Job Hunting Tips

Job hunting in Portland has become increasingly more difficult as the Recession deepens. I have a B.A. and a M.S., and despite applying for over 50 jobs, I can't seem to get an interview. My situation is not uncommon. As I get out in the community in Portland, I keep meeting people who have recently been laid off and looking for a job. So far the unemployment rate in Oregon is hovering around 9%, and they predict it will reach double digits in the next few months. I have learned that at least one of the jobs I applied for received 100 applications in one day. Wow! I just keep plugging away and knowing in my heart that there is a job out there for me somewhere. I have also been very fortunate to have a wonderful boyfriend who has faith in me and knows that persistence will pay off. For those of you who are unemployed and looking for a job, I have a few suggestions that have helped me stay in a good mood and diligent in my job search:

1. Get out of the house. In the morning I get myself ready, straighten up the house, and leave by 8:45 with my boyfriend. He heads off to work, and I head to the local coffee shop where I search on the Internet for job openings. Finding employment is now my job.

2. Network. When I was quizzing a very wise friend of mine about what I should do to get a job she said, "Network, network, network." I have taken her advice to heart and have attended conferences/trainings, organization happy hours, and currently I am looking into volunteer opportunities. I have met some wonderful people with great suggestions.

3. Optimism. Be good to yourself, and keep your mind on the goal. There are enough people out there who will try to tear you down or say derogatory comments about your employment status without you doing it to yourself. We are in the middle of a financial crisis; your unemployment is temporary and doesn't say anything about your or your abilities.

4. Research. Find the websites that work for you and check them daily. Currently I check out the following:
www.indeed.com
www.craigslist.com
www.cnrg-portland.org
County office, university, and public school websites

5. Detail in Writing. Do not use a standard cover letter. Instead, write each letter individually to meet the job description that you are applying for. In
fact, tweak your resume each time to match your experience with the job description.

6. Dream Job? Now is not the time to go searching for your dream job. When the nation is facing a financial crisis of this magnitude the important thing is to just have a job.

7. Hobbies. I have found too often in life that a job has defined me as a person. Think about what happens when you meet a new person. One of your first questions is what do you do for a living. It's true. This time off of work has been a time of reflection and renewal for me. I have rediscovered some of my past hobbies, and I have picked up a few others. When I go back to work now I think I will be a better rounded individual with a healthy balance between my personal and professional life.

8. Organization. For me organization has meant having all my transcripts, reference letters, resumes, teaching certificates, and application information all in one place where I can easily attach them to any e-mail or job application.

9. Risk. At this point in the process, I am constantly considering how to take a risk and stand out from the others who applied for the position. Recently, I have been sending personal follow up letters via U.S. mail after I applied online. Many of the ads say they do not want phone calls, and I respect this request.

10. Questions. Everyday I think of questions that people would ask me in a job interview, and I consider how I would respond to those questions. I want to be ready when an interview does come my way.

Don't Panic; The Answer is 42.

It is easy to get unsettled listening to the news these days. It started out with Wall Street, then the auto maker's bailout package; AT&T layoffs; and just this morning I turned on the radio and heard that the Chicago Tribune, owner of the Chicago Cubs, is filing for bankruptcy. As my blood pressure started to rise and I got that butterfly feeling in my stomach, I was reminded of those sage words from that ancient book, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhLGA96fvMc . The truly wise teaching that transcends time and has a very profound affect on today's crisis is this, "Don't Panic."

My mother was born at the beginning of the depression when things were really starting to get tight. She was the youngest of five children, and her father was a Southern Arkansas sharecropper. One of her lessons to us was that no matter what happens with the economy and money, we can still make our way in life and we won't starve. She points to her parents and says that if they could feed five children during the Great Depression, then we can handle anything that comes our way. DON'T PANIC.

My father was also born during the Great Depression in the Western Kansas area that was hit so hard by the Dustbowl. In order to save the farm, Great Grandpa called back all of his kids and their spouses to live at home and work at any possible job to make ends meet and keep the farm. Several couples were living in that house and working at odd jobs to keep the farm going. Grandma told stories about seeing dust in the distance and driving hurriedly to town in the Model T to get the kids from school before the dust storm hit. After one of these storms there would be dust everywhere and you would have to shovel the sidewalks. The lesson of the story is that they did survive, and they did keep the farm that has been in the family for four generations. DON'T PANIC.

It is true that the economy is falling all around us and that things are going to change. There will be some truly bad things come out of this time of distress, but we may see some truly great things happen as well. For example, maybe America will as a whole pay more attention to preserving the environment and drive fuel efficient cars or take public transportation, maybe we will out of necessity begin recycling items and reusing them in creative ways, maybe families will become closer, and maybe we will finally see ourselves as part of the worldwide culture where our indulgence and excess has consequences on other parts of the world. DON'T PANIC.

Finally, be sure to remember that when things get tough all you have to do is tell yourself that the "answer to the Great Question, of Life, the Universe and Everything is Forty-two."
(Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy).