Jobless In Seattle

Interviewing advice and techniques

2011-01-08T09:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to JIS! There have been a few changes (read above) but for people using this page, much of it remains the same. Still offering advice you might find useful, and a forum to ask questions.

Today, I'm writing (and talking!) about interviewing. Don't forget to check out my new videoposts on these topics as well.

Regarding interviewing, there are a million different things you can think about, but I want to start with the very simplest ones. These things might seem very obvious, but I mention them because I see so many people who don't take care of the basics, so I feel I have to mention them.

Know the details of your interview- Do you know the address of the place you are interviewing? The correct floor? The person you are to meet? Where to park? The correct date? I know this seems obvious, but I have no-shows all the time who show up the following day. Do you think you'll get hired if you show up a day late?

Come prepared- Do you have several extra copies of your resume? If there are work samples you emailed or sent, if possible, bring some of those too. Have two or three questions specific for this employer and this job.

Are you ready to interview? To me, a person who comes into an interview or meeting all disheveled, untucked, fumbling through backpacks and with coats, this SCREAMS disorganized, and no one wants to hire a disorganized person. Have everything in order prior to walking in.

Are you really ready to interview? I am writing this because it needs to be said. Turn OFF your cell phone and put it away. Turn off your ipad and put it away. Take a deep breath and let it out. Smile. Dry your sweaty palms. And chill. Worst thing that can happen is you don't get the job. Either way, you got good practice.

Here we go- So they tell you to go right in. If you're being interviewed by one or ten, shake hands with at least the people near you, and smile (not like Miss America, but like you would if you were seeing a friend.) Look people in the eye. No one wants to work with people who seem unfriendly and who don't look them in the eye. Settle in, put away coats, get out your notes and questions, take a breath, and smile again! They are here to meet you.

Answer the questions asked- It is important to listen to the interviewer's questions, and answer them. In the natural course of interviewing, the direction things take often changes, and sometimes it is hard to remember where things started. But feel free to ask, "Does that answer your question?"

Know yourself- I think it is a natural instinct to want to show yourself as the answer to every problem your interviewer has ever had. But don't. Know what you're looking for in the job. Don't promise more than you can deliver, or that you'd want to deliver.

When you're finished answering a question, stop talking- Some people feel compelled to keep talking- about ANYTHING- to fill the quiet, as opposed to simply stop when they are finished. Once you've answered the question that was asked- and take your time doing that- stop talking.

Make eye contact with everyone- Group interviewing is complicated. There are often one or two people who lead the interview, and maybe 3 or 4 others who ask just a question or two. I remember a friend commenting on an interviewee, and her perception of him during the interview: She felt he didn't respect her, because he barely looked at her. You can ovoid this simply by making eye contact with everyone in the room, whether they are the ones asking questions or not.

Don't talk about what you can't do- This is a bad mistake, one that I have made myself. During an interview, interviewers are often trying to measure your skill set and experience in a particular area. They want to see what you know, and what you don't. Don't pretend to know stuff you don't (believe me- most interviewers can tell!) but don't offer up a list of things you don't know or can't do. For example, one time in an interview, I was asked if I had worked with databases. I answered that, while I had worked with Access and simple databases, I was by no means some expert, and proceeded to talk for a few minutes about all the things about database I didn't know. Apparently I had been doing that all interview long, because at the end of the interview, the interviewer told me, "Andy, you talked me out of hiring you today." Ow. Don't pull an Andy!

Ask your questions- Ask the questions you brought (if you didn't already get answers for them during the interview) and maybe one or two you thought of during the interview. It shows you were listening and participating, and interested in the job and process.

Follow up with thank you notes and interest!

That's about it for today! There might be more later, and I would love to hear your ideas on interviewing. Post your good ideas up here if you would- I love to get them. Good luck, and hang in there.

JIS is back!

2010-12-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

Not that most of you knew it was gone, but Jobless has been on hiatus for quite a while.

But recently, and even though I haven't done a thing on the blog, I have still received requests for help. And to me, it is nice to know that I can do SOMETHING to help someone, and to respond if nothing else. It is pretty isolating and scary to be out there on one's own- so because things are pretty good for me, I'm going to try to do more to help people who need help.

Some of you wrote in for help a while back, and I didn't get back to you. Hang in there- I still have your email, and I will try to respond as soon as I can.

So Merry Christmas, and expect more regular help on JIS in the new year. And remember: if you are out of work, maybe there is something I can do to help.

A Month of Numbers!

2010-05-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

Although Jobless in Seattle has been up for almost two years, last month I put up some analytics so I can tell who is hitting this page. It is fun to look at a few numbers.

I've reviewed 17 resumes this past month. And the offer still stands: ANY unemployed person can send me their resume, and I'll do what I can to help.

It's always nice to know that different people might find either the blog or the resume help useful, but it was really fun to see all the different PLACES where hits came from in the past month.

Here is a short list of places that have hit the blog. Hello to you all!

Drexel Hill, PA, United States
Seattle, WA, United States (OK lots from Seattle!)
Saint Louis, MO, United States
Lynnwood, WA, United States
Miami, FL, United States
Athens, GA, United States
Beverly Hills, CA, United States
Johannesburg, South Africa
Rockville, MD, United States
Federal Way, WA, United States
Brockton, MA, United States
Kirkland, WA, United States
Spokane, WA, United States
Gig Harbor, WA, United States
Sterling, VA, United States
Kirkland, WA, United States
Arlington, VA, United States
Tacoma, WA, United States
Thornhill, ON, Canada
Franklin, MA, United States
Ann Arbor, MI, United States
Fall City, WA, United States
Bhubaneswar, India
Beverly Hills, CA, United States

Finding a Way In

2010-05-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

Even in this economy, there are people who are immune. Maybe it has always been this way.

I know of two manager/director types who were let go from their respective positions in the last year or two. Members of their teams let me know that it had been a long time coming; the sagging economy just gave the company the excuse it needed. Both are described as nice people but ineffective, good with people but not necessarily managing them. Poor project management skills, tending toward reacting to crisis versus planning and driving a group.

