Milwaukee Jobing Community Blogs

Job Hunting During the Holidays – Is It Worth It?

By Amy Hansmann & Heather Nilsen

Employment & Training Specialists

Job Service – Dept. of Workforce Development

The holiday season traditionally is filled with joy and laughter, good will toward everyone and all that other junk, but maybe this season you feel more “Humbug!” than “Happy Holidays!,” because you’re still looking for a job.

But it’s the holiday season, no one is hiring now, right? Not necessarily. Here are some good reasons to continue your job search this month:

Reduced competition – If “everyone” knows that no one hires during the holidays, that frees up a lot of room for your resume, doesn’t it? Hiring managers may not have the tidal wave of applications to sort through, upping odds that yours will be seen.

New year, new budget – Some companies’ operating budgets kick in on January 1, 2010 and they have positions to interview for now that weren’t available in 2009.

Volunteer opportunities – Volunteering is an excellent way to build your network, gain or hone job skills and get a self-esteem boost by helping those who aren’t as fortunate as you are (job or no job, there are always blessings to count).

Holiday parties – Another networking opportunity. But be careful not to let the holiday punch loosen your tongue into a rant about your unemployment. Awkward! Practice answering the “What do you do for a living?” question with a positive spin. “I’m looking for my next opportunity, but right now I’m really enjoying (spending time with my family, working on the house, going to school, basket weaving, breaking the Guinness World Record for growing the largest rutabaga, etc.)”

While everyone else is bargain hunting, you’ll be job hunting to the front of the pack. And that new job you’ll have will be a lot more satisfying than another fruitcake.

P. S.

This holiday season, don’t forget to say thank you. To store clerks, to family members, to Job Center staff (shameless plug), to friends, mentors, your postal carrier, the garbage collectors, neighbors, your kids’ teachers, the person who held the door for you. Be aware and show your appreciation for the things that others do. Gratitude is infectious (even if you’re constantly slathering your hands in Purell) and as the saying goes, “what goes around, comes around.”

Visit http://www.wisconsinjobcenter.org/directory/ or call 1-888-258-9966 to find the Job Center nearest you. 

• Create a Holiday Plan - Set specific goals for what you would like to accomplish. How many resumes do you want to send out per week? How many networking events will you attend? How many hours are you going to dedicate to online research? Having a plan will help keep you motivated and moving in the right direction.
• Take Advantage of Holiday Events - There seems to be no shortage of holiday parties and events this time of year, which means more opportunities for you to expand you professional network. Keep in mind that holiday events are much more casual than regular networking events, so a more casual approach will yield better results.

• Reach out to Your Network - The holiday season is a great time to reach out to you professional network. Sending a short note thanking your contacts for thinking of you when opportunities arise, is a good way to stay top of mind and send a little holiday cheer!
• Review, Refresh, Recharge - Don't forget to celebrate! You have worked hard this year, take the time to review all of your accomplishments. The end of the year is the perfect time to update your resume to include any skills or training you have gained. Explore new resumes styles and templates or work on a new 30 second pitch. Refreshing you job search materials will help keep you engaged and motivated.

Your Assessment Specialist   www.perc-ent.com  414-322-2001

How are you using your network?

a.  People I know from my old job know I am looking - but I haven't talked to people outside of my current professional circle.
b.  I sent out a blanket email to everyone on my email list - but nobody responded.
c.  I am not sure where to start.  People know I am looking, but I don't know how to get the help I need from them.

When: Monday December 7 2009

Time: 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Location: Cuvee

181 N Broadway

Milwaukee , WI 53202

Map: http://tinyurl.com/yb6lb82

 About This Event:

On Monday, December 7th, MKELive and its strategic partners are inviting Milwaukee area business professionals and METRO-Milwaukee Education and Training Organization to celebrate the season and establish new business relationships that can lead to a profitable 2010 at Cuvee, one of Milwaukee’s trendiest and most-engaging holiday venues.

