Off To See The Wizard

We're off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Jobs. Because, because, because, because, because..... Wouldn't it be wonderful if there really was someone behind that curtain. But no such luck!

I hit the job fair circuit this week with high hopes. I followed the tips given on TV about taking plenty of resumes with you and "dress for success." Tuesday there was a job fair in Greensboro. It started at 9:00am and went until 1:00pm. I deliberately wanted to get there around 12:00 so that I could leave from that job fair and then head straight to the one in Kernersville that started at 1:00.

The first job fair wasn't too crowded. Parking was bad and several people were parked along side the street; but I lucked up and found an open parking space right beside the hotel. I was a little disappointed when I went in to visit the employer booths. I didn't count them, but there weren't very many employers there. There was however, 3 insurance companies that wanted you to sell insurance, a marketing company that wanted you to sell air space for radio stations (strictly commission based pay after a training phase), Avon was there to recruit new sales reps and the Military was there to recruit as well. Guilford College was there but they were trying to recruit new students and were not offering jobs or accepting resumes. As a matter of fact, nobody was accepting resumes. Even AON, a great employer, was represented there, but would not take your resume. They said you had to apply online and that your resume would go to one of their offices in New York and then be routed to a local office if your skills matched any openings.


It didn't take me long to finish up at the first job fair so I headed straight to Kernersville getting there just before the job fair started. Boy, what a surprise. The traffic was horrendous. The police were there directing traffic and they even had crowd control inside. There were so many people that there was no way everybody could get into the sanctuary (we were at a church) at one time so we were taking in groups of 5-10 at a time. To say that the unemployed outnumbered the employers would be a profound understatement.

The Chamber of Commerce in Kernersville had set this job fair up and they did a phenomenal job! Before I go any further, I want to thank them for the great job they did in putting this together. They had tables with games and crayons for children to play at. They had copy machines ready in case you needed to make additional copies of your resume and places for you to sit down if you were tired or needed a table so you could fill out an application. The Employment Security Commission was there as well with hand-outs and advice on resumes. The Chamber even had seminars set up so you could learn how to prepare a resume or how to stretch you food dollars.

There were all kinds of people from every walk of life and every job description you can think of. There were people dressed in stocking caps, sagging jeans, and sweat shirts and there were people dressed in business suits. I guess being unemployed is one of the great equalizers though. We all stood in line together looking for the same things and we all got the same answers.

There were sales jobs available that were strictly commission based and you even had to create your own contact list. All branches of the Military were represented trying to recruit new soldiers. With around 2,000 people trying to get through the door, the employers didn't even have time to talk to people. Moses Cone was there and they were actually calling people up in groups of 5 and telling you to go online to complete an application. They accepted resumes but told us point blank that it really wouldn't do us any good to leave them because everything had to be done online.

I sincerely appreciate everything that all these people tried to do, but the Wizard wasn't there.

Spam & Stress

I have so enjoyed being out of work. I get up at a reasonable hour and plan my entire day out. I blog when I have something to say, I job hunt, I clean house, work on special projects, etc.

Even though they wouldn't tell us, I knew my job was going away several weeks before it did. I put a lot of thought into what I was going to do once I became unemployed. One big project that I am working on was going to require a fairly large cash investment so I knew I would have to tap my 401(k) to get the money. Then I analyzed all our debt and monthly payments and realized that I would have to hit the 401(k) again to pay off my car. I owe less than 2 years on it, love the car and have no intention of getting rid of it; but the unemployment check is not enough to cover the mortgage and everything else we owe. So I needed to eliminate this payment.

Friday was the day to complete the paperwork for these distributions. I completed one and mailed it to the plan administrator handling the distributions for Petty Racing. Then I went to Richard Childress Racing to complete the forms there with their HR Manager. Before I signed this form, the panic set in. I got so nervous and so upset! It finally hit that I have no real income! Bill was with me because he had to sign these forms as well to get this distribution. He wasn't upset. He dropped me back off at the house and he left to go to school.

I started pacing the floor, really fast pacing. My chest hurt. I got physically sick and thought I was going to throw up. I was totally unproductive all day, I just couldn't get past the panic that had completely taken over my entire body. I didn't calm down until Bill got home Friday afternoon around 4:00. It was a miserable day!

To add to the stress of being unemployed, I have discovered that spammers search the job boards for unsuspecting targets. I have received a couple of emails that indicate "we found your resume posted on (name of job board)." Thinking that this could potentially be a real opportunity, I opened the email. Once I actually read the body of the email, though, I had more sense than to click on anything or to apply for the position that was being offered. One of these emails was the Nigerian Scam where they want to send you money so that you can deposit it into your personal bank account and then pay bills or obligations that already exist; you get to keep anything left over after you have paid all of these obligations. But of course, the check they send you to begin with is worthless so once you pay all the obligations, you are overdrawn at the bank and the spammer has your money.

