Pink Slip Mixers 2.0 - job search networking! Network With Professionals To Find A Job!

November 12, 2008

I woke up today and thought what information I could offer the group today.  For some reason Bizarro Superman came to mind.  With the wacked out economy, everything seems to be turned around. Then it hit me.  Change your thinking to what ever you were doing as a career, what is the "Bizarro Superman" or opposite of that field?

I am (was) in the commercial real estate lending industry.  I made loans between $5MM and $30MM to construct real estate projects.  The liquidity market has dried up causing some projects to fail.  Banks are trying to figure out what to do with these assets... should they "work them out" or take over the project.  I found a few banks looking for Workout Managers and have listed links to hiring companies on the Commercial Real Estate and Banking discussion pages on PinkSlipMixers.com.

I would recommend that you figure out what "Industry Bizarro" fits your experience.  If you cant figure it out, use this site as a way to brain storm.  Better yet, come to our events and talk/network with people that are similar to you.  You might figure something out.

Our next mixers are coming up and please check out the site often.

If you have any questions, email or call  me.  I am totally available to help you out.

See you at the next mixer,

Edwin

November 13

I have been up since 5:00 am scouring the news reports.  I know every Thursday the government reports unemployment figures.  It doesnt look good and they say the unemployment rate is the highest since 2001.

I dont want to be viewed as a pessimist because I know I am the ultimate optimist but also a big realist.  Even though the economy is not good, we really need to figure this out together. 

Who has the answers?  I dont know.  Does anyone?  Let's all keep looking out for one another.  If you see jobs that dont fit you, still try to remember them.  At our mixers, you might find someone that it will benefit.  If we do this right, maybe someone will tell you about a job that fits you.

hey edwin,

i would suggest trying to get a job in the medical industry, it's one of the few fields that is not experiencing major problems. i think trying to find a job at another bank would be extremely hard right now, so you might want to look in other industries.

I have been laid off 3 times in 2008.  I spend every Monday through Friday 9am to 6pm on Craigslist and Indeed, job hunting.  I send lots of resumes and cover letters to companies in the area. 

I spend evenings home, watching TV and hanging out with my boyfriend and cats.  I have a side business (Photography) that I'm having trouble getting off of the ground due to lack of funds for advertising.  I spend a lot of time studying photography, as it is one of my greatest passions.  I've been shooting with professional cameras since age 15.

I spend a lot of time depressed, and it's really hard to know what to do.  I once had 3 months of savings, but I'm down to 1 month due to my 3rd lay-off just before Christmas.

I spend a lot of time thinking about my qualifications and wondering why nobody will give me a chance.  I think about how the world has changed, and that it looks awful to have had so many jobs by age 31.  I think about how hard it is to get an interview when you are one of thousands of resumes sent online.  I am not sure how to stand out, but I know I am a great employee.  I've been told that by everyone I have ever worked with. 

I sleep more than I should, and I don't exercise enough.  If I'm not online job hunting, I feel like I'll fall behind.  It's been a struggle, and as the money is close to running out, my stress and fear is growing.  I am trying to keep confident that someone will want me and keep me for years to come.  That's what I want more than anything - a career with job growth and stability.  That's what most people want, isn't it?!

Anyhow, that's what I am doing.  My friends are all young, out-of-work actors, most are restaurant and retail workers.  I am a professional, and I have very few professional friends - which makes it hard to network.  My friends have all asked around, and continue to wish me luck and keep me posted on possibilities; but, nothing has come through. 

I'm older than my friends, and I need a better plan to meet the right work-contacts.  I'm too high in my career for most staffing agencies.  I have a Bachelors and am a Project Manager (Product Development and HR), and I don't know anyone else in my shoes.

Any advice?

Wow, glad I found this group even though it's based too far south for me to truly benefit :(

I'm trying to do all the right things that we all know to do (network, cold call, attend events, self promotion).  It's humbling to read that qualified people in this thread and elsewhere I've come across are having such tough times.  Keep your head up people - I'm crossing my fingers for everyone.

Don't forget that having a LinkedIn profile helps - I'm assuming that this group (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1460317&trk=anetsrch_name&goback=.gdr_1231361893014_1) is affiliated with you guys.  There are job support groups via Meetup and various professional organizations (i.e. depending on your industry, and details - i.e. women in technology, biotech, etc. etc.).  Lots of other tools online (even a Facebook app called 'Job opennings I know about') but I'm beginning to think that time online is a huge time sink - or that it's more passive as a job search strategy.  There are some reliable job ad venues like Craigslist, but past a point the real job market just isn't revealing itself to people.  The problem is that if you're not an extrovert it's harder and harder to just have that go-getter attitude especially in the face of dire financial times for so many people.

Also curious of people's experience with recruiters - I've had some good experiences and some poor ones and want to hear what people have heard about them.

Those are all good strategies. I'll add that conducting a job search solely online is a recipe for frustration. The reality is that most employers/recruiters only grab resumes from online as the method of last resort. First, they get referrals from co-workers, colleagues and friends. Then, they get referrals from their network contacts. THEN, they pull resumes from online. It's likely that they will find a strong candidate or two from their direct referral sources before they even look at online resumes. Often, when they do pull the resumes it's because they have to due to company/organization policy.

