Got work?

Unemployment is up

  The unemployment rate in Minnesota jumped up to 7.6% in January.  That is as high as the national average.  We usually do a bit better than the rest of the country.  According to the Strib and others we lost 75,000 jobs last year and 20,700 in January.  That make sense because companies seem to lay people off at the end of the year.

The situation is bringing back some memories for me.  When I graduated from college the unemployment rate was right around 9%.  When I found a job the building I worked in burned to the ground and I was laid off. I collected unemployment for a few weeks but in those days we stood in lines for our checks and the line was very long. I was pregnant with our son at the time and couldn't stand in line for hours and no one wanted to hire me. I  found a job through a temporary agency. They were always hiring. The job was OK and paid just enough.

Being Self Employed isn't easy either

Being a Realtor right now isn't easy either.  No one can lay me off but my profession is self eliminating and only the strong survive.  My husband works in the automotive industry. We have both been through worse so for us today's economy just is and we will both do what ever it takes.  Being self employed means that I look for work every day. People who do not like to look for work should not consider self employment or being a Realtor as a career. 

The Interview Process

When I had a traditional job part of my job was interviewing and hiring people. We had a web site and we advertised our job opening through web sites. I remember one opening we had there were over 200 resumes.  First the web site kind of scrubbed the weaker resumes out for us, then one of our recruiters picked through them some more.  By the time they got to me I would screen out a few more.  The finalists were interviewed, and the finalists of that interview were interviewed by me.  I got the final approval on all hires.  The vast majority of the applicants never got to talk to me.They got screened out of the system long before they had an opportunity for an interview.

That is a heck of a hard way to get a job, and I can tell you as someone who looks for work every day it isn't the best way to find a job.  Human resource departments set up web sites and huge systems and the resume is used to screen out applicants.   Finding work still comes down to personal connections.  One of the most effective ways to find work is to tell everyone you know that you are looking for work.

It is who you know

I find some of my business through neighbors and friends and past clients.  The rest of it comes from people I meet through this blog. I also meet people through Flickr, Facebook, meetup and twitter.   I  use linkedin and through it I am in the process of helping a couple of people meet the people they need to know so they can find work.

I never though I would be writing job hunting advice again but today I am.  In 1996 I created and hosted a local web site that had resources just for people who were looking for work.  I created it while I was between jobs.  If you have been laid off start using some of the social networking I sites I mentioned above to reconnect with friends and family and to meet people who might know people who know people . . . etc. The sites are all free, invest an hour a day in them. Don't forget about re-connecting with past employers and co-workers.

If I were unemployed I would start a blog. (blogger is free and so is WordPress.com)The bio or about page would have a link to my resume.  I would try to show perspective employers who I am and what I can do. That is the very same thing I do with this blog. People can read, and lurk and decide if they think I might be able to help them buy or sell property.  Some just come by to look at the photos and that is OK too.   I have met some interesting people that way and I always enjoy talking to others who share my passion for photography.  Sometimes even a hobby can lead to a job. Leave no stone unturned.