Located in Milwaukee ’s trendy Third Ward, Cuvee is definitely worth finding. It offers more than one hundred varieties of champagne and sparkling wine – the most comprehensive selection of champagne and sparkling wine in the state!

“This holiday event will be a little more relaxed for MKELive, a way to say thank you for a great 2009 and best wishes for 2010,” said Katie Felten, president MKE Live. “We work hard to plan networking events that are in venues unique to the Milwaukee area. Cuvee certainly fits this description. It’s a great setting for a holiday party. For people that have never been there, I’m sure they’ll never forget it.”

The event will include live music from the “Keith Sarnow Trio,” a visit from Santa, a relaxed holiday networking environment and more.

The event will also serve as a Toys For Tots drop off location. Attendees that bring a new toy to the MKELive holiday gala will be entered into a special drawing for tickets to sporting events and more.

“Our goal is to surround the evening’s tree with 300 toys for needy children,” said Felten.

The MKELive Holiday Gala will be held on Monday, December 7th from 5:30-8:30 at Cuvee in Milwaukee ’s Historic Third Ward (located at 181 N. Broadway, Third Floor).

The cost is $10.00. Please pre-register at www.mkelive.com.

For more information on MKE Live’s LinkedIn training and networking services, visit www.mkelive.com  or call Katie Felten at (262) 227-0772.

Bob Roman
President,
Milwaukee Education and Training Organization

http://www.linkedin.com/in/romanbob
http://twitter.com/BobRoman
http://www.facebook.com/pctrainerbob
http://twitter.com/metrotraining

Website: www.metrotraininggroup.com

Speedway SuperAmerica Chicagoland / Milwaukee Division was honored by being named Employer of Distinction by United Cerebral Palsy of Southeastern Wisconsin (UCP)! The award was received as a result of working together with UCP to help people with disabilities secure and maintain competitive employment in Milwaukee's southeast side. Through job coaching, job accommodations and some extra time and attention, SSA has been able to hire eight people from UCP as Food Stewards in the Milwaukee area. In addition, five other people have taken part in work experiences and job shadowing that has provided UCP with assessment data to help determine what type of job the person is best suited for moving forward.

While accepting the award, Chris Kardys, Advanced Human Resources Representative explained to the audience, “Shortly after hiring our first UCP candidate, we quickly realized that an additional connection with our customer was being made. Our store managers

started to receive unsolicited compliments for providing these individuals with the opportunity to work… To say the least, we knew that we were on to something special and from that point forward we have been fully engaged in expanding our relationship.”

SSA operates 44 stores throughout the Milwaukee area and its surrounding suburbs of Racine and Kenosha so there are many more opportunities to partner with UCP. Congratulations to the Chicagoland / Milwaukee Division on receiving this honor and on truly executing on “Living Our Values.” As Trish Wimer, Employment Specialist, so

aptly put it, “At all levels of the organization, Speedway has been approachable, receptive and committed to working with UCP to advance the employment of individuals with disabilities.”

United Cerebral Palsy of Southeastern Wisconsin was founded in 1954 and provides programs and services for individuals and families living in several counties throughout Southeastern Wisconsin who are impacted by cerebral palsy and other disabilities such as autism, epilepsy, and cognitive disabilities.

That’s especially apparent in the subset of social recruiting we call networking.  Social or professional networking online now clearly falls into two general categories of activity.  They are probably best described as content and contact networking.  Both can help you access high caliber passive prospects for your organization, but each is performed differently. 

Content Networking 

Content networking occurs in the discussion forums on job board and association Web-sites, in blogs on corporate sites and in Google’s newsgroups.  These destinations attract visitors who share a common career field or occupational interest and like to communicate and commiserate with each other about it.  The interaction is social—a community of sorts does form—but it’s primarily based on the topic being discussed. 

In most but not all cases, the members of these communities are passive prospects.  They are not looking for a job.  More often than not, however, they are interested in advancing their careers.  Indeed, that’s why they are engaged by the content.  They want to be smarter in their career field and better able to put their occupational interests to work.  Said another way, they are top talent. 