Just another reason to be leery of job boards and putting yourself out in cyber-space for the world to see. And all the more reason to use your personal network!

Networking

This networking thing isn't as easy as it sounds. Your network is busy. You have to be the one to make the effort to stay in touch. If you reach out to your network frequently (but not enough to make a nuisance of yourself), you will be the first person they think of when there is an opportunity. This applies even if you already have a job. Who isn't looking to improve their status in the job market or grow their own business. Network, Network, Network!

Volunteering isn't as easy as it sounds either. I thought I found the perfect opportunity to volunteer. I tried to volunteer to help with the Furniture Market in High Point. I thought the timing was right. Market isn't until the last week in April so they are just now gearing up to get ready for it. However, they told me they didn't accept volunteers. They hire seasonal help, but the same people are used from year-to-year so there wasn't an opportunity to even be hired temporarily. Yes, I was a little disappointed.

I have found another opportunity to volunteer though that I think will work out great. I have adopted a soldier! Last week I was watching the Today Show when they had a segment on adopting soldiers. Did you know that there is 25-30% of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan that never receive mail or packages from home? I didn't! I was shocked. You can adopt by going to www.adoptaussoldier.org. They process your application and then send you all the information about your soldier along with his/her email and physical address. I won't be rubbing elbows with influential people who can help me land a job, but I feel good about making somebody else feel just a little bit better about being away from home and family.

I have not been to a job fair since I got out of college. However, there is one next week in Greensboro. It is February 24 from 9:00-1:00 at Quality Inn and Suites, 7068 Albert Pick Road, Greensboro, NC. I definitely plan to go. I have no idea what to expect but will attend with an open mind. I will take a few resumes and some resume cards and go dressed for success. You know I will blog about the experience and share my thoughts on the whole thing.

I also have applied for a part time job with a winery. If you have looked at my profile, you know that wine is one of my passions. This particular winery is only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so the only opportunities are part time. I look at this as an opportunity to have fun while I work but also as a chance to learn even more about wine. Will let you know about this as well so that you can come do a wine tasting with me!

I have given some serious thought to substitute teaching. It is a bit more difficult to get your name on that list than one would think. Most of the counties are giving the "Substitute Test" in March. I plan to participate for Davidson County. Unfortunately, that only leaves 8-10 weeks to actually work as a sub. But it is still a way to have temporary income to help with that unemployment check. I am certain that there will be several taking this test. I know I am not the only genius who thought of this as a way to earn money.

I write all of this to let you know that I am taking my own advice. I actually heard someone on TV giving very similar advice. I could have sworn they had read my "Survival 101."

Keep a positive attitude and keep networking!

Moving Forward

Have you noticed all the commercials with the tag line, "Moving Forward." Everyone from retailers to politicians are trying to give us the impression that things are on the mend. I hope they're right.

With the job market being so tough, I have done some research this past week on looking for a job hoping that I could offer some sound advice to help move you forward. I have already commented on an earlier post that you really can't trust all the job postings that you see on job boards because a large percentage of these jobs are not real and don't exist. Keep in mind though that if the job is posted by the actual employer and not a recruiting firm, that it is real. Do a cover letter and if you know anyone that has connections with that company, use them to get you in the door. If you can drop the resume off in person instead of resorting to just an email, you might luck up and actually get a meeting on the spot. Better yet, if you have that inside connection, give them a call and ask if you can email your resume to them so that they can walk it over to the hiring person.

In my research I ran across an article by Darrell Gurney (www.CareerGuy.com) that suggested we stop looking for a job. I have always suggested to everyone that they network as much as possible. Your network can give you a vast resource of people that can help you find opportunities. You should focus on building authentic relationships with these people. Try not to sound or appear desperate when building these relationships. Instead, show your value. Look yourself in the mirror and realize what you have accomplished. Put it in writing, not in a resume, but something for you to read and be proud of. You can add to or update as much as possible as you remember your accomplishments. According to this article, "if you are branded well and fly a flag of who you are when you meet people, you never have to ask for a job. If they see value in you and are attracted to the flag you are flying, they will find whatever they can for you automatically." Network purposefully and be prepared to offer mutual support. You have to find a reason to connect and ask for a few minutes of their time. Maintain these relationships so that you are always at top of mind when your network hears of opportunities.

I have really started to question having my resume posted online with these job boards. I have gotten in touch with three people, all in completely different fields and industries, who have connections all across the state (and well beyond). I feel so much better about job hunting and new opportunities when I am actually talking to someone instead of sending emails. Is the country moving forward? I don't know, but I am!