Both were let go quietly, no doubt given nice severance, letters of recommendation, et cetera.

Within six months, both were reemployed in similar manager/director positions. These people were, for all intents and purposes, fired, not let go because of the economy. Sometimes companies need a scapegoat and a manager is often the perfect target, but it didn't sound like this was the case. Yet, as millions of others struggle to find openings, people who have proven unable to do something are hired to do the exact thing they failed at over others.

The only explanation I can come up with is connections. Networking.

They know people. How else would you explain it?

In the poll above, I talk about different obstacles we face in moving our careers forward. Education is certainly a real obstacle. For example, I work in higher education, and my bachelor's degree simply isn't enough to move my career forward. Virtually any job I would apply for requires a bachelor's degree, with a Master's preferred. Many have a Masters required, so I am going back for my Masters starting this summer.

But while a degree might be required for someone like myself to move forward, it certainly isn't a requirement for other people. I know of VP's, directors and others who have no advanced degree, but they have experience in PR, marketing or sales, which is where value is perceived, and money can be made.

So life isn't fair, and it is clearly who you know and where. So that leads to marketing events, the elevator speech, all that stuff. In a recent article by Randy Woods on his Hire Ground blog he lists networking events and opportunities.

What are your thoughts on these networking events? Are the for-pay ones worth your time and money? Are the free ones worth your time? Have you made useful connections at these events? Did you learn new things? Do you find these events valuable?

Are connections made at events like these, and if not there, where?

Like the managers I listed at the beginning, people in the club seem to stay in the club. Other people I know, hard-working, smart, up on the latest, networking like crazy, getting their MBA's, doing all the right things, and don't even get interviews.

How do we find the way in?

Getting going, even when you're not sure where

2010-04-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

This has been interesting! I've reviewed about a couple dozen or so resumes in the past few weeks, and welcome anyone who is unemployed to send me theirs. I'll do what I can to help as long as I don't get inundated. And I'm not yet, so bring it on!

One of the common things I'm seeing is probably a sign of the times. People have been working in a particular field, some for decades, and suddenly find themselves out of work. For some of these people, the time has come to find a new career.

It is one thing to get to a crossroads in one's career, and gulp and make a big change. I did that myself, and it while it took courage, it was really something I felt I had to do, and it was something I chose to do.

It is quite another when the entire financial landscape changes virtually overnight, and you lose not only your job, but your career, and half your retirement funds to boot. I was unemployed a good long time, so I know what that experience is like, but I have no clue what it is like to wake up and realize that it isn't just about finding the next place to work, but finding a whole new career.

I've been looking at quite a few resumes that show this disconnection. And I get it: What are you supposed to put down if not what you've been doing for the last decade?

And how do you build a resume for the next job when you have no idea what to do next, or where you're going.

I don't have any magic bullet here, but I do have a few simple suggestions.

First, check out this article, as it talks about what to do when not working. It's focus is continuing working when you aren't, but I would suggest a slightly different tact. If you find your career simply gone, and you really don't know what your next step is, find a volunteer opportunity.

First, volunteer work is a wonderful antidote to the powerlessness of unemployment. Not only do you get to do something, but you get to do something useful. I really do wish I had made that move while I was unemployed; it would have made things a lot easier.

But I would suggest you get specific and creative about where you volunteer, what it is you do. You can't find work in your career path anymore- you know this! What is it you do want to do- not so much for a living, but just for yourself? You have too much time on your hands right now. Go be part of the thing you want to do.

Like to hike? Be part of a group to clean up park trails and hikes. Like baseball? Volunteer for the local little league. Want to paint? Paint! but also volunteer to help others paint as well.

This resume help I am offering- is volunteer work. I got very specific about what I wanted to do. I wanted to work from home. I wanted to help the unemployed. I wanted to work when I wanted. I wanted to write about it. For me, this is a great volunteeer gig, and I really feel I help people. But what works for you?

Get specific- and demanding. This is your free time, after all. Maybe your next career will be found in the thing you feel passion about, and setting boundaries and being specific about what you want and don't want to do in the volunteer arena will help you specify areas of interest for you later. Maybe it won't work out. Maybe you will hate cleaning up trails, or helping others learn to paint. But maybe through this process, you'll figure a few things out.

The second aspect requires similar creativity and active energy. Most people struggling with career change feel that it was all a big waste, that all the years in career A will have no value in career B. What I'd suggest is you sit down and make a list of some of the things you do in broad terms, and see how many of them would be valuable in different career paths.

Usually, people get defeated or snarky when doing this. Lists look like "answer phones", "use email", "drink coffee" and so on. But list your projects and experiences. Did you manage projects? How many people? Over what periods? Budget size? Do you use certain softwares? Are you knowledgable about certain areas of law or systems? To start with, just start making a list of some of the things you have done professionally, and write them as if you were explaining it to someone from outside the industry.

What things on that list are universally valuable? What areas of your volunteer experience (or another area you might want to work) would these skills fit? How could you reframe your resume to target the career path you want? Maybe you don't have enough skills to get you the job, but I bet you have some.

I remember how hard unemployment was. How frustrating, isolating. If nothing else, both of these experiences will give you something to do, and provide a new direction to think about. Helping someone else can feel good, too, can be a way to connect. And neither will cost you anything but your time.

Writing a professional Resume? Look here...

2010-04-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

I received quite a few resumes from people looking for help- and I'm happy to! Keep 'em coming, and I'll do what I can.

One of the common thing of most of the resumes I received was they were from professionals- years of experience, college degrees. And while each resume was different, there were some common mistakes.

Because of this, I made a Professional resume template, and pasted it on the Jobless in Seattle site. Click this link, and scroll to the bottom and click on the attachment that reads "Professional Resume Template 2". You are able to view it on the screen, but I created it as a PDF, and added copious notes throughout, so I'd suggest you download it and read the notes to learn more.

Remember: this is not a science. No one agrees on everything in this stuff, not hiring managers, life coaches, advisors, and neither will you. These are just some suggestions, and I hope they help you figure out exactly what you want your resume to look like.

Your resume needs to speak to where you're going more than where you've been

2010-04-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

Now Main Street's whitewashed windows and vacant stores

Seems like there ain't nobody wants to come down here no more

They're closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks

Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they ain't coming back

to your hometown- Bruce Springsteen

People call it a downturn, a recession, even a depression. A place where the ground we walk somehow keeps going down, down, down. But a downturn implies an upturn, and while I think there will come a time when things will improve, like Bruce says, some of these jobs are going, and not coming back. Maybe some of yours.

My guess is that a recovery of some sort is coming, but it sure isn't here, and I see people all the time who come in, wondering what happened. They were making $75 an hour, and the few interviews they had were months ago, and for half their old salary. They're hoping I can find them something for, maybe, $40 an hour. I'm looking for something around $20 an hour, hoping for something great.

What I see much of the time from people, though, is the one-resume approach. This is my resume, damnit! This is what I have done.

I try to find a way to tell them: This is what isn't working.

People sometimes see resumes as a list of what they have done. They are often very invested in all the work they've done on their last job, or their body of work. This may seem to be obvious stuff, but I see resumes every day that show little thought, little plan, little direction forward. It is almost like people are saying: I've done good work; here it is. It is up to you, employer, to figure out how my obvious skills fit into your plan.

This doesn't work, even for people in careers where there are jobs. You've all heard the stories: At least 6 people currently out of work for every job opening. And probably 20 applicants (at least) for every job you apply for.

A job might be the solution to your problems, but you need to be the solution to a business' problem. You (and by you I mean your representation in the world, your resume) need to be the specific set of solutions to real problems and challenges faced by businesses. Employers these days have their own set of problems; you needs to answer them, or you won't even get an interview.

Your resume isn't so much a record of where you've been as a statement of where you're going, and why. This is why your resume needs to target the jobs specifics employers are looking for. And also why your resume has to be more targeted than ever.

I won't get into it in this post, but this is also why, if you are moving in a new career direction or two, you might need several resumes.

It's simple! Fire the unhappy people!

2010-03-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

Just read this interesting article by Jay Goltz article in the New York Times. He owns several businesses, and has his own secret to success.

Fire the unhappy people. Simple as that. Here is my letter back to him.

Jay, I am a guy in my late 40s (earning in the late 40's as well) writing you on my Saturday morning, because your story in the Times got to me.

First, there are parts about what you wrote that I have to agree with. There are absolutely people in the world whose whole persona is built around seeing the bad, about being critical, about creating unhappiness in their own lives and those around them. Run, don't walk from these people.

But there are people, often the best and the brightest, who have ideas. If these ideas differ from the bosses, they are interpreted like nasty criticisms, and these people are ignored or censured, or of course fired or leave because it is hard for them to be there. This doesn't happen overnight, and often these people might get frustrated, unhappy.

What I've witnessed is simple projection; the manager is unhappy with the employee for having an opinion, and projects their own unhappiness about the employee onto them. That employee must be unhappy. I've witnessed it first-hand.

I've learned a great deal in the past few years about what I require to be happy in an organization. I am a highly productive employee wherever I go, but one of the things I require is to be able to speak my mind, hold the sugar-coating. I am 48 years old, no idiot, and neither believe in nor have the patience for pretending a really bad idea is a good one. When I have ideas and present them, I also require a response.

This does not mean I am unhappy, though it is often interpreted this way. This ALSO does not mean I expect people to hear my opinion and change ANYTHING. But I need a response. If I suggest a new method to capture client data, I don't expect them to implement it. I DO expect them to say something: "I saw your idea, and Andy, we're not going to do that" is a perfectly acceptable response.

I work at a college, helping students find work. I had an idea to use some funds to help students find work that would help them long-term, in their career path. I nagged my boss (had to) and he got me in front of several execs. I sent each of them a clearly outlined document explaining what I was talking about, and hit the talking points in my 5 minute presentation. They explained to me the system as it was, (which I of course understood better than they did, because I worked in it every day, which prompted my suggestions for change). Also, I had outlined the current methods in my document which they clearly never read. They said thanks for my input, but they were going to keep things the same.

I said thanks for hearing my position, and while I understand your decision, I think you're making a mistake.

Silence. Apparently no one does that. I didn't say they were wrong or call them assholes or anything, just that I thought they were making a mistake. My opinion.

Months later, I was working with students in the cafeteria when one of those execs came in to get her lunch. I nodded, and she came over and said "You look unhappy."

Am I unhappy? Sometimes, to be honest. What a terrible burden it must be, with a scary economy, prolonged wars, health care crises, and every kind of career stress, to know that the boss might fire you if you even appear unhappy.

That day I wasn't, but that isn't important. That is how she perceives me. I am happy to work with students, which is my job.

In her book Bright-Sided, Barbara Ehrenreich writes about this phenomena of having to look on the bright side, to be positive always, that people who have criticisms or mention problems are viewed as "unhappy people", in Jay Goltz terms, and gotten rid of. So all the smiling happy positive people drove the economy full-speed ahead into the ground, because all critics and nay-sayers and voices of reason were squelched or eliminated. (OK, this is my half-baked review of what Ehrenreich was saying.)

Ultimately, this is about accountability. Mr. Goltz, you make the decisions, and succeed and fail on the results. Just like the rest of us. But you don't know how people feel. All you know is how you perceive them, which says more about you than them. I find it particularly at odds with reality that you would even think that you can make everyone happy, or should try. Apparently, if you somehow fail, or you perceive that you failed, that person has to go.

You seem to want to be honest about this stuff. Mr. Goltz, you're not firing people because they are unhappy; you're firing people because you are. And that's OK. You're the boss. You've come up with this little idea that gets you in the Times and makes you feel better. Maybe makes you happy. But you're firing people for the same reason most bosses fire people, because you can. The rest is just a self-aggrandizing rationalization.

Tom DeLay says the reason you are unemployed is because you want to be

2010-03-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

I was just lamenting the ineffective way the Dems have gone about getting things done- fingerpointing, disorganization, continuallly running for office instead of doing their jobs- but as usual, the Republicans can be relied upon to actually say what we all know they think.