The only way to connect with these prospects effectively is by practicing the Golden Rule of Networking.  That axiom is simple yet inviolate—you have to give in order to get.  In other words, if you want the participants in these discussions to consider your openings, you have to first contribute to their content. 

How can you do that?  By being the expert you are.  You know more about what employers are looking for in their field than they do.  You have a much better understanding of how to interact with a group they consider exotic and hard to understand: recruiters.  And, you have a more realistic sense of what employers will pay for certain kinds of expertise and different levels of experience. 

So, don’t pretend to be someone you are.  Be yourself.  Then, when a participant’s contributions to the discussion single them out as a gem of a prospect, you can reach out to them privately and they’ll know who you are.  You will have established the familiarity and trust necessary to move even the most passive of prospects into a more active frame of mind. 

Contact Networking 

Contact networking occurs on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn, Ryze, Yorz and Ziggs.  These sites enable people to build out their connections in the workplace and thereby enhance their stature in their profession, craft or trade and/or make themselves “findable” by recruiters.  While the groups within LinkedIn and similar sites do facilitate content networking, most of those who join these sites do not participate in them.  They are simply interested in creating passive links that may prove helpful to them right now or at some point in the future. 

The majority of those who sign on to professional networking sites would normally be passive prospects.  In today’s economy, however, it’s likely that a significant percentage are, in fact, active job seekers.  As in the real world, they are forging connections with others in the hopes of bumping into or being referred to a recruiter with an opening appropriate for them. 

Networking in such a population, therefore, is basically an exercise in doing old-fashioned cold calling by email or InMail.  Just as executive search consultants have done for years, it involves moving through concentric circles of contacts to uncover candidates for an open position.  With the exception of the first circle—your own direct connections—the contacts are not personally known to you.  They are, instead, leads that may either identify a genuine prospect or provide yet another lead to someone else who could be. 

The key to successful contact networking, therefore, is two-fold.  First, as with cold calling, the activity is basically a numbers game.  You have to keep pouring a lot of contacts into the top of the funnel in order to reach even a small number of legitimate prospects at the bottom.  Second, you have to know how to message with clarity and impact.  Long and windy communications are unlikely to be read so active job seekers are more likely to apply when they shouldn’t and passive prospects are unlikely to read them at all.  In effect, you have to find just the right balance between speed and engagement. 

While we are still developing the best practices for both content and contact networking, these tools already represent some of the more mature applications of social recruiting.  They are not, however, a substitute for the array of other sourcing methods we employ to identify top talent.  They enable us to tap the power and promise of the social Web, but they incur a cost—the time commitment of the recruiter—that must be carefully managed within the context of your overall recruiting strategy. 

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit my blog at Weddles.com/WorkStrong 

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit, a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System. 

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

You may be a member of a number of networks; each with a different reach and definition. The common denominator will probably be that they each revolve around you and your current agenda. A hypothetical example of such a network: you lose your job, and you rush (improvise!) your way through establishing a useful network of individuals; previous employers, ex-colleagues and other possible allies whom you hope will help you find new employment.

Once that mission is accomplished, the network loses its relevance. Your participation is motivated by immediate personal needs and your level of engagement determined by how urgent those needs are.

A professional network is only interesting and valuable if the members actually do have similar agendas and challenges. Identifying a group of like-minded peers outside your organization on top of your already hectic working life is all but impossible!

Consider joining moderated network run by a professional third party. If you join the right one, you could have access to a wealth of relevant resources and experience that can save you time and steer you clear of pitfalls: it is cheaper to share knowledge than to buy it! Select your network carefully and ensure the candidates are “thoroughly vetted”. Be prepared to invest some time and experience in the venture; you will find that the rewards of the investment will be many; both in terms of own career advancement, but also by knowing that your experience and expertise have helped peers along with their specific projects or overall careers.

Milwaukee has a wealth of professional organizations to fit your specific intent that are worth discovering!

Fuel Milwaukee http://www.fuelmilwaukee.org/

Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee http://www.fuelmilwaukee.org/

Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionalshttp:// www. tmulyp.org/

A simple Google search in your area will net you a multitude of organizations designed to support local professionals! Search today!

1. The CNA training IS APPROVED by the WI Dept of Health Services a Division of Quality Assurance...call 608-261-8319 to verify.

2. The CNA training offers a 120 hour training program including 32 hours of clinicals...so that means 40 hours of training for three weeks, so be ready for the full time commitment!

3. YOU match the qualifications of being a CNA such as; positive attitude, caring spirit, patient, honest/trustworthy, reliable, tolerant of different cultures/ethnicity's, able to problem solve, emotionally stable to handle emergency situations, able to detect and tolerate of body/environmental odors, can read and comprehend in English on an 8th grade level or above.

4. YOU are willing to work different shifts, some weekends/holidays and are reliable...because you want to use your certification to get a job in healthcare and caregivers work round the clock.

5. YOU understand your wage will start out around $10/hour...but know...there are JOBS available.

Medical Assets Academy is a NEW WI Approved Trainer offering a three week DAY program in our NEW Pewaukee building! Our next class starts NOVEMBER 30th...So sign up SOON!

We also offer a evening/weekend class and will be offering a Winterim day class for nursing students December 28-January 15.

If you have any other questions or would like to sign up for our next training call me at 414.256-.3680 or email lindaj@medicalassetsofwi.com.

If his cynical view of the world were an anomaly, I’d write it off as a sign of the times. The problem is, I’m hearing versions of his comments everywhere I go these days. People are willing to sacrifice but there is a limit to how long they can make that stretch.

Some recent surveys point to a larger trend. For example, Watson Wyatt found employee engagement to be down 9%. But among high performing professionals, that disengagement dropped to 25%. It doesn’t bode well for companies hoping to hold on to their top talent when the veil lifts.

According to surveys released a few weeks ago, by Monster and Human Capital Institute, cynicism is on the rise:

Do you think managers are accountable to their direct report associates as to where they are on a day-to-day basis?

Answer:

It sounds as if your manager goes AWOL and you’re not happy about it. The answer to your question depends, in part, on:

• How much the manager’s employees need him/her for guidance, questions and decisions.
• What is going on in the unit, or in the company.

If your manager is absent for days at a time, and no one knows where he or she is, that could be an issue. Part of a manager’s job is to provide direction, help and coordination to his unit. If employees have no idea where he is, and worse, he isn’t available to them via mobile phone, that is a problem.

Not only is it a problem for his direct reports, who are left hanging, it is bad for morale. Employee groups, who have an absentee boss, tend to resent the absence and grow bitter. I often see negative employees become vocal about a missing manager and begin to take matters into their own hands. In the worst cases, they can bully and intimidate others who don’t join the ranks of the negative, disenfranchised informal leader.

Senior management won’t be happy, either. If his boss can’t get in touch with him, it doesn’t look good. If it happens twice, it won’t be pretty.

With that said, I want to make a point about the role of the manager and why he or she may be away from the unit on a regular basis. One of the most significant changes that occurs when you are promoted to a manager role is how you use your time and your schedule. The focus shifts from downward on the work at hand, to a 360-degree view of not only their department, but other departments, and upward to senior management and outside to the customer. Suddenly, it seems their day is filled with meetings. It can be a big challenge—at least at first-- for a new manager, because it seems his calendar is no longer under his own control and his work is harder to measure.

At the very least, however, I believe a manager owes it to his primary constituents.—his own employees—to let them know where he is. If the manager is smart, he or she will also let the team know what he or she is doing. If the manager doesn’t let them know, it breeds suspicion about what the manager is up to…and it’s usually no good.

If the manager must be away for periods of time, it becomes more crucial to meet with the team on a regular basis, and hold one-on-one meetings with each direct report, to provide the kind of face time that is needed. If this doesn’t happen, the manager isn’t adding any value to the group. If these meetings are frequently canceled it will also breed contempt, because employees will feel disrespected, in addition to feeling abandoned.

