzen, “we’re encouraging students to think outside the box, about more non-traditional arrangements like cobbling together a couple of positions.”

One more option, which Heinzen says worked for her when she was a graduate student in Minnesota: signing on with a staffing agency.

Just remember: you may have graduated from school, but at this wonderful stage of your life, everything is still a learning experience. And the rest of us envy you for that.

Dear Readers,
Are you lying awake at night worrying about your bank balance? Or the way your husband’s blood pressure rises in proportion to the number of layoffs in his company?

Obviously, you’re not alone.  The “Stress in America” survey conducted last year by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that almost 50 percent of Americans are increasingly stressed about their ability to provide for their family’s basic needs. Money and the economy were the top two stressors for 80 percent of Americans. Thirty-four percent experience chronic work stress. And that was last year. One can assume the numbers have climbed since then.

Women apparently feel it more than men. Slightly more female than male respondents reported stress about money (83 percent vs. 78 percent), housing costs (66 percent vs. 58 percent), and job stability (57 percent vs. 55 percent).

This is not good for our health. With money worries on the rise, stress-related symptoms are showing up more frequently. Americans who reported feeling irritable or angry jumped to 60 percent, up 10 percent from a year ago. Fifty-two percent of respondents said they lie awake at night, up from 48 percent in 2007. Headaches are also on the rise. How are people coping?

One of the most common outlets is food. Almost half of respondents reported overeating, eating junk food or skipping meals. Almost one in five reported turning to alcohol and smoking for stress relief. Repeated over a prolonged period, these bad habits can lead to serious illness.

Exercise, talking to spouses, friends and co-workers and seeking professional advice are more productive ways to manage stress. Exercise does double duty, relaxing and toning you at the same time. Confiding in others is another way to find relief. They can offer sympathy, perspective and even some creative ways for dealing with your challenges. Often people will respond to your vulnerability by sharing something personal about themselves. That you can help others even while you are feeling low is another morale booster.

The APA found that 58 percent of respondents would feel uncomfortable seeking professional advice to help manage stress. That’s unfortunate. If you are severely stressed and you have a job with benefits, find out if mental health services are covered. For a small co-payment you can get valuable professional advice. Trained therapists can help you strategize about the things you can control and the things you can’t.

Smart employers know that during tough economic periods sometimes the entire staff needs a boost. This sort of institutional wisdom is honored each year by the APA, which hands out the “Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards.” The winners typically excel in several of the following five categories: employee involvement; health and safety; employee growth and development; work-life balance; and employee recognition. A 2008 winner, Georgia-based accounting firm Porter Keadle Moore, for instance, advertises its atmosphere to potential recruits as “characterized by autonomy, freedom and flexibility.”  The firm also offers “impromptu gatherings that provide much needed moments to relax and refresh as a group.”

Porter Keadle Moore even delivers organic fruit to its staff. It’s a small thing, but on a dark day, the sweetness of an orange or the brightness of a strawberry can lift spirits, if just for a few moments. Is it surprising that while 21 percent of workers at these award winners experience chronic work stress, their rate is significantly below the national average?
© CTW Features

Do you have questions about your job or the best way to handle a workplace challenge? Leslie Whitaker would like to hear from you. E-mail Leslie@ctwfeature.com and join the conversation at her Web site, www.lesliewhitaker.com.