Ditch your Resume

Job Trends for the new year

2009-12-29T21:26:00.000-08:00

Nothing really new. Jobs in Healthcare, Education and Finance will grow and multiply in the
year(s) to come. But with an edge. What about nursing automatics? Be willing to combine two of the above sectors and...bingo! But of course, you first have to like it.

But if you don't, I heard that chocolate sales are up by 3.5% this year.

It sounds sweet. And tastier!

Read the entire WSJ article here: http://bit.ly/7NVqhs

Happy New Year with lots of jobs!

Unexpected salaries

2009-11-19T05:35:00.000-08:00

Do you really know how much an astronomer makes? What about a court reporter? If you want to find out, check this recent article on msn.com:

http://bit.ly/3OV7nO

When the interviewer falls asleep

2009-10-28T21:42:00.001-07:00

One of the most entertaining articles comes from Business Week's online publication. What to do when you have an interview and the interviewer was only half-awake

http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/oct2009/ca20091020_872012.htm?link_position=link11

10 Careers that will keep you interested

2009-10-13T18:36:00.000-07:00

Click at the link if you want to find out the 10 careers to avoid boredom: http://bit.ly/kRlZ1. A recent MSN article states that there are, indeed, jobs that are NOT boring!

And can you guess which is the first in their list?

The non-glamorous, rather exhausting profession of the flying attendant. The job involves traveling, working at nights, having an irregular schedule so boredom is out of the question. I don't know if serving coffee at 55,000 feet is the most intellectual task you can do but is it really so exciting?

Amongst others are those of the casino worker, the reporter/journalist and of course the event planner.

I don't know if I agree 100% with the article - certainly some jobs are far more boring and repetitive in comparison with the glamorous ones, but don't you think that all jobs can be somehow tedious?

Food for thought for tonight!

Cool job and not only websites

2009-09-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of cool websites related to jobs, careers but also other fun stuff - like books - that I accidentally fell into this morning. And because nothing has any value unless it's shared with others, I present the list below for your information and for fun

JOBS/COACHING/IDEAS

http://www.careerealism.com/
A site that provides advice, consulting, ideas, strategies aimed at young job seekers. The site is cute, informative and offers many freebies. Visit regularly...

http://www.collegerecruiter.com/
It's a web site that matches college students and young graduates with potential employers for jobs and also internships

BOOKS
http://www.lisaorrell.com/
Author of the Millennium Incorporated, Lisa Orrell, specializes in career coaching the Millennials, aka Gen Y and Generation X professionals

Then we came to the end by Joshua Ferris
Joshua Ferris' novel centers on an ad agency where copyeditors and artists bitterly complain about their jobs, claiming that their employment is somehow keeping them from being better. Each has an ambition: one is a failed novelist, another, a painter. But when an economic downturn means layoffs, they discover an ironic truth: Though they hate their jobs, they are terrified of losing them.

FUN
http://www.sporcle.com/
Test your general knowledge and find out if that degree in History will finally pay off!

Twitter your jobhunting

2009-09-23T06:52:00.001-07:00

After a three-month summer break from the Ditch your Resume Blog, I return today with more ideas and innovative strategies for your job hunting.

What about using Twitter to find a job? If you are a twitter addict and you don't mind the telegraphic sentences, check out the following links:

http://www.twitterjobsearch.com/
This site is a job search engine that searches Twitter for jobs that match the keywords that you enter. Make sure you enter the location you are interested in. When I tested the site without specifying location, I got a lot of job from England!

http://jobshouts.com/ and
http://twitter.com/jobshouts
JobShouts.com is a free resource for both employers and job seekers. Employers can post their jobs for free; those jobs are then automatically “tweeted” to users on Twitter.

http://www.jobangels.org/ and
http://twitter.com/jobangels
JobAngels site aims at asking those who could to help one person find a job. It's really interesting and helpful.

You can also do a Twitter search looking for the company of your interest. Most employers and organizations are now using Twitter and they post their vacancies and jobs on Twitter. So, if you want a job at Microsoft, type Microsoft jobs. You will then get a list of all Microsoft jobs!

