I'm a little late getting this post out here. I had a super busy day yesterday but that's what I'm going to talk about today.
As part of my "package" from work, I was given the opportunity to meet with a placement counselor. The counselor would assist me in my job search, revamp my resume, and train me on interviewing. Since I had been working for the same company for many years and only interviewed with two people that I had previously worked for, I knew I needed to jump on this opportunity. Plus the job market in this area isn't the best...we've had some big hits lately. The best part - the counselor works with me until I find a job whether that be 2 weeks, 4 months, or 3 years!
To start the process off, I had to fill out a 30 page document about my work history, references, schooling and general questions. I also provided them with a copy of my resume.
The second meeting was all about me! Sounds good, huh? Not for me, I don't like to be the "star". However, it wasn't that hard. I had to list 15 sparkling words, write a summary about myself, list job titles I would like to hold, and then describe my ideal job.
Yesterday we met again. This was an information packed day. I started off writing down everyone I knew. My thought - "Hello, how long are we going to be here today?" I just asked for a few more sheets of paper and got to work. After that I had to tell, who I have let know that I was looking for a job and companies I have contacted. My thought again - "Hello, how long are we going to be here today?" I tell everyone! I really believe in networking - from the guy at the coffee shop to the nurse at the pediatrician to the soccer moms that were at away games. (There was a good article in Business Week a few weeks back that mentioned not yelling at the referee that's at your child's game - you never know where he might come in during your job search, he could be the one interviewing you.) I found out that hidden jobs make up for 80% of the job market. Networking helps to find these jobs. Then it was time for the mock interview. The first question stumped me - "Tell me about yourself." I almost replied, "Well, tell me what you want to know." But I got through it and finished the interview. I found that the exercise we did the week before were the answers to each question she asked except for those about the company and why I left. We went through do's and don'ts as well as the "better" answers to the questions. It will make my next interview a lot easier (yes, I am determined to get an interview). Before leaving, I did get to glance at my "new" resume. WOW - it looked nice! It sure made my old one look bad.
Now they will send out my resume and cover letter on my behalf. The only ads they will not answer are those that need to be emailed versus mailed. They will send me an email and all I will have to do is send it from my email. Pretty simple...hopefully finding a job will be that simple! =)
Sorry for the long post...I wanted to get an updated out here.
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