In many companies, where managers are separated geographically from their employees, this can be accomplished by phone meetings, or video conferencing. However, there is no substitute for good old fashioned face-to-face contact. There is no better way to build trust, motivation and engagement. 

Joan Lloyd is an executive coach, management consultant, facilitator and professional trainer.  Email your question to Joan at info@joanlloyd.com.  Visit www.JoanLloyd.com to search an archive of more than 1300 of Joan’s articles.  (800) 348-1944 © Joan Lloyd & Associates, Inc.

Would you like to bridge the commitment gap with your employees?   We provide management consulting, executive coaching and customized, skills-based training for managers and supervisors, that changes behavior, creates a healthy culture and builds a customer-focused team.  Call us today at (800) 348-1944.

Does your team need a tune-up? We will conduct a detailed assessment and get to the bottom of the problem.  We will provide you with detailed recommendations and work with you, and your team, to implement needed changes.  We work with all levels within your organization, team or department.  We have an excellent track record of success with teams in a variety of industries.  Call us today for information at (800) 348-1944.

Good managers know that employee satisfaction is essential to healthy teamwork, initiative and productivity.  Joan Lloyd’s booklet, 86 Creative Ideas for Having More Fun & Less Stress at Work, is packed with ideas for building employee satisfaction and work/life balance while reducing stress in your workplace.  Guaranteed to give you fresh ideas any company can implement in categories such as: Fun with a Purpose, Building a Family Atmosphere & a Sense of Community, Having Fun at Work for the Sake of Fun, Rewarding Great Performance & Stress Busters!  Also available by return email, in PDF format!

I currently work as a coordinator in my present company and am looking to advance my career.  There are possibilities to advance to a larger department where I would be considered a Director.  I would still be in charge of my current department which would then be assumed by the new position, as well as title change. 

However, I recently found out, through the current director, that I am not being considered for the position.  I know that I am qualified.  I also know that the employee they are considering is not respected in our organization.   However, I would like to know the best way to make it known to my supervisor that I would like to be considered for the job, if it were available.  What is the best way to handle this without any mud slinging or unprofessional behavior?  What would be the most persuasive argument that I could make that could enlighten my supervisors? 

Answer:

When you start slinging mud, it usually ends up splattering you, too. You are wise to be looking for an above board approach for several reasons. Not only would badmouthing this candidate make your motive suspect; you would have to face working with her, if you don’t get the job. You might also poison your chances for a future promotion, if your actions were viewed as politically underhanded.

I can’t discern if the person they are considering is outside the company or outside your own area. If the candidate is from inside the company, there is a good chance they will find out about his or her reputation from your boss or others. If the person is from outside the company, that information may not be discovered.

I recommend that you tell your own supervisor that you are interested in applying for the position and ask for some advice about the best way to go about applying. If the job isn’t posted, ask your manager if he or she would be willing to support your candidacy to the hiring director in the other area.

If your boss tells you that you wouldn’t be considered for the position, ask, “Can you give me some feedback that will help me understand why I wouldn’t be considered? If I know, it would help me get ready for the next opportunity.” Manage your disappointment and listen carefully to the answer. If you still feel strongly that you should be considered, say, “I’d still like to be considered. If nothing else, going through the interview process would be valuable for me, and may position me for other opportunities in the future.”

If you aren’t going to be considered for the job and it looks like the other person is a finalist, you may be in a position to give your manager a heads up that could be passed along to the hiring manager. You could go to your manager and say, “We all have a vested interest in Sue making the right decision on who to hire for the new director position. I hope she does a good job checking references in (name the departments) before making an offer to Pat. There are some issues she may not be aware of.” If your manager is smart, the message will be delivered…without any mud at all.

Joan Lloyd is an executive coach, management consultant, facilitator and professional trainer.  Email your question to Joan at info@joanlloyd.com.  Visit www.JoanLloyd.com to search an archive of more than 1300 of Joan’s articles.  (800) 348-1944 © Joan Lloyd & Associates, Inc.