You can also read the following article for more information for your Twitter/job search:

http://mashable.com/2009/03/13/twitter-jobs/

What employers want from you NOW

2009-06-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

With the recession being well established in the USA and possibly all over the world, thousands of professionals have lost jobs during the last year or so and thousands are out there looking for jobs, being as we say, job seekers. But what exactly employers want from candidates? What are they looking for and how over-the-top can be? A recent WSJ article presents the story http://bit.ly/HDvH8 and I summarize below:

- you may have to bring your own lunch and that means that you will spend the whole day interviewing
- you may be asked to bring your W-2 statements of the last three years
- you may ask you to fix a leaky faucet and change the fax machine's toner or express your interest in those topics
-you may have to come dressed in fancy evening wear suitable for entertaining wealthy clients
-they may ask you to interview other contenders and tout their rival's prowess
- you may have to tackle a business case study during interviews
- they may ask you crazy questions to catch you off guard
- you may be requested to attend a board meeting where you will have to pitch/present your ideas
or they may offer an unpaid tryout (that will never be a paid position)

(they stands for interviewers)

I am just wondering if they are all legitimate interview practices or rather illegal. And what employers are trying to achieve out of all those methods? If they try to become more popular, they fail. Pretend to be cool? Cool they are not, rather obnoxious and nasty. Candidates spread the bad news all over (thanks twitter) and the employers' reputation can easily be damaged.

So, employers be careful what you do to recruit. Recession does not justify your actions. Candidates think what you can do and what won't.

Lies and Resumes

2009-05-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the Episode of Friends (years ago) when Joey had to lie in his resume (saying that he had years of experience as a dancer, singer and actor) to get just an audition? Apparently, telling lies to get jobs has become a socially accepted trend that job seekers apply daily to score jobs.

A recent article in WSJ http://bit.ly/3HULmC entitled The New Résumé: Dumb and Dumber discusses that candidates resort to "hiding your qualifications" techniques encouraged by recruitment consultants and staffing agencies in order to get interviews and possibly a job. As the article argues, this is a commonly used approach of overqualified candidates who hide their PhDs and Masters while applying rather desperately for admin and temping jobs. Previous fancy job titles are often changed to moderate ones (manager becomes staff), board membership experienced is ditched and forget about partnerships, awards or achievements.

But isn't this a dishonest way to land a job? And what type of job will you get in any case? In my whole life, I have always believed that being honest about you, your studies and achievements on a personal and professional level, was the only way to get a job offer. Needless to say, previous experience used to be appreciated, so were MAs and PhDs.

It's no longer the case. The more dump you look on your resume, the more low level job offers you have. The more you lie, the more phone calls from headhunters you get. The bigger sell-out you are, the easier it becomes to be recruited.

In this crazy and dump world of recruiters, job seekers, bad economy, unemployment and no-signs of recovery era, being a liar is a good thing. It's justified by the media. It's requested from the experts. In other words, denying a part of yourself is a good thing for your own sake.

And insane.

If the world was a better place, would you lie? Would you so easily sell your hopes and your soul for a low level admin job instead of the perfect, cool, smart job you really deserve? Would you erase from your resume the years of meticulous study, the accomplishments you achieved, the languages that you speak, the fancy job titles that you had?

But the world is not a nice place for job seekers right now. Being a liar is a blessing to an average sized salary, a happy-medium individual.

Find her a job

2009-05-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

I am a great fan of the Not-have-a-resume concept (and that's why I started this blog). And I am SO happy when job hunters do not use resumes to get jobs so I have all the good reasons and intentions to publicize them. As the well-known by now, Beverly Shepard, a LinkedIn member who offers money to ANYONE who will help her get a job. Isn't that cool?

“I’ve paid strangers,” she said. “Why not pay my friends?”, she says. On March 15th, Shepard emailed her more than 200 connections on LinkedIn with the offer. The fee is based on a percentage of the salary for the job Beverly accepts. A $120,000 job pays 5 percent, or $6,000. An $80,000-a-year job pays 1 percent, or $800. She has placed several conditions on the offer. It applies only to full-time positions (40 hours with benefits) and she must actually accept and start work on the job. She’s willing to move anywhere in the U.S. and she’s open to a wide range of jobs in marketing, business development or public relations.

I think this inspirational story will find many followers. In today's tough and unusual economy conditions, job seekers will have to be very creative in their job search.

I am very glad indeed that the whole "apply for job with a resume" culture is dead.
Ditch your resumes. Then ditch your recruiters too. You don't need any of those. Be active in online networking sites, blog, use twitter and I am sure you will get a job offer sooner than later.

I am also sure that it will be a good one.

Does the economy make you fat?

2009-05-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

We worry about bad carbs, unhealthy fats and super-sized portions. Apparently, weight gain does not only come in a 1,000 plus calorie French fries plate. It visits you at your desk.

According to the latest CareerBuilder research conducted in February and March 2009, US workers expanded their waistline "as one-in-ten report increased snacking during the day due to concerns over the current economic situation" and 43% say they have gained weight in their current jobs. Most of them gained between 10 and 20 pounds!

So, does this economy make us fat? The "lucky ones" who have a day/office job, do snack more and therefore, gain some weight. I don't know about the remaining: the unemployed, the freelances, staff who telework, part-timers etc. Maybe they lost because they can't just afford food!

Recession days job descriptions

2009-04-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

Is it sad or pathetic? Just wondering....We went all of us a long way to study, get jobs, gain experience but now...what next? Do we have to give up all our dreams, our career desires and sell out completely?

Maybe. After reading the following well-written, well-spoted, funny ads, I no longer wonder. I am convinved. We are sell outs, big time.

WANTED

Do-it-all executive

Potential candidate should be qualified to:

type 500 words a minute
interview and train staff
prepare legal documents
interpret data
deliver mail
organize files
service computers
water plants
fix air-conditioners in the middle of August

WANTED: a job

Overqualified multitasker
Seeks any position
Anywhere
At any salary
Happy to get coffee, pick up kids
Foot massages negotiable

Not a chance to get a job with a resume

2009-03-06T08:42:00.000-08:00

I have always been against the "resume culture". I never believed that you can get a job with a resume only, not the easy way. Competition is fierce and HR managers, recruiters or anyone else who is involved in the selection process does not spend more than five seconds on each resume. Today's WSJ article entitled "Did you get my resume?" http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123627439846441871.html?mod=djemCJ, is a plane confirmation of my belief. "Recruiters say the percentage of online applications viewed by an actual human being ranges from 5% to 25%" quotes the article while the selection is done by software and automated screening. The ease of the online application attracts thousands of resumes to float on the web with "the largest retailers, for example, might receive more than a million a year".

But I also learned new tricks and techniques adopted by employers and recruiters. Did you know that "even if you've got a job, your boss could use the software to replace you with a clone who's willing to work for less?". Or that the selection process is very often outsourced in India or Philippines, done by someone who possibly does not speak good English?

Do you still think you can get a job online by applying with your resume? You may do but it's going to be hard. Candidates have to wait for days, if not months and the result is usually disappointing.

So, what do I suggest? In today's tough economic days, here is my list of suggestions:

1. Give up completely sending out resumes
2. If you can't do that because you are addicted, outsource your job hunting. Who wants to spend five hours a day on the web filling out boring applications for boring jobs?
3. Talk to the people you know. Ask them if their company is recruiting or if they know people/employers who do
4. Retrain for industries that are hot
5. Use your transferable skills to enter other, more steady sectors as health care, alternative energies, education
6. Do something completely different. Travel the world. Teach English abroad
7. Downsize and downshift. Maybe you won't need so much money to have a good living
8. Bottom line: given the circumstances, a job is never for life. Actually, today the odds are NOT on your side. So instead of wasting your time sending resumes, get out and have some fun.

Living in the moment (and your career)

2009-02-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

At a recent gathering in NYC, I was surrounded by much younger than me people. They all seemed to enjoy NYC at present, with their buzzing social life, their ambitious jobs and careers and the "living in the moment" attitude. But that was the problem, at least stated by one.

"I do like New York a lot but it's all about living in the moment. I don't want to wake up one day and be 35 and say what happened with my life?" said one Californian born female in her late 20s. Most of the gang agreed and all of a sudden the buzzing room lost its positive 20 something year old energy and became a place of food for thought and maybe, of premature sadness.