Classic DeLay and Republicans. Totally out of touch, seeing the millions of unemployed as goldbricks. This is the same guy who got indicted while serving as Majority leader for violating campaign finance regulations- and later appeared on Dancing With The Stars.

It's apparently OK to steal from campaign funds, but to extend benefits to the unemployed just encourages their laziness. Wow.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100307/cm_huffpost/489050_201003071106

A Simple Explanation

2010-01-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

Although not a perfect indicator, if we use the Dow's high water mark for the last few years as an indicator, the Dow peaked at a bit over 14,000 in October of 2007. 17 months later, on March 2nd, 2009, it sat at 7200. The Dow had lost half of its value.

My own experience indicate the downturn started right around that time. I finished up a job in the end of 2007, and didn't work again until the end of 2008, struggling much of the year with the challenges of unemployment, and finding work in a shrinking market.

So depending on your marker, this downturn is entering its third year, or well into its second. While there have been indications of some recovery, and I have seen fits in starts in my work as an employment advisor, I certainly haven't seen anything that I would term a recovery. I remember times in the past when I was recruited hard, times when I tried to hire people and it was hard to find applicants for decent paying jobs. We are as far from that time as anything I can remember.

Culprits abound for who is to blame for this downturn. Greedy CEO's and Madoff-types with their pyramid schemes. Fannie Mae and other lenders. That evil, All-powerful Obama, a year away from winning the support of his party, much less the election, somehow cast his power across the economic landscape and left it barren. Commie bastard. Greedy banks with far-fetched financing schemes collapsing all around them, causing a domino affect throughout the economy. Individuals took on credit far outside where they should have from banks only too happy to lend it to them.

Whatev. I'd like to offer at least one more culprit: the management version of Dumb and Dumber.

Don't get me wrong- there were plenty of smart, selfish people making a fortune off the misery of others in this downturn. But my experience is that good ol' American managerial incompetence must have played at least as siginificant a role in this downturn as anything.

Just since 2000, I've been lied to by bosses about salary and contract offers three times. (I've had 5 jobs.) I've worked with managers who were so technically backward, they couldn't forward an email or handle the complicated concept that spreadsheets could have more than one sheet. I've worked with entire management teams where getting replies on emails regarding ANYTHING is actually shocking.

If all of this served the businesses, made money, that would be one thing, but it didn't. In one program, my role was to recruit low income students to try out certain college classes, hopefully improving students' career and scholastic opportunities. During recruiting, people who weren't low income said that they were interested, and wanted to attend classes. Instead of creating a method for paying for these classes, this school, funded by grants and your tax dollars, paid for students to attend these free classes who not only could easily afford it, were ready and willing to do so.

I remember talking to a colleague one time. Both of us compared notes on ideas we had, ideas that could help, improve the work we do. He had written a spreadsheet and a presentation, I put it into a Powerpoint and an email. We both agreed that the main thing we wanted wasn't implementation of our grand plans- that was much too much to ask. We were simply looking for a response.

Neither of us got one.

These are the people I know leading business. Not truly corrupt, just overworked and not that bright. Reactive. Insecure. Tunnel-visioned. And lacking basic- and I mean basic- computing, project management and business management skills.

Imagine a legion of businesses across this country, ignoring their best and brightest. Leaders in charge of business and technology decisions who are unable to attach a file. Leaders who lie to their staff, not out of malice but because they are so disorganized. Leaders who react versus respond. Scared, insecure, siloed, unprofessional.

This is the simple, obvious explanation. People who don't know what they are doing running the show. Boring old incompetence.

What do you think of my little theory, and please respond to the polls.

Upcoming soon: Part #2 on my series "Improving Your Chances."
Book Review of "I Hate People- Kick Loose from......and Get What You Want Out of Your Job!"

Improving Your Chances series- #1- "Attitude Isn't Everything, but...."

2010-01-09T13:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks for checking out Jobless again.

In the past on these JIS pages, I have written about my own unemployment experience. So I am changing direction some, because in the past year, I think I have seen a few things.

Since 2002, I have worked off and (mostly) on in some capacity in training and education advising, helping students move into better career or scholastic paths. Since my unemployment ended in the fall of 2008, I have worked as an employment advisor at a local college. In the past year alone, I have personally written over 250 resumes: for teenagers, people my age, people with practically no skills or experience, and for people with two decades of detailed and directed work experience. I also get around the city, connecting with employers, trying to make connections to get students employed.

I'm not saying I've seen it all this year, but I sure have seen a lot. But I will say I don't need Yahoo news to gauge the economic outlook; I see the reality of it every day.

In my work, the goal is usually to help students obtain a part-time job, so the challenges they face are certainly different than those seeking career path employment. But there are things they can do to improve their chances, and things some do that make their chances slim.

This is the first in what will probably be a series of posts on Improving Your Chances. These posts will be sporadic, but keep checking back, as I will be posting new ideas frequently.

Attitude isn't everything, but....- First, I want to address this myth that, if we come prepared, keep positive, interview well, network effectively, perfect our one-minute elevator speech, then everything will turn out fine. It isn't that this isn't a good list of things to try, but many sources and others take it too far. They seem to suggest that, if you do certain things, the dream job will magically occur, and if this doesn't happen to you, you must have done something wrong. In other words, it's your fault.

I'm here to say it isn't your fault. You can do everything right on your resume, and there is simply no way to know if it even got read, or whether the company had already decided to hire from within but had a legal obligation to post the job, or a thousand other reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with you, your resume, your interview, et cetera. Don't buy into the current mantra that your dream job is just something that springs forth out of a positive attitude, that if you can just get in the right frame of mind, this is all in your control, and that the choices you make will either get you the job, or won't. Unless you have some special powers and can control the thoughts and actions of others, all you can do is all you can do.

But don't go the victim route either. Get clear about this- your unemployment is your problem. You're the one who needs the job. I am shocked almost daily by how stubbornly people can cling to methods that aren't working for them. A person will come to me for resume advice, and I'll edit for content, clarity, organization, or even just style, or all of them sometimes. They will in turn want to argue with me about changes, saying this and that was why they had it that way.

