Back to Work - Part 3

As I mentioned in my last post, I received an email through LinkedIn that appeared promising. It was from the managing director of an insurance and financial services company who wished to bring me in for an interview. Not only was a thrilled that I had secured an interview, but it felt great to know they were seeking me out, not the other way around.

I’ve always felt that I am a horrible interviewee. I’m nervous and tend to ramble on. After that first interview, which was for a position as a sales person, I came away with some homework. Then I went back for a second interview, left with additional homework, and scheduled my third interview. Each time, I left wondering if I had said something that would mess things up. That wasn’t my largest issue, though.

The more I learned about this position, the more I had to convince myself it would be a good thing. Aren’t insurance salespeople considered one rung up from used car salespeople? And unlike cars, don’t you have to convince people that they need insurance? Each time my husband and I spoke about this opportunity, I have to admit we had more questions than answers. After about four interviews, I decided this just wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life.

Back to the drawing board. 

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Paul Rega is president of a retained executive search firm he founded in 1985. His provocative new book strikes a nerve with millions of displaced workers and goes well beyond the principles of job hunting. He introduces a revolutionary new concept in career management and personal development called Intuitive Personal Assessment (IPA). Paul takes his readers on a powerful journey as he tells a gripping story about his own career and the unique challenges he's faced as an executive recruiter.

The author shares his vast knowledge of career planning and the inner workings of the job search process, citing hundreds of proven and effective job search techniques. He explains how to market your background to a targeted audience, interviewing skills and techniques, network building strategies, how to utilize personal and business contacts, effective use of social media, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, insider tips on working with recruiters, salary and benefits negotiation, how to write a resume, cover and follow-up letters, how to start and succeed in your own business and much more.

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In the News - Interview Mistakes

It's rare I check MSN Careers for a daily chuckle, but while browsing through the news slides last Friday, I came across an article on interview mistakes. Since I feel I am so nervous when I interview that I don't put my best foot forward, I decided to check it out.

Some of these were standard: dressed inappropriately, talking negatively about current or former employers, or appearing uninformed about the company or role. The article also talked about how certain body language can send the wrong signals. But by far, the best--or at least the funniest--list was under the subheading, "Mistakes nobody should make." 

Apparently, some people interviewing for a job don't realize potential employers don't want you to act out a Star Trek role, take a phone call for an interview with a competitor, or pop out your dentures when discussing dental benefits.

You can find all the other things you might be tempted to do, but shouldn't at http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-3599-Interviewing-What-not-to-do-in-the-interview/

Free for All Friday Giveaway: This Is How Your Get Your Next Job by Andrea Kay

I was going to hold off on announcing a new giveaway this week. Honestly, my heart's been heavy since Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon. I had planned to share photos of our weekend trip to New York City, but I've been glued to the TV set watching the latest news unfold. I finally had to turn off the television and think of something else, even though I continue to pray for everyone impacted by the terrorist acts of these two men.

Job hunting has been very much on my mind this year. I ended up finding a job; had even accepted an offer. Then when it came right down to it, discovered the rate of pay would mean I would be losing money each week over the summer by sending my kids to camp or paying for childcare.

The reality appears to be that while cost of living has increased, pay rates haven't in the past 10 years. A depressing reality for someone who has been working in some capacity for the better part of 25 years and whose experience in several areas should command a higher rate of pay than when she was 20 years old.

So, I'm renewing the job search and hoping I find what I need.

This is How To Get Your Next Job by Andrea Kay was sent to me by AMACOM, publishers of business books. I've reviewed other titles by them, and when they contacted me about this one, I felt it would be helpful for me in my job search. I haven't dug into it yet, but I keep hearing about so many people out of work and looking for a new job, that I didn't want to wait until my review to offer this as a giveaway.

Looking through the Table of Contents, I see topics that capture my attention right away:

• 15 Things You Should Never Do
• 15 Things Your Should Never Talk About or Say
• 10 Things You Should Never Wear
• 15 Things You Should Never Do Once You Get a Job or in Your Career-Ever

This isn't all of them, but the reason they immediately caught my eye is because I wonder how many snafus I've made while looking for a job or in my career in general. My mouth is usually my worst enemy. And now that I've seen these topics, I want to read this book right away. 

