Quick Quotes

Here is some humor overheard in the cubicles at work:

"I had this dream..."
"Was it a Martin Luther King kind of dream or a Freddy Kreuger kind?"


"Half a paycheck is better than no paycheck."


and

"I got a phone now."
"You got a phone!"
"It's not like that. My lawyer got it for me."
"Oh, are you on his plan, too?"

I know how to job search, I've been doing it for YEARS

There are at least 2 struggles regarding job search knowledge as an Employment Specialist. One involves establishing authority as an "expert" at gaining employment. Another involves sorting through all the job search advice that is floating around in our universe.

A couple of weeks ago, I followed posts at Ask A Manager in which the Manager debated another blogger who advised readers that they are free to burn bridges with past employers/supervisors without repercussion. (I side with Ask a Manager; job seekers need those professional references!)

Then this week at a job fair, a workshop facilitator included this in a list of "10 truths" about job search:

"You do not need a resume to do a job search."

Is it possible to get a job without a resume? Sure. Can all my job seekers throw away their resumes? The idea frightens me.

There is probably a nuanced explanation to the "no resume" job search, but the 1/2 hour presentation didn't leave time for that.

Another "truth" revealed was:

"In most cases people hire people they know and like -- whether or not the candidate has the exact experience, background or skills to do the job."

I think it's absolutely true, BUT it needs to be managed carefully. If an employer doesn't know the job seeker, the qualifications are very necessary. The key word is "exact." Many people may replace "exact" with "any" and start applying for jobs that they should not be considering, and they may neglect opportunities they are qualified for in favor of long-shot applications.

My coworkers found a simple way to improve the statement: In most cases people hire people they know and like IN ADDITION to having the experience, background or skills to do the job.

I don't think the advice is wrong; I think it's careless advice in a sea of job seekers with different skills and abilities. We can't expect everyone to be able to discern when to use a resume and when not to, or when to overreach or not.

More Excel Chart Fun

This is in response to:

1. Job seekers who rush through applications and submit incomplete or half-hearted applications
2. Application forms that don't have areas that let individuals shine through.
3. The "Do I need a cover letter?" debate.

Full Speed Ahead

Here are some visual aids to remind job seekers to conduct a full job search. They are meant to help those who:

1. Stay within a comfort zone (usually too much internet and newspaper...passive job search)
2. Take too many days off and miss good opportunities






This week is off to a great start. It's sunny, one of my customer's started a new job today, a friend announced a FOURTH Urban Design/Landscape Architecture graduate school acceptance (UPenn, Harvard, U-Washington, and U-British Columbia!), and a college classmate won a Pulitzer! This is the kind of day that keeps me keeping on.

2nd Opinions

Last month, we had a recruiter from Comcast speak to a group of jobseekers about HR's perspective in the job search process. The jobseekers gave their full attention as she spoke about many of the job search strategies we try to teach every day. The fresh voice, and the recruiter's power to hire, helped the lessons sink in.

An unemployed accountant I worked with (college degree plus 20 years of experience) was disillusioned with the lack of feedback from employers he interviewed with, so I pointed him to a book on "insider secrets" from an HR veteran.

Today, I was exploring online and found some more advice from the recruiting field. Punk Rock HR led me to Peopleshark, where Carmen Hudson wrote some Cold, Hard Truth for Jobseekers in January.

What struck me most: "If you don't have a real network of people you know, have lunch or drinks with, who know your work, you're up a creek without a paddle."
I've met many jobseekers with such poor ties to their job history that they can't remember supervisors' names for their applications, and they never stayed in a job long enough to form real relationships with coworkers.

Also, from the comments on that post: "Some jobs that are posted or advertised are destined to be filled internally; advertising was just for show and you never had a chance."

Recent News Round-up

Onestops continue to be swamped across the country.

Schenectady, NY: Residents wait hours — and sometimes more than half a day — in lines that stretch to the door. (Also a cautionary tale about service consolidation)

San Bernardino, CA: Harmsen said the number of job seekers coming to the county's workforce investment board center's has more than doubled since last year.

Butler County, OH: In August 2008, an average of 194 people came to the Workforce One's WIA orientations. In January, a record-setting 272 people attended orientations, which are held twice a week. In February, that record was broken when 324 people attended, and in March it is estimated that as many as 450 people attended Workforce One's WIA orientation.

Muskogee, OK: Workforce Oklahoma job skills facilitator Jessie Keenon said her weekly job search classes are attracting 24 or 25 people when they used to attract five to 10 people.

Maricopa County, AZ: Last month, Maricopa Workforce Connections had more than 13,500 customer visits, up 100 percent compared to last year and the numbers are expected to continue to rise.