I let them know it is their resume, and certainly no skin off my nose. Whatever works, I say. But I do ask them if the resume they are defending so staunchly was working, why would they be coming to me in the first place?

Another common response I get is the job search horror story, sort of a bizarre replacement for the 90-second elevator speech. It goes something like this:

"I got laid off in April, and I thought it was going to be a couple weeks, but it has stretched into 8 months. I've written and rewritten my resume. I've had 3 interviews, for jobs making about half what I used to make, and I could just tell they weren't going to hire me because they wanted to hire someone with less experience so they could pay them less. It has been really hard on me, my whole family really."

When a person is in my office telling me this, that is fine. I'm trying to help them get a job, not interviewing them, so they can feel free to vent. I get that this is hard; I went through it myself. I feel for them, and try to be empathetic.

But if your interview, either the 90-second one or the other kind, has even a whiff of this stuff in it, you're shooting yourself in the foot. Students tell me that they would never do that in an interview, but I talk with employers all the time who let me know that they do. And I know I did it myself a time or two.

This is an important lesson that is true in good times and bad: A prospective employer is not there to listen to your problems and make things better. You are there to listen to theirs and let them know why you are the solution.

Your resume is not just a record of what you've done; it is a crafted version of your experience put together in such a way to show you to be the right person for the job you're trying to land. And yes, that means that resumes that aren't at least written for specific job types (I'd say even some tweaks might be required for every single job you apply for) are going to get passed over. This is a time when employers have LOTS of quality applicants for every decent job, and if your're sending the same resume everywhere, you're in trouble. It is not the prospective employer's job to scour through your generic resume to divine why you might be the right person, or to listen to your woeful tale.

It is your job to write a resume that makes it impossible not to at least bring you in for an interview. And when you get that interview, you want to talk in specific ways about how you plan to make your employer's life easier, not how unemployment has made your life harder.

And no, I am not promising this will magically land you the job. It is just advice, and like all advice, trust yourself first and work with what makes sense. But if you find yourself doing the same things over and over, and it isn't working, then maybe it is time to consider another way.

Good luck, and let me know your thoughts and experiences on this issue.

Jobless is back- with a different take!

2010-01-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

After a nearly 10 month hiatus from writing this blog, I've decided to take it up again. I've been employed myself for over a year, but my job now is as an employment advisor at a local college. I work with students every day, helping them find work. Some are 18 years old and have never had a job. Some are in their late 40's like me, and their jobs, maybe their careers, disappeared.
In the past year, I have written over 250 resumes, lots of cover letters, performed job searches twice weekly, attended 20 or so job fairs, and visited hundreds of local employers looking for work for our students.
So in addition to having a pretty good idea what a jobless person is going through (I was out of work for almost a year prior to this job) I also have worked with a great deal of people going through this, and my regular work with employers gives me a pretty good idea of what the economy looks like on the ground.

My work is primarily with part-time jobs for students, from retail to restaurant to office and others, so that skews my perspective some, and it is always important not to draw big conclusions from narrow perspectives.
I originally wrote Jobless in Seattle as a sort of job search diary, sharing my own challenges and perspectives on the job search experience during this lengthy downturn in the economy. I still plan to write this from my own persective, certainly an opinion piece, but moving forward, I plan to change the perspective to what I see working as a career professional in this economy; the challenges I hear from my clients, the trends I see in businesses.

I'm hoping readers will continue to participate with their own experiences, challenges, and frustrations.

That's it for today- just wanted to let you know JIS is back, and unfortunately still relevant to a lot of people.
Note above the poll- please respond if you would, as I plan to use reponses to spur additional posts.

Thousands in line for a chance at a job

2009-02-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

(Photo by Mike Siegel/Seattle Times)

I attended the Job Fair today at Qwest Field. As Job Fairs go, it was quite an event. I got there a little early, and joined others in line just outside, waiting for the doors to open. Several hundred of us stood around in our business attire and valises, folders or whatever we used to carry resumes and pick up applications. It took 15 to 20 minutes to get in, which is not unusual for most Job Fairs.

I've added a lot of good articles and links in the
"interesting links" section. Make sure to check them out!

The room had around 30 employers, a rather small job fair as fairs go. Some of the employers included the U.S. Army, Home Depot (which, considering their layoff announcement just last week, I assume isn't hiring much) the U.S. Border Patrol, Lowe's, U.S. Bank, among others.
The place was pretty packed inside. Very well-dressed people waited patiently for their turn to speak to the different representatives from these companies, who handled people patiently and with good cheer. After speaking to several employers, I spoke with a few applicants standing to the side, asking them a few questions.

I spoke with a man named Jim Dewey, a man in his 60's I would guess, who was coming out of retirement to take care of some debt and due to a downturn in business. "Not going to cry Chicken Little until I do it from my shanty in Hooverville." He asked if I had seen the photos of Seattle recently shown from the Depression. He mentioned that the photos of Hooverville appeared to be pretty close to where Qwest field now sits. Seeing the job lines there today was an interesting connection.

I spoke with a woman named Linda Smith, laid off from Paccar in October after 3 years at the company, where she worked as an inventory analyst. She said she had had a few interviews- had an interview cancelled an hour before the interview because the company decided they were going to hold off on filling the position- but I could tell she was trying to keep a positive outlook. She mentioned that there were a few jobs that she knew had received several hundred applicants, and she felt that making the final group of five or so was a moral victory. Talk about seeing the glass half-full.

I met a man named Anthony, who was playing with his young son off to the side of the room. He told me he had been laid off in January after a year and a half at Target. He was there with his father, who was talking to one of the employers.

Anthony said that he had applied to a lot of jobs online, and had received a few responses, but no interviews yet.

"It's tough, but we're surviving," Anthony said, picking up Anthony, Jr. He said unemployment checks helped a lot. "As long I can put food on his plate," looking at his son, "we'll be all right."

After speaking with Anthony, I decided to leave. I headed out into the hallway, where I got into another line, this time for the elevators, which would carry us in batches of 10 or so out. Quickly this line started getting impatient, and finally the Qwest field staff opened a few gates, and let us out.