Here are two endorsements:

"Every word out of Andrea Kay's mouth is gold! No matter who they are, or what their dreams may be, Andrea can find a way for people to navigate this crazy working world of ours."
--Ellen McGirt, Money magazine

"She is bubbly, fun and a good talker."
--CBS News



Andrea Kay helps people get excited about jumping out of bed and raring to go to work. For the past 20 years she has been creating and recreating Andrea Kay/The Art of Self Direction, a career consulting firm whose clients range from rocket scientists and cowboys who want to change careers to accountants and engineers who have trouble relating to people.

Andrea specializes in “Career Therapy.” She is incessantly curious and quickly gets to the heart of an issue, then creates strategies to help people get what they want. She does this for CEOs, millionaires, corporate warriors, writers, real estate moguls, entrepreneurs and people who take their careers seriously. She writes books and the syndicated newspaper column, “At Work” and gives speeches to Fortune 50 companies, professional associations, schools and at special events.

She has worked with people who ended up being CFOs of major companies, sales and marketing executives, artists and successful entrepreneurs and has helped CEOs, financial managers, Hollywood producers and teachers discover new, satisfying careers. She has developed a reputation as a workplace observer and outspoken supporter of taking personal responsibility for your career and is widely quoted and interviewed.

Her books

This Is How To Get Your Next Job: An Inside Look at What Employers Really Want
Work’s a Bitch and Then You Make It Work: 6 Steps to Go from Pissed off to Powerful
 Life’s a Bitch and then You Change Careers: 9 Steps to Get Out of Your Funk and On to Your Future
Interview Strategies That Will Get You the Job You Want
Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want
Greener Pastures: How To Find a Job In Another Place

Visit Andrea online at http://andreakay.com/ to learn more about her and her work.

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter the giveaway. Good luck!


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You've Got Mail Monday

The postman was working overtime to deliver mail to my house this week. Between catalogs and books, the poor guy must have broken his back.

Gardner's Supply Company, Burpee, and Ballard Designs all sent me their latest catalogs. I'm seriously thinking about what I can do for edging in between my raised beds this year. The grass grew all around them last year, making it a chore for the hubby to take care of. Maybe some Coco Fiber Edging will work. I still haven't ordered my seeds yet, either, so I better get started.

A plethora of books arrived last week. I'm doing my Snoopy dance over it, even if I won't get to read them right away. Tiger tales sent me many of their spring books to review at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. I ordered two used books from Amazon: Black Women in White America edited by Gerda Lerner and Born for Liberty: A History of Women in America by Sara M. Evans. A prolific writer, Lerner was a pioneer of women's history. She passed away at the age of 92 this January.

I'll be reviewing This is How To Get Your Next Job by Andrea Kay over at The Book Connection. The publisher accidentally sent me two copies of the book, so I'll be offering one as a giveaway here soon. Finally, Philip Rock's Greville Family Saga was re-released due to the popularity of Downton Abbey. I won this trilogy and can't wait to start reading it. I know it will be awhile, but I might try to squeeze the books in between my other books for review.

I think that's it for this peek into my mailbox. I hope you have a great week.

WSJ Wednesday - Interviews and Your Frame of Mind

As you know, I've been job hunting--unsuccessfully. Part of the problem is most people use online applications, which don't allow you to talk about your qualifications in any great detail. It also makes it unnecessary to visit the potential employer, so they don't see you. When I was a hiring manager, meeting a potential employee face-to-face when they came in to fill out an application allowed me to ascertain how passionate they were about working for our company. Now, like many other things, it's become an impersonal process.

In the Saturday/Sunday, February 16 - 17, 2013 edition of The Wall Street Journal, I came across the "Ask Ariely" column with Dan Ariely. A person was asking if the bad weather (rain) and/or a book he was reading that ran contrary to his political beliefs could have impacted his performance during a job interview.

Ariely's answer said the weather and the book may have impacted his mood, but if he had to lay odd bets the book had a larger impact. Ariely's suggestion: take a funny book to improve both mood and chances.

He could be right. Your body language could be saying much more about you than the discussion. What do you think? Will you perform better in an interview if you're in a good mood?