Rick Wagoner, Call Michigan Works!

This New York Times article over the weekend got me thinking about a couple of things. First, it raised an employment specialist crisis of faith. These happen occasionally when I read about millionaires who are younger than me or professionals who dropped everything to become rafting guides or, in this case, private career coaches who work with CEO's. One CEO's severance package included $40,000 towards job placement services. He could hire an employment specialist for a year at that price.

At first hearing, it sounds like an easy task: find work for someone who has years of prior success.

Thinking further, though, I looked at it from optimistic and pessimistic views in relation to working with "universal customers."

Quick brainstorming:

What CEO's bring that can help:
1. Networking contacts and references
2. Verifiable experience
3. Advanced education/training

What CEO's bring that can hurt:
1. High expectations (title, responsibility, salary, success)
2. Pride
3. Fewer options (narrow career fields, fewer openings)

In fact, the article argues, “The higher up you are,” said Dr. Madaus, whose company employs 6,000, “the longer it takes to find a new job.”

I also thought about what onestops would have to offer a CEO. The article mentions benefits to CEO's from their job search firms that sound very similar to the onestop benefits in last week's MSNBC article on Worksource Portland Metro East:

1. Social connections
2. Ongoing motivation
3. Sense of normalcy
4. Coaching

Workforce development serves a variety of populations that seem unique but frequently overlap and ultimately share attributes and needs: youth, adults, homeless, dislocated, transitioning, offenders, migrants, veterans, seniors, immigrants, etc.

Finally, contemplating how I would work with a CEO recalls a case management exercise I've used informally, Celebrity Job Search. Name a celebrity or fictional character and then complete an assessment and employment plan based on their known strengths and weaknesses.

The Rust Belt and other lost souls

States I missed in my roundups:

Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth
Indiana Department of Workforce Development
Wyoming Department of Employment
Rhode Island Department of Labor & Training
Oklahoma Employment Security Commission

The Great State of...Part 2

Here's the remainder of state workforce resources. This is the eastern U.S. edition, of which there are a bit more states plus D.C.

Alabama Office of Workforce Development
Arkansas Department of Workforce Services
Connecticut Department of Labor
Delaware Department of Labor
District of Columbia Department of Employment Services
State of Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation
Georgia Department of Labor
Illinois Department of Employment Security
Iowa's Employment Security Agency
Kentucky Office of Employment and Training
Louisiana Workforce Commission
Maine Department of Labor
Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation
Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Mississippi Department of Employment Security
Missouri Department of Economic Development
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
New York State Department of Labor
Employment Security Division of North Carolina
New Hampshire Department of Employment Security
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
South Carolina Employment Security Commission
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Vermont Department of Labor
Virginia Employment Commission
Workforce West Virginia
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Did I miss any?

Wanted: More Sunny Days In Portland

Here's a good article on what it's like in onestops these days: Job center struggles with massive need. Even better, its from my (new) hometown workforce system.

Reporter Allison Linn does a good job of covering the toll on staff, the broad mix of customers, the blend of hope and uncertainty, and the variety of benefits available (from the obvious - training and job leads - to the overlooked - a place to be social and escape the loneliness of unemployment).

Reminder: Worksystems, Inc. has a blog, too.

The Great State of...part 1

Moving from Texas to Oregon has meant adjusting to different workforce models. Still, after a year, I return to the Texas Workforce Commission website to revisit technical assistance resources and see what's new back home. I've also started to look at other states to find ideas or strategies I can use day-to-day.

Here are state employment/labor/workforce agency websites from the western half of the US. (Western based on an arbitrary imaginary line I made in the map).

Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Arizona Employment Administration
California Employment Development Department
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Idaho Department of Labor
Kansas Department of Labor
Montana Department of Labor and Industry
Nebraska Workforce Development
Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation
New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions
Job Service North Dakota
Oregon Employment Department
South Dakota Department of Labor
Texas Workforce Commission
Utah Department of Workforce Services
Washington State Employment Security Department

Breaking news: Jobs!

Here's an update on the televised Rio Grande Valley Jobathon I posted about earlier in the week. KRGV Newschannel 5 has pictures and video from throughout the day's broadcast on a special job fair page.

The videos highlight employers as well as individual job seekers. Job seekers had less than a minute to make their pitch. Most were only able to give a brief description of their experience, the field they are interested in, and their Work in Texas ID number, which will allow employers to see their full resume and contact information.

Is your elevator pitch ready for primetime?

There is one video moment that made me cringe. In a story about onestop services, a staff person is identified as an UNEMPLOYMENT Specialist.

Workforce Solutions and Workforce Solutions Cameron organized the event.