On the way out, I spoke with another man who had been working construction for his brother before work ran out in December. He used to work at a bank, and was looking for something in that field again. He had had a few interviews- even an offer- but it paid less than unemployment, so he was hoping to find something better.

(Photo from the Seattle Times archives)

As we came out onto the ramp, we looked down at the line of applicants snaking up to Qwest field, and back around the stadium.

"See the lines? There are thousands of people out there in line. I think this is a depression, not a recession, it just doesn't feel like it because we have social services in place."

I didn't know what to say, and I still don't. I work in this business of getting jobs for people after almost a year spent trying to get a job for myself. I want to believe that it is a matter of persistence, or improved skills, or being hopeful or finding your niche.

But with the news lately, the daily drum of layoffs and stimulus packages, Obama using words like catastrophe when speaking of the future, it seems polyannish and silly to talk like everything will suddenly work itself out.

Hope doesn't mean denial. I still have hope, plenty of it, but I can't ignore what I'm seeing with my own eyes.

How are you doing with all of this?

CNN and EXPERT advice

2009-02-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, I was working out in the gym, watching CNN on the TV in front of the elliptical trainer I was using. The CNN program "Your $$$$$", with co-hosts Christine Roman and Ali Veshi, was on. Close-captioning was on, so I was able to read the transcript as I did my workout. On the show was Robin Bond, an employment attorney.

As they spoke, their ridiculous suggestions and ideas appeared rapid-fire in close caption, and I suddenly realized that my elliptical trainer was about to become airborne if I didn’t slow down. Here is the ACTUAL, unedited transcript from the show, with only my snarky comments added. Enjoy!!

VELSHI: Our unemployment rate according to the government stands at 7.2 percent, almost 5 million Americans are claiming unemployment benefits right now and almost 11 million are unemployed in total and that's a week away from the next unemployment report -- Christine?

ROMANS: All layoffs are not created equal. All these things are up for grabs if you know how to get the best deal when you get laid off. ..

ROBIN BOND, EMPLOYMENT ATTORNEY: Thank you, Christine. I'm glad to be here.

ROMANS: You know it's tough, you lose your job it is tough, but there are some important things right away. There is money on the table quite literally and you need to know how to get it to use it as you go forward with the next step.

BOND: Great. Exactly right. I say to people this particular job may be over, but your career is not and you are going go on to the next phase of your life. Our whole objective here is helping you get there with the greatest bridge in this transition.

The first thing you want to do is find out how is this employer going to characterize your discharge because that's critically important to enabling you to move forward successfully with another employer.

ROMANS: Completely without fault. You want to make sure that the terminology there is that you have left the company completely without fault and this is so you can get unemployment benefits, right?

BOND: Exactly. You have to be fired due to no fault of your own in order to qualify for unemployment and that could keep some income coming in for a minimum of six months and almost up over a year now with the new federal additional pay.

BRUCIA: And they are implying that this is somehow negotiable? If you are being laid off due to slowness in business, and your employer is trying to say you are being fired for cause, I guess you have a case, but other than that, what are they saying?

Your Boss: Um, you were stealing from the company, and we’re going to have to let you go.

You: Sure, we could go in that direction. But let me throw out this option. Instead, you lay me off without fault, and everybody’s happy. OK?

ROMANS: In some situations you can negotiate with your employer to actually stay on payroll. It's a great idea. If you know the economy is tough and it might be hard to get a job, ask them to keep you on for a few more weeks and you can keep the benefits and wait longer until your severance kicks in and you have a phone number, too, when you're trying to get a new job.

BOND: That's exactly right. By staying on payroll, you're delaying the inevitable while you're able to tell employers I'm still gainfully employed and plus stay in benefits and keep going. You have to show the employer there's something in it for him to keep you on. For example, hey, the project I'm working on I have the potential to sell our software to a company where there's maybe a $1 million sale. That will affect the bottom line of the company very positively. If you keep me on I can really help the company.

BRUCIA: Now this is a GREAT idea! Why didn’t 10 million of us think of it before!

Your Boss: Sorry, but because of the lack of sales, we’re going to have to let you go.

You: Wow. That is tough, and I understand. But instead, let me once again run an idea up the flag pole. How about you keep me on a while? The economy is tough right now and it might be hard to get a job.
That way, I can keep my benefits and stuff, tell other companies, primarily your competition, that I am still employed, look for work while I continue to pretend to work here. Instead of laying me off now, I’d be happy to agree to a layoff in, say, a couple of years, when the economy picks up, and there are lots of good jobs out there. Sound good?

Do you really think that your company would be laying your off now, if they thought that keeping you on 3 months would make them a lot of money? Or that, even if it were true, that you could convince them that you could do this? Seriously?

ROMANS: OK. Ask for more severance pay. This is key. Can they possibly just give you more? I know you're giving me six weeks, I'd like nine weeks, please?

BOND: The answer is yes, but it's how you ask that makes a difference. Severance pay is not a right. This is something that an employer gives you because they want something in return. For example, they want your silence and they want you not to speak negatively of the company. They want you not to sue the company and perhaps they want you not to compete. There are three main areas of leverage here I ask clients to look for.

First of all, did you suffer a legal wrong which makes it worth more money for you to go away quietly? We'll think about this and strategize the right way to ask and the right way is not to threaten, but to ask. Secondly, was there a promise made to you implied, written, verbal, something where they said hey, leave that other job and come to work for us and we'll give you a year to get the program up and running and they are letting you go after six months.

BRUCIA: First, I’m curious what percentage of people get ANY severance at all. And most of us want or need the job we are leaving as a reference to the next. How exactly do you nicely threaten the company you are leaving? I’d love to be a fly on the wall.

Boss: We’re going to miss you around here. Sorry we couldn’t do more for you.

You: And I loved working here, I really did, and hope I can use you as a reference. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I want to say really great things about this company, but can’t really afford to, if you know what I mean.

Boss: I guess I don’t know what you mean.