You've Got Mail Monday

After so much going on the last two weeks with the mail, I find myself waiting for items I've ordered to come in. I have a job interview coming up on the 22nd. I realized I don't have a lot of work clothes anymore, and I need new shoes desperately. I broke down and bought a few things for myself, plus two jackets from The North Face for the girls that they've wanted since last year.

Only two things appeared in my mailbox last week that are worth talking about. That cold climate cover crop mix, which I planted in the garden on Saturday, and a book I'm reviewing in January--at least I think it's January. Ask me once this writers conference is over. I'll have more of a brain then.

Union Hypocrisy: Organized Labors Double Standard in Business and Politics by R.M. Smith. The author is a former member of the Teamsters Union. Smith uses her history with the Teamsters to share personal information and history on the recent status of unions and their latest hypocrisy. Information includes how unions react when their own employees want union representation, unions that sell out their own employees, and the history of the ties between unions and the Democratic Party. A major focus of the book is how unions have transformed from a movement that fought for workers’ rights into an association that now puts other objectives in front of union workers. It also examines the relationship between organized labor and political parties.

That's it for now. Hope you have a great week.

WSJ Wednesdays - Middle-Aged Job Seekers Finding It Tough Out There

When I decided that I would begin looking for work, I had no idea how hard it would be. That's why this front page article from the Saturday/Sunday June 23 - 24, 2012 edition of The Wall Street Journal caught my eye.

"For Middle-Aged Job Seekers, A Long Road Back," by Ben Casselman, discusses the obstacles middle-aged Americans are facing in this tight job market. As Casselman points out, much of the focus has been on the jobless rate among young people. For those of us attempting to support our families or those stay-at-home parents looking to re-enter the workforce, the picture isn't very bright. According to the article, 3.5 million Americans between the ages of 45 and 64 were unemployed as of May, and 39% of those have been unemployed for a year or more. This rate is higher than among young workers.

Instead of building wealth, middle-aged workers are struggling to find full-time employment. Some have stopped looking. I know that I need to find an alternative to what I was doing. I know I have valuable skills to offer, but even when I secure an interview, I don't get the call backs. That seems to fall in line with what is happening around the country. Cassleman's article states a 59-year-old Bridgeport, Connecticut resident spent a year earning his certification as a computer technician, but that hasn't helped him secure employment. His unemployment benefits ran out last year. He has been able to secure some part-time or seasonal work, but nothing more substantial.

The article also touches upon the typical frustrating moments of job searching--unreturned phone calls, lost applications, and interviews that lead to nowhere (tell me about that one). It also talks about reasons middle-aged people struggle to find work: reluctance to change industries and larger financial commitments. They also tend to work in industries in decline and are less able to move to find work.

I'm spending today and tomorrow looking into local opportunities, but not sure of what success I'll have. I'm willing to switch industries, but hope to put the skills I already have to work.

Are you looking for work right now? Is the job market tough where you are? If you're unemployed, how long has it been? Also, what do you think it will take to get this economy going again?

You've Got Mail Mondays

I guess the mailman was aching for vacation last week, because he didn't deliver much here. We didn't receive any mail on Saturday. That rarely happens.

Catholic Family Fun by Sarah A. Reinhard arrived mid-week. I'll be reviewing this book in May and we'll have a giveaway here, so be on the lookout for that.

I also received a letter from our Board of Selectmen's office stating I did not get the position I applied for. Actually, despite my many years in an office environment, I never even received a request for an interview. This tight job market is killing my need to supplement the hubby's income. There were years when I would be deciding over multiple offers. Now, unless I want to sell insurance, my options are limited.

Entertainment® Fundraising™ sent me a flyer about a 2 FREE bonus offer they have extended. I contacted them a while ago about fundraising options for our church.

Our weekly local paper, The Wilbraham-Hampden Times, had articles on two local authors last week. Christine M. Moran wrote a book on adoption titled, The Legacies of Trees. Eight-year-old, Erik Beckel, is pictured with his book, The Lands. This is a fantasy adventure story of a boy and his two brothers who are vacationing in Spain. A small vent in the attic begins their magical journey to The Lands, where they meet the adorable Fuzzy and the helpful Marshmallow Eggs. I'm going to see if I can get copies of these books to review.

That's it for this week of You've Got Mail Mondays. Wishing you a week full of blessings.