45 minutes – 1 hours This presentation is designed as a quick overview of the entire job search process form beginning a new search to tips to keeping the jobs and your network contacts once a new job is secured. Great for job search groups, schools, etc. that have had some exposure to the process. It’s designed for presenter to give own personal tips and suggestions throughout… enhancing or supporting other learning that has taken place.
Mark Twain was of course being sarcastic… Think of old Tom Sawyer finding a way to put off the work or divvy it out to others rather than getting it done today.
This slide is in place of agenda. The job search “process” can be broken out into 8 steps. This is a guideline, not an order. The participant may return to certain steps several times and spend more time in others. What happens to many, though, is that they spend too much time on one (especially step 2) and neglect the time or effort in the others.
Work: Similar to busy time of year in accounting… not only closing the books on the month, but also the quarter and the year – Metaphor Family: Talk about stories… going to Grandma’s, shopping, parties, everything that makes you feel so personally busy this time of year
Closing the books on the year is a metaphor for job search at the end of the year… Using the time to clean up, prepare, celebrate accomplishments, and using the time to reconnect with networks
Job seekers – trend is that those that have been looking for a job or considering a career change oftentimes choose to put that “on hold” until after the 1 st of the year “when I’m not so busy” or to take a break for some personal time Employers – may take a bit longer to make hiring decisions because many of those in the company are taking personal time or budgets need to start fresh
Don’t wait! By starting now, you are giving yourself a competitive advantage over those 100s of others that are waiting until after the first of the year…. Remember, that last position that took you 3 months to obtain? Wait until January and you may not be working until March. Can you afford those extra 3 months?
Have you ever worried and worried about a task… fretting about how long it’ll take you to get it done… and when you finally start, it doesn’t take that much time at all? What’s most important is taking the first step towards your long term goal. Reminds me of the joke… how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
So you’ve decided to start now… I believe the year end is a great time to celebrate… and what a great way to start a new career search…
Now’s the time to take stock in what you’ve done… how are you better off today than on Jan 1, 2009? What have you accomplished? What have you learned? Take the time to reflect on the entire year and see what you’re most proud of? These are the things that we call “resume builders”… and so many of us forget to celebrate our own accomplishments. We just think they are part of what we do every day. And think specifics… did you reduce error rate over previous years? Did you earn a new certification such as your CPP or maybe it was a particular class you attended that help you excel better in your position…
Is it really time to find a new job or can your current job be molded into that dream? Some may find that its easier to jump ship and start anew, while others may find they have more say where they currently are employed… and really think about the reasons for the change.
Take time to really think about why you want a new jobs…
Talk about positive ways to affect change, such as going back to school, asking for more responsibility, talking one on one with your supervisor and HR about future growth. Talk about change as an evolution, not a revolution
This section spends a more time talking about finding a new job in the new year, however, many of the same principles apply when looking to advance within your own company… The basic steps are the same… searching out the perfect job, submitting resumes or applications for it, interviewing, networking, and following up until you’ve landed that ideal fit.
Update your resume or write a new one…. Look at job descriptions, etc.
Talk about the holidays and when others might be off of work is a great time to do research…. Research job types, research skills required, research companies… Find targeted companies or industries in which you might be involved… And all this research is going to help you with your interviews later…
some time now to compose sample cover letters and sample thank you letters. Later… when you’re in a time crunch, you’ll find you can easily borrow language from your own samples and customize for the situation a lot quicker than writing it from scratch
Talk about both the benefits of social media and the pitfalls. Also the way employers contact you is part of your digital footprint… what’s your email address? Listen to your own phone message as if you were a potential employer calling in.
Talk here about networking… how can you reach out and be a resource
This is a great time to network… many times people that haven’t been to networking events all year… and they will attend holiday parties for the association, at company functions you get to talk socially with those several rungs up the ladder and learn more about their goals
Talk how holiday networking may differ slightly… more social… light hearted
What time and resources are you going to put into your new job search? Set specific activity goals such as # of contacts per day, # of networking events each week, # of resumes sent