You: Sure you do, wink wink, nudge nudge. I’m sure we can come to a price where you’ll hear nothing but good thngs back from people speaking to me. Or absolutely nothing if you prefer. Not a word if you want. I’ll put it in the vault. This is negotiable.

Boss: I think we're done here.

You: I know I signed a non-compete clause, but times are tough, you know? And I was promised my own office like three times instead of being stuck out in cubicle hell, and that never happened. That has to be worth a few thow, right?

Basically, the advice from Bond is to attempt to extort money from your employer.

As an employment advisor, I’d get your letter of reference signed first. As an employment advisor AND as a person who has actually endured unemployment lately, is a few weeks more pay really worth it getting around that you attempted to extort your previous employer?

This is a truly pathetic thing to suggest. Stand up for your rights, by all means- file a lawsuit if you've been mistreated- but that should have nothing to do with severance.

Bonds suggests there are three reasons an employer offers severance pay. Bond says, "they want your silence and they want you not to speak negatively of the company. They want you not to sue the company and perhaps they want you not to compete." That's it. It couldn't be because that you earned respect over time, or that they want to do the right thing by you because you had done right by them.

She seems to suggest that you drum up some wrong or hurt perpetrated upon you by the company, but not to seek a lawyer or report it to the better business bureau or the business itself. No, according to Bond, you should use this as leverage in a severance case.

I'm certain Bond is right that this is how it works. I'm certain some some businesses are sleazy. But that doesn't make it OK for me to do, and not because it is bad for my career, or because it might screw up my reference. It is wrong because it makes me sleazy, too, and if the world is any indication, I'm sure there is a price which I can become a sleaze, too. But as of right now, it is a helluva lot higher than a couple weeks severance. But I am flexible, and will consider all offers.

BOND: Wait, one more thing. Is there a family hardship? They can respond favorably to that.

You: Oh, yeah, my little boy is sick. You never knew I had a little boy? Huh, don’t know how I forgot to mention Tiny Tim. He limps. One little crutch. Sunny disposition for one so small….and so sick (cry a little).

ROMANS: All right. Robin Bond, so much great information and you have great tips ... Robin Bond, thank you very much.

The only other serious points I want to make is how uninformed the alleged "experts" are. There were 2 journalists and an employment lawyer on the show. No career coach, employment advisor like myself (or anyone else), no individuals who were currently unemployed.

This is a serious issue; it can't be left to pretend-experts to solve on television. Someone out there might think these people really are experts, and might listen to them, and that would be a shame. Robin Bond was correct in stating, "this particular job may be over, but your career is not and you are going go on to the next phase of your life."

If you have been mistreated, and feel you might have a legal action to pursue regarding your dismissal or employment, consult an attorney. If you have gripes and unfairnesses and hurt feelings like the rest of us, do your best to get a good reference, and move on. Do NOT attempt to extort money from your previous employer. It will end up hurting you in the long run.

Hope Meets Action- Responses and Other Notes

2009-02-01T00:55:00.000-08:00

While the number of responses to my last post were low, I’ve had a fair number of people respond to me directly. Also, friends, family and co-workers have mentioned the article, or just mentioned the news, which are so full of this crisis it is almost hard to get away from.

I work at a local art college. My job is to help students get jobs while attending school. Every day is full of students looking to find work, some for extra cash for school, some for enough money to keep from dropping out.

One of the questions my boss asked at our weekly meeting was what are we doing to take care of ourselves and our students in the face of all of this bad news, this daily onslaught of layoffs.

My role is easier than it is for some other advisors. For the most part, I am helping students find any job, not necessarily career related, usually part-time, often low wages.

But it isn’t like this is crisis is affecting only those people who have a family member who has lost a job. People talk to me about how the slowdown might affect next year’s business, that their job is OK, but their spouse might be on the bubble. I know of at least two friends who are facing the pain of having to lay one or more people off in the next few weeks. It is never easy to lay people off, but to do so in this environment is even harder. It’s not like jobs are easy to find in any field right now.

Another friend told me that “Three of my friends from work were added to the list of the unemployed this week. It’s becoming a very scary time.”

Another reader offered this noted: Thank you for your efforts to increase understanding about joblessness. Being me, I naturally have some reading suggestions. Both are older books. Studs Terkel wrote a book that I believe is entitled "Working." It was written in the late sixties or the seventies. For the other suggestion, I don't have a title, but the writer is Karen Horney, the psychiatrist. If my memory is not too faulty, I believe that she was Freud's student and practiced classical Freudian psychology, but broke with Freud's method while practicing here in the thirties or forties because she believed that, for American men, joblessness had a greater effect on mental health than sexuality had.

Unemployment certainly had an effect on my mental health, and in a way, it still does. Even though I am no longer unemployed, I am still feeling the financial hangover of being unemployed most of last year. I did my taxes today, and my after-tax income was a bit under $20,000 last year, and that was working two and a half months. (Earnings from unemployment are income, and are taxed as well).

The financial hole unemployment created is being filled, but it will take a while. The company hiring freeze that went into effect only weeks after my start date places me on the first-to-go list if layoffs are required, right? Or is that just fear talking?

Last week, I walked through the malls, letting them know I had students looking for work. I talked with lots of people working there, store owners, managers, and the feeling of fear is palpable. Stores are having Going Out of Business sales as others put out sales items. Most say they’ve had to cut hours for most staff. The mall has few people walking through, hardly anyone buying.

I want to say and do things to allay my fears, and the fears of my students, but there is nothing to say or do that will convince anyone that all this is suddenly going to go away. The best I have heard is that we are being bombarded with this story, that it isn’t as bad as it is being told.

Sure felt real enough to me when I was unemployed. If you are one of the people it is happening to, it is the big story.

But what do you think? Is the media making a bigger deal about 7% unemployment tha it really is? Post your vote on my blogspot poll, and if you want, post a comment on how you voted and why.

Suddenly Jobless at Microsoft?

2009-01-29T15:36:00.000-08:00

Today, I am combining PI reader blog forces with another blogger, Priyanka Joshi , to help her get the word out about a piece she is writing concerning Microsoft workers, and the recent layoffs.