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So, what should you do?  How can you select the right keywords when there are so many competing alternatives?  The answer, I think, is to create a keyword taxonomy—an annotated list of search terms—that is rich in the language of the top talent in the specific career fields for which you are recruiting.  Think of it as a “set of master keys in words” that can unlock the candidate databases you are probing.

Creating such a tool is not particularly difficult.  Doing so, however, is a departure from the current practice in many organizations.  It involves temporarily stepping outside the press of individual, day-to-day assignments and taking a longer term view of how keywords can best serve your recruiting strategy.  Here’s what I mean.

The rule of thumb in developing a list of keywords has usually been to rely on the information provided to us in a job description or requisition.  The problem with this approach, of course, is that those documents are typically formulated by hiring managers—one of the least articulate populations on the planet.  The terminology they provide, therefore, is necessary but insufficient to unlock the best talent in an ATS or job board database.  It is a part of the master keyword set, but not all of it.

How can you fill in the gaps?
I suggest you borrow a page from your colleagues in sales and marketing and form a focus group.  Such a group is only useful, however, if it is composed of the right participants.  You’re trying to uncover the language used by the best talent for your openings, so your focus group should be populated with the same kind of people.  And, you have a ready source of such individuals among your organization’s “A” level performers in the career fields for which you’re recruiting.  They, better than anyone else, know exactly which terms their peers will use to describe their qualifications.

Top performers are usually very busy, however, so you may have a hard time breaking them free for such an exercise.  If that’s the case in your organization, you can also build your set of master keywords by conducting a similar survey with your new hires during their orientation.  This approach is clearly more challenging to implement, however, because you will have to base your selection of the group’s participants not on their demonstrated excellence at work, but on your judgment of how they are likely to perform once they are on-the-job.

In either case, your focus group will yield the best results if its work is conducted in three steps.

· First, build your baseline.  Ask the participants to list all of the terms they would use to describe the qualifications required for an individual to be able to perform their job effectively.  These attributes can include specific skills, occupational and/or industry knowledge, prior work experience, personality and any other factors that would bear on their ability to contribute.  If the group has a hard time knowing where to begin, ask them to review one or more of the keyword references that are currently available.  These include Google’s Keyword Tool, which will suggest keywords based on previous Google searches; Wordtracker, an online research tool; and WEDDLE’s 3 volume set, Finding Needles in a Haystack, which lists over 25,000 keywords and keyword phrases, across 5400 job and position titles in 28 industries and professions.

· Second, restate the terms in order of their importance.  Ask the group to prioritize each of their terms according to its impact on an individual’s job performance.  While there may be some disagreement among the group about the placement of specific terms, encourage them to arrive at a consensus rank ordering of the overall list.

· Third, group the terms into search baskets.  The best way to probe a resume or profile database is to conduct your search in concentric circles of ever greater specificity.  This approach enables you to hone in on and eventually determine a reasonable slate of the most qualified prospects in a database.  Therefore, ask the group to break their list into the following categories: absolutely critical, very important, somewhat important and nice to have.

Those four baskets of search terms should then be added to the terms you derived from the hiring manager’s job description or requisition.  If those documents enable you to do so, assign each of those terms to one of the categories used in Step 3 above.  If not, the most politic course to assign them to the absolutely critical category.  The resulting integrated list of search terms is your set of master keywords.

The above process is clearly labor and time intensive so think of it as an investment to develop an asset.  The product you create—your keyword taxonomy—is just such a resource.  It is a state-of-the-art search tool that can be used over and over again by the entire recruiting team.  No less important, that tool gives them a genuine competitive advantage because it will increase both their efficiency and their performance.  It should, therefore, be password protected and carefully monitored.  As with all assets, it will require updating from time-to-time, but the effort involved will be substantially less than of the original development.

Keywords are typically viewed as one of the basic tools in our profession.  For better or worse, everybody uses them so it’s easy to assume they have little or no differentiating value.  When forged into a powerful asset, however, keywords can help an organization unlock talent other employers can’t reach.  That’s why no recruiting team should be without “a set of master keys in words.”

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit me at Weddles.com

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit, a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.