During my adult life and since I entered the wonderful world of work, I have always made career plans for the future, set goals, ticked post-it notes, daydreamed of unrealistic success, experienced depression when I failed and celebrated successes and accomplishments. I am certain now that for weeks or months, I avoided living in the present and was far more focused on the long-term future, a place that everything would be perfect in my career, with the possible 7-figure salary, a spot in the limelight and lots of free international travel (an experience some professionals do actually have). Unfortunately, living in the future is not a guarantee of success nor are strictly defined goals or aspirations. Fifteen years in the professional world, one thing I realized and one lesson I learned well:

That living in the present is the only way to master your craft, develop your skills and honor the person who deserves the best in the moment: YOU.

Don't allow the fast, NYC pace to trick you otherwise. Living in the moment is the best way to live. When things will change and you will no longer need the big city, you will relocate somewhere else. In the meantime, raise your glass of wine, here, in New York and enjoy. Your life, your career, yourself.

The perfect job in the world

2009-01-29T12:12:00.000-08:00

We are fed up with the gloom and doom of the US Economy. Who says that the USA is the only country in the world to get a job? You still have time to apply for the unique, dreamy and almost impossible to get job in Great Barrier Reef islands, Queensland, Australia.

See details on the website, 23 days left....
http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/about-the-job/how-to-apply

I have at least seven reasons to apply for this job and probably more reasons that I won't get it. I will only state my pros (the cons is for another day).

1. Because I am a summer girl and this island hasn't seen winter
2. Because I love the sea, the water and the dolphins
3. Because I need a break! (PS: I don't think the need for a break is the strongest argument to get a job - rather an argument to go on vacation but again, I am not interviewing yet (!!!)
4. Because I need to escape from the rude and aggressive New Yorkers. Having said that I don't think there will be too many people to talk to down under but eh, that's fine with me!
5. Because I haven't been to Australia before and this is a good chance to do so (another very week argument to get a job)
6. Because this application method fits very well with the DITCH YOUR RESUME approach and blog - no resumes people, just a VIDEO
7. Finally, because I really like to dream during the day

But who says again that we can't dream? Yes, we can (following a very popular motto....)

Good luck everybody, you never know, you may get it.

Outsourcing laying off

2009-01-21T11:22:00.000-08:00

Companies no longer outsource only creative projects to stressed but always available off site vendors, IT "stuff" because they don't like to have them developed on site or that boring proofing and editing project who someone will do for the mere amount of $30. According to a recent article on Advertising Age online, a Belgian company has recently outsourced its "laying off" process. Why? Because its management didn't have the guts to do it all alone so they decided that this dirty job should be someone else's. So Nice wanted to just fire one employee but asked the Internet to decide. They then posted the pictures and profiles of 8 employees and listed the "strong points" and "defects" of each, then sent an email out to 100 of their clients and ask them to vote!

According to the same publication, the e-mail has generated a huge amount of interest beyond its original client base. In five days, the site has had 30,000 unique visitors viewing 70,000 profiles and casting 17,500 votes. Co-founder M. Duffaut agreed that this email wasn't the result of self-promotion but "a scandalous and provocative way to get a reaction from our clients" recognizing that it has been a useful side-effect. Some of the clients who haven't paid their bills rushed to do so and new clients showed up all of a sudden.

We don't know who was the “lucky” employee to go. Maybe at the end, everybody will stay. A happy end to a not so funny story.

I personally think it's absurd to take advantage of known online viral marketing ideas to lay off staff gaining simultaneously clients and cash. But that’s the first sign of absurd and desperate measures during the Recession Days. I am sure they will be more.

Where the jobs are

2009-01-16T12:58:00.000-08:00

I am not surprised. The recent WSJ article points out that one of the work givers in today's blink economy is the unemployment office. So, another interesting "industry" for job seekers is welfare, local authorities and government. Helping unemployed to get jobs is a rewarding and challenging career if not calling, so send out your application. Location is New Jersey.

Read the whole article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123198145805783963.html?mod=djemCJ

The Sundance Creative Producing Initiative

2009-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

If you are a creative professional or a professional working for the creative industries, have a look at the The Sundance Creative Producing Initiative application form. The deadline is not very far in the future so take action today!

The Sundance Creative Producing Initiative is a year-long creative and strategic fellowship program for emerging American producers with their next project.