This is an interesting story, because while many were laid off here in Seattle and across the U.S., there were no layoffs in India. If you do (or did) work in IT, Priyanka wants you to get in touch. Here is what Priyanka has to say.

Hello, I am working on a story on Microsoft's recent layoffs. I'm looking to meet IT professionals in the Seattle area preferably by the end of next week. My criteria is quite open. I'm looking for local, employed or unemployed IT professionals, with or without a Microsoft connection. They should be US citizens and Green Card holders. My story is on:
Microsoft laid off 872 workers locally last week, 1,400 in all, while not laying off any workers in India. This is a painful time to be an unemployed American IT professional in the Seattle area. Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley has demanded a reply from Microsoft on the incongruity over its incessant demands from the Congress for more foreign IT professionals for its "rapidly expanding" operations through the years, and then first laying off people in America.
Does Globalization allow us to protect American jobs first? I want to see what American IT professionals are saying about this and other questions. Pls email: quantumjourno@gmail.com with your full contact info, full name, time when you can meet, and "MSFT America" in the subject line. I will be conducting interviews in Seattle:

Background information:
Sen Grassley's letter to Microsoft:
News report from India on No Layoffs at MSFT India:

As always, feel free to post your thoughts and ideas here, but also get back to Priyanka. This is an important issue with I'm sure passionate ideas from all sides. I'd love to hear what people have to say as well.

Hope Meets Action- Tell the President Your Story

2009-01-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

The elections are over, the inauguration has ended. We have finished drying the tears of joy and disbelief from our eyes, and as the President has asked, we have begun the hard work of repairing this economy.

I am a firm believer the at least some of the answers will come from the people who this problem is hitting hardest: the unemployed. This week's blog is about your stories.

I have submitted Jobless in Seattle to the Office of Public Liaison on the main White House page. I have asked them to please check the blog, to learn from what readers write.

I can only hope that they, and you, will respond, that this little blog will act as a conduit between the people who are enduring these difficult times and the people with whom we have placed our faith and hope.

Hope meets action- What's the worst thing that could happen- nothing? Tell your story.

For friends: Please forward this to anyone who is unemployed, and ask them to share their story here.

For employers: Share your take on this, what you're seeing and hearing, how it is from your perspective.

For the unemployed: How did you get here? Tell a little about your experience trying to find a job in these times.

For the employed: How is this downturn affecting your business, mood and direction of your business?

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

As the "Year In Review" news shows dub 2008 as the worst financial year since the 30's- some "experts" say ever- I am a little shocked at the almost daily assault of bad news hitting the Northwest already in 2009.

After less than a foot of snow paralyzed Seattle over the Christmas holiday (and believe me, as a transplanted mid-westerner, I get how ridiculous that sounds) then came the rain, and the floods. I know Seattleites bitch about the weather when it isn't really anything, but have you seen these pics? Washington State flooding. Homes, lives, livielihoods, roads, all under water, after a year when it was all people could do to hang on by their fingernails.

So far this year, many institutions as old as Seattle itself are set to fall this year. On January 10th, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper, original home to this blog, announced its plans to seek a new owner, but rumor is it will probably close in the next 60 days after publishing for over 140 years in Seattle. On January 8th, my alma mater Western Washington University announced that the Viking football program would end after 93 years, in a move to save 15 other sports programs at the school. On January 9th, Boeing announced it will lay off 4500 workers. Microsoft is rumored to be laying off 15,000. National unemployment is up to 7.2%, and rising.

This year, I had MLK day off from work. I guess last year, I did too, only it, like 30 or so other Mondays last year, was unpaid. I went to meet my friend Paul, development director for the University District Food Bank, near his work. Food banks remain open most holidays. As I slipped across the icy Safeway parking lot, and looked up 50th toward the food bank, I saw eight or ten people on the sidewalk, waiting for the food bank to open. They stood in the bright sunlight, because even in the sun it was cold.

I've written a lot about the situation of unemployment, and heard a lot back from people. About fear, rejection, and other staples of the unemployment experience. But in some responses, I've heard beliefs imbued in comments. That people working minimum wage jobs are somehow people different than you and me. That people are paid what they provide in value. That unemployed people somehow asked for this. That the unemployed are the irresponsible, difficult, less intelligent, less team-oriented, less reliable.

Tomorrow is inauguration day, and it will be a momentous day in American history at a crucial moment in our history. I couldn't be happier that we, as a nation, are changing our path in such a bold way, choosing President Obama. Inaugurations, by definition, mark the beginning of a new venture. But today is Dr. King's day. His work and belief in the power of non-violent change made this new venture possible.

There are approximately 150 million Americans in the current workforce, and over 7% currently unemployed. That is around 10 million people unemployed right now, more than the margin of victory in Obama's victory. Like the people waiting outside the food bank, millions of Americans wait this holiday, out in the cold.

Madoff and other business leaders have stolen or bungled their way into this crisis that has captured us all. Congress and leaders decided the best path out of this was to lend a trillion dollars to the same group of businessmen and women who got us into this, and required very little accountability, certainly less than you and I would answer to for a car loan. And does anyone think for a minute that the money we gave to business this fall was a loan?

Panels on news shows discussing unemployment never even include an unemployed person, as if the people who are still employed have a better idea than you or I do what is going on, why it happened, what to do about it, how to move forward from here. It is especially infuriating when they surmise what it is like to go through it.

One thing I've learned from writing this blog is, unless you are here, unemployed during this unprecedented time, you probably can't really understand.

The answer will come from each of us, and these answers might be as unique as each of us. But these answers don't have to include swallowing any line of crap that requires you believe that you are unreliable, or not bright enough, or not a team player, or don't provide value, or somehow didn't go as far as you could or do enough. Or that you are worth less because you earn less.

We are the experts here. The unemployed are unfortunately one of the fast-growing segments of the American population, and still vote and spend. Let tomorrow be the inaugural day we stop listening to TV experts, business executives and congressmen and start believing in ourselves, our own lifetime of experiences in and out of the workplace, and our own beliefs in what is right, fair and true.