Day 43 - There are Jobs Out There

The people who think there are no jobs out there probably AREN'T reading my blog...it's unfortunate; however, this blog is for you.

THERE ARE JOBS OUT THERE

I know of multiple efforts being pursued that WILL end up in employment. It might be next week or next month. Many of the jobs may not be posted on any job board. So you ask, "How do I know about them if they aren't posted anywhere?" --- NETWORK. I can't say this enough. Everyone knows someoene and that someone knows someone else. Some of you might be thinking...I am not of the generation that "gets" the whole social networking trend...then you will understand this >> Remember the Faberge' shampoo commercials that went something like this, "I love the Faberge' shampoo...so I told two friends...and so on...and so on...and so on." Same thing!! Only now, you have technology which allows us to tell (at the same time) 200 friends and they tell their 200 friends and so on, and so on, and you get the picture?

Jump on the social networking bandwagon. I am currently reading a lot about social media and networking and the general thought is that INACTION is worse than bad action. This means it's better to have a presence that sucks, rather than no presence at all. No presence not only says you are not aware of current trends and technology, but that you are not willing to try. We are now in competition with a much younger, more technically savvy group. You don't necessarily need to keep up (it changes so fast, no one is keeping up), but you need to be participating. It doesn't take a lot. If my mom can have her own FB page, so can you.


HOW DO YOU FIND THE JOBS THAT DON'T EXIST?

There are a number of ways to go about this. I will share with you some tactics I use...

1. You contact your network and let them know THAT you are looking and WHAT you are looking for. Be persistent, be specific. You might be addressing a crowd that has no idea what CAD Techs or Civil engineers do. Ask them to talk to their HR Directors, Managers, etc. Sometimes a company doesn't know they NEED something until someone tells them they do or reminds them of what they don't have. This is the position that exists, but they don't know it.
2. If you are not afraid to talk to people yourself, START TALKING. Tell people what you do. When I say tell them what you do, be broad. Don't limit your skills to those of a CAD Tech, Land Planner, Engineer, etc. - we all have WAY more skills than we use in our every day job. This may just be the opportunity to start a new career...don't be scared...new is good!!
3. I was IMing (Instant Messaging) with a friend last night about what she does...her title is a Land Planner and she is worried she might need to start looking for employment. Her company has been laying off staff in substantial chunks...she is already preparing to look for another job (I admire that in someone...foresight...). I asked her what planners do and she informed me of quite a few options. Planners are excellent writers, communicators, and know a lot about regulations and policy forming. Suggestions - ULI, Sonoran Institute...Think out of the box.
4. If you find a job that you want to apply for, use LinkedIn (first) and Facebook (second) to see if you know anyone at the company. If you do, have them talk to someone (HR, Director) to let them know you are interested in the position. If you don't, use the list to find the name of someone to whom to address your cover letter.
5. Create the perfect job for yourself and then go out and sell it (on a contract basis to see if it's going to fly). If there is something you want to do and think that there is a need for it in the business world...GO FOR IT!! Offer these services to anyone you talk to. Eventually, if your idea is clearly communicated and there is a need, someone will bite.

Good luck and keep your chin up.