The program was conceived to develop and support the next generation of American independent producers. For over 27 years, Sundance Institute has offered in-depth year-round programs for feature screenwriters and directors. In an increasingly competitive and complex marketplace, the health and excellence of the independent film movement hinge on sophisticated creative and strategic producers with whom these directors and writers can collaborate.

Five producers will be selected for a one-year fellowship and participate in the following:

Creative Producing Lab
Producers Conference attendance - Independent Producers Conference
Sundance Film Festival attendance (screenings, networking opportunities)
$5,000 living stipend; $5,000 pre-production grant
Year-round mentorship from 2 industry advisors
Community building among producing fellows
Year-round support from Sundance staff

For more info and the application form, visit:

http://www.sundance.org/press_subgen.html?articleID=26&colorCode=green

What is going on in the job market this year?

2009-01-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

With titles like:

Yearly Job Loss Worst Since 1945

Young Women More Vulnerable During Layoffs

Doing the Math to Find Good Jobs

Job Test Spawns Culture of Cheating

Don't expect to land a new job in the USA at least very easily. This is what national newspapers say everyday and provide advice, ideas and strategies on how "to get it", "to survive the layoff" and other rather pessimistic words.

Is it really SO bad for job seekers? The truth is that things do not seem very bright in most of the industries. Banking and finance, real estate, retailing and even the favorite food industry announce losses daily and they do not plan to recruit any time soon. On the other hand, health care, specialized engineering, education and digital sectors do pretty well, so well that they claim unfilled openings due to "lack of talent".

Once again, we witness the craziness of the system. If you have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to become a doctor, you are pretty much secure for the rest of your life. But if you have a degree in Finance or expertise in real estate, you have no guarantees of career stability.

I don't judge anything, just state the facts.

So, those of you who are jobless think creatively about your future. Read articles (cautiously), search your industry and others, shadow friends and relatives from other sectors, do voluntary work and be open-minded. It's not a time for stubbornness.

Do you love what you do for a living?

2008-11-26T05:31:00.000-08:00

Love and work are two completely different concepts. The first refers to a strong feeling, the second to an everyday compulsory activity with a financial return (or otherwise a paycheck). Although I can't find any legitimate relationship between the two, I often have to ask or answer this very question "Do you love what you do for a living, do you love your job?"

Throughout the years, I changed jobs, countries and employers, worked on different projects and also embarked on my personal, creative adventures. I can confidently say that I loved some of the jobs/projects I worked on, moderately accepted others as satisfactory and completely opposed to a few. When I really enjoyed the jobs I now think I loved, this love didn't last for a long time. It was more of a passionate relationship with no future, very strong in the beginning but repetitive and monotonous after the first three months. What did it go wrong? Nothing I will tell you. I just lost my first, hot interest and the job that seemed so cool and fun turned into a daily routine, same day after day.

Today, with my nearly fifteen years in the wonderful world of work, I admit publicly that you can't love what you do every day, for life. It's impossible. The daily, compulsory element of a "job" makes it a mundane routine which inevitably will drag you, bore you and even make you yawn. Of course there are jobs that are far more glamorous and more well-paid compared to others and a few are lucky enough to get one. But even the most glamorous job is still a repetition, with the same routine and the same people. Therefore, instead of telling yourself that you should quit and get a new one, accept it a part of your life and make peace. While changing jobs can add some small bits of excitement, it won't last for a long time. A few months down the line, you will be bored again.

As far as the personal creative projects you are currently undertaking for yourself with no employers and no pay, those involve love but also a long-term attachment and commitment. There is no routine and no yelling but there is no money either, just a few paintings left under the bed or some poems saved in a very old, yellow folder. This is your "fun stuff", your personal witness of creativity which steadily follow you day after day but without being a great, frivolous passion. Let me say that I won't compare them to a passionate relationship with no future. I will compare them with a steady marriage which may occasionally test you but it will eventually give you more than you have ever expected. So stay put and don't give up.

20 job sectors for the turbulent times

2008-11-21T12:39:00.000-08:00

This article comes from the other side of the Atlantic, from London specifically. The article written by the SMP Solutions, a career consultancy, presents the top 20 careers that promise a bright future even in our turbulent, recession times.

I personally could guess that health care, education, government and food together with the "green" environmental sectors are here to stay because they are all the basics consumers need and can't live without. However, I learned that there are a few more that can add to the list of the current jobseekers. Pharmaceuticals, Debt management and collection, plumbing, interim management and the military with the odd profession of the funeral business! The writers/consultants don't forget to add at the end the option of the portfolio career, a career made of various jobs, projects and businesses (the equivalent in American English/context is the known "slush career").

And for those of you who haven't excluded a more "mainstream" job that of the accountant or specialist lawyer is still available!

The question is though how many of us will actually be prepared to completely change their plans and consequently their career prospects? Is it a matter of personal choice or more of a personal restrain?

It's your answer! Keep it simple.

For the full article click on http://www.londoncareers.net/features/smp/smp171108.htm

Do you want a job in the new Obama Administration?

2008-11-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

Do you really want to make Obama your boss? If you do, here is the article you should read http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122653748039422809.html?mod=djemCJ (from the Wall Street Journal). Make sure to send an application request as soon as possible because thousands of people are currently applying:

http://www.change.gov/

Being an American citizen is not a requirement but you need to be a Green Card holder otherwise.

Good luck in your job application! This time if you get it, you may write history!

Your career in the current, Recession markets

2008-10-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are officially in Recession. And given the circumstances, that means that the Stock Exchange market goes south daily, the housing market is far from recovering and thousands of people are loosing jobs. As a consequence, each working individual asks a series of questions not only about their job but also about the future of their career in general.

Browsing the press, I read articles with funky titles and but with very conservative content. While I am not naive and therefore, I don't expect mainstream media to revolutionize the world or the work environments, some of the articles can be used for idea-generation.

Starting from the online MSN career pages, a site that is mainly subcontracted to http://www.careerbuilder.com/, I found the article with the "The secret to find a job now". The writer, a high-profile executive within CareerBuilder, promotes the role of the very known to all, recruitment consultants, headhunters and staffing agencies. Wouldn't it be more flagrantly appalling for a senior executive of an online career and job hunting site to promote recruiters? I just wonder if this is objective writing in an area where people currently need sophisticated, concrete and solid advice, ideas and support. I don't buy his opinions because he is biased obviously by his position and he has all the good intentions to promote his own company really! I may say though that I am biased myself because I never liked recruitment consultants. Although I found jobs through them, I strongly believe that they are just sales people - they sell jobs and candidates, and in reality, they have no idea of what the jobs they are selling are all about. Are they doing a good job? Yes, as sales people.
Bottom line: headhunters and recruitment consultants are not career experts. NEVER rely on them about career advice. Just use them when you want to get a job.

Moving from mainstream online media to a a more "alternative way to job hunting", I made a stop at Karen Salmansohn's article "Recession-proof yourself" in the local AmNY on 10.20. Karen is far more down to the earth. She recommends to follow the current trends in the job market by subscribing to Craigslist job listing feeds. I agree with following the job trends by viewing regularly job ads on various websites and not only Craigslist. Craigslist is a good list to test ideas and possibly to find out about start-ups in various locations but being open-minded and checking all related to your industry and other industries job listings is a far more comprehensive approach. She also advices that we all have to stop "thinking ourselves as having a specific job". This is a valuable advice and suggestion. In today's shaky economic days, the permanent job does not really exist. So instead of being stuck to your job title, open your eyes and ears and see what else you could do by using your talents and transferable skills. Is it easy to transfer to a new industry or field? That depends on a series of factors. For some, it will be VERY easy but for others very difficult.
Bottom line: Be flexible. Stubbornness and arrogance are both elements of the past. They have no place in our times.

So, what else you can do to stay sane and with a job in your hand?

1. Assess your skills, talents and professional experience. Start looking into new markets, industries and also locations. A great number of laid-off employees are moving abroad leaving behind the corporate America with the failed banking system. If you are in banking, real estating and automobile, it will take you a while to get a new, good job offer so consider relocation.

2. Talk to the people you know who have jobs in industries you are flirting with. Pick up their brains, brainstorm, ask them to introduce you to influential people in their industry. Be pro-active. You never know what else may come on your way.

3. Find out which careers are expected to generate jobs in the short and long term basis. If you are looking for stability, those are the areas that you should move to slowly even if you don't have any expertise. A combination of retraining, using transferable skills and networking will get you there if this is where you want to go.

4. Consider freelance. Freelance work is not steady and can't lead, most of the times, to a massive promotion. But it offers flexibility, good money when there is plenty of work and diversified projects so you are never bored. This can be a stop-gap choice during the difficult economical days but also a long term choice for the ones who have the guts to live with no steady paycheck.

5. Start a blog on a area you are an expert. Although blogging won't make you rich, it can open many doors and bring a great amount of opportunities. But you have to write regularly and also promote it big time. A blog is an ongoing process for steady people who like expressing themselves in writing.

Most important of all is to stay optimistic by being down to earth. It's just a nasty economic cycle but recovery is just around the corner. I am sure that in a few months things will change to the better!

Employee loyalty is NOT fair

2008-10-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

I've just read the Business Week article entitled "How Top Talent Is Dealing with Tough Times on Wall Street". The article states the results of a recent study by the Center for Work Life Policy revealing "that trust and loyalty are at an all-time low". The number of employees who "feel loyal to their company has fallen 42% over the last year, while the number who trust their company is down 41%".

Is that unexpected or rather a logical result of the current financial situation? Me personally, I am not surprised. I would actually expect higher numbers in relation to trust and loyalty. When management does not do a good job, instead, makes a mess and thousands of lay-offs follow, there is no time to trust any employer. I always thought that the interview question starting as "how do you see this job/position, as a long-term goal, a company you would like to stay and grow or just as a stop-gap, a temporary job that fits you well for now?" EXCEPTIONALLY UNFAIR. The very moment employers ask for loyalty and trust, the same moment they may very well be preparing for a merger and acquisition which means selling-out and consequently laying-off. How and why do they expect loyalty when they are prepared to sell their company at any given moment?

Is it fair for an employee to be loyal when his/her employer is not?

I don't think so. In my opinion, employees shouldn't show ANY sign of loyalty. Their obligation is to deliver their job daily and to show kindness and fairness of a sufficient level to both their employer and colleagues. But this is enough. In our times, there is no place for trust, excessive work or long-term commitments.

Someone might argue that there are "nice employers" out there, who treat their staff well, pay them good money and help them grow professionally. I don't doubt it. They must be. I haven't found them recently myself but I am sure they must exist somewhere, in the world. If you work for one of those, by all means, stay and do an excellent job. But don't be fool. What it looks nice today, may turn out to be very dark tomorrow. So be cautious.

If employees get a better job after doing their detailed research, they should take it ASAP. It's not a betrayal. It's just an emotions-free decision. The same of a company restructuring made by their boss with plenty of lay-offs to follow.

Resumes and wind

2008-09-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

I recently had an "informational" interview with a nice gentleman. He called me on a Saturday evening to schedule an interview for Sunday at noon. He also asked me for a hard copy of my resume.

I went. To the interview at noon on a Sunday. I met him at the lobby of a classy Upper West Side building and within minutes of our contact, he decided that we should have the interview at the rooftop. The view was admittedly marvelous - looking at New Jersey from UWS is so fun! But it was breezy and so it was my resume which flew away with this September mild wind. He caught it in the air, put it down on the bench and then, for safety, put his blackberry on top.

Funny eh? I thought that a person's life worth professional experience deserves more than a piece of paper which will fly away with the first September wind, far and away at the rooftop of a New York building.

This is how resumes are treated today. Or have always been. Just a piece of paper with no real market value, no real proof of years of work experience. A boring, repetitive and conditional habit that everybody (employer, interviewer, recruiter, job seeker) spends too much time dealing with. Do you think that an individual's life work experience can be described, detailed and presented in a piece of paper? I don't think so...

So, I strongly believe and I will continuously repeat that YOU don't need it. Get rid of it. Stop preparing it, stop editing it, give up sending it.

As simply as that.

This blog will help you realize that getting a job or a career is far more complicated or far more simple than sending out a resume. This blog will showcase the latest job and market trends, employers and their expectations as well as job seekers with their aspirations.

Don't expect advice on resume writing and job interviewing. I am sure you can find plenty of those on hundreds of sites and blogs. I welcome you to read them if this is what you are looking for.

But keep an eye on this site for more fun and alternative ways of job hunting and job getting!

Enjoy the ride!