If you are conducting a job search only online there is a big chance that it's not even getting to a recruiter.

Your job search efforts should focus on getting to the decision makers. The best way to do that is by networking. I recommend the book, Get Hired Now! (http://www.futures-in-motion.com/book-reviews/ghn-full.html) which outlines a very effective way to search for jobs including which are the best methods and why. It also offers great suggestions on how to actively search for a job, no matter what level of job you are seeking.

I also recently did a teleclass called, 3 Secrets to Create Luck in Your Job Search. Email me if you'd like a free copy of it.

Good luck!

Markell Steele, Career Counselor

I wake up every morning, including weekends, no later than 7 AM.  This forces me to get good, long nights of sleep.  The body is taking a toll already just from the stress of unemployment, so it needs the sleep to recover.

I check down the following in order:

• Job Scouts
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Professional sites I belong to

There's always work to be done there, so I take care of everything.  It usually lasts to 10 AM or so.

I schedule conference calls, networking calls, and informational interviews between 10 and noon.

Lunchtime!

If I haven't finished the morning's work, I finish up there.  When that's done, I start with some of the volunteer projects I'm working on for friends and family.  These keep my skills sharp and my mind engaged.

By 4 PM, I either head to the gym, or focus on domestic stuff.  My wife is home by 5:30.  I'll check some of my other things going on one more time, and then the evening is mine to do what I'd like.

The structure, the planned events, and the focus on working with a purpose gets me through my days.  It's as though I am working for myself.  Since I've started this in September (when I was pinked), I've had many more emotionally satisfying and productive days than not.  I can't change that we are in the longest recession since World War II, but I can change my outlook on it.  

As my wife would say (and she's ripped this off from somewhere, I'm sure...)  

Just do it.

Outside of Pinkslipmixer events, which I love and appreciate, I have started a group on meetup.com called the "Unemployed Social Network"  This group focusses on lifting peoples spirits during these times, working on their people and social skills, building their resume, and ultimately getting these individuals employed.

Edwin attended our last event, which was driven by Daisy Lin Shapiro at KNBC 4 in Burbank, CA.  She interviewed the group on how they "are coping" as unemployed people.  There was 100% turnout, and everyone was upbeat and excited about the future.  That makes me feel great because that was my goal.

Anyways, check us out at http://www.meetup.com/The-Unemployed-Social-Network/

Edwin endorses us!  I will see you all at the pinkslipmixer events.  Dont hesitate to ask me more about the meetup group.

Good luck and lets get employed!

How have I been coping with unemployment?  I try to follow this advice to keep the blues at bay: walk for at least 20-30 minutes a day and talk to people 30 minutes a day.  Get restful sleep and eat well (healthfully).

It can be challenging to stay positive - so I have to play a little mind game and realize that this is only temporary and someone will move, go on maternity leave, change jobs, etc. and then my future position will open up.

Thank you Edwin for organizing Pink Slip Mixers!

It's somewhat of a relief to know I'm not alone feeling the way I feel.  I was laid off 5/7 and I'm trying my best to stay positive and most importantly, get out of the house.  Last thing I want to do is become a recluse.  I'm looking forward to my first pinkslipmixer, which is on 5/26 in Hermosa Beach.  Also, I've joined a couple of groups on meetup.com so I hope that turns out well.  

Bad news: I never created facebook/linkedin/twitter accounts so it seems as if I'm facing an uphill battle. 

Good news: When I was working, I just went to work, went to the gym, and came home.  I now have some time to socialize and do something else.  

Being out of work for almost four months really takes a toll especially when you see other people that were let go at the same time as you getting jobs.  For the most part, though, I've been able to stay positive by keeping a routine and exercising.  It is hard to get yourself in the mood to exercise when you think you should be looking for a job, but believe me, it does elevate your mood and get you out of funk.  I try to do this in the morning after getting up to get me going.  Another thing I started doing - which I should've done more in the past - is to socialize more with my old friends.  I neglected this part in the past, making excuses that I was too busy to stay in touch ...  Sad ...  Now I have time to reconnect and catch up.

Well, lets see...in the past 2 years I have been laid off twice. This last time was for not having a 4 year accounting degree and has lasted 10 months so far. I was in the accounting/bookkeeping field for construction companies. Since I was given a reason of not having a degree, I decided to go back to college and obtain one. The excuse of not having a degree will never come up again. I understand that I will be spending more money than what will becoming in but in the long run it will help me. And it gives me something to do other than watching tv all day. 

I am keeping busy doing a certificate program, volunteering, taking dance classes and language classes. For more info, read my blog that I just started. http://amcgarrell.blogspot.com/

Staying positive and realizing early on this was a global economic crisis. Laid off in November, 2008 as the collapse began to pick up momentum I realized this was not personal, it had world wide impact. The industry I was employed in directly supported with software solutions and connectivity the automotive industry to the financial institutions. Needless to say, my employment was in the cross-hairs of the recession.

Recognizing this was going to be a long run, and a re-tooling of my job objectives would be needed going into the future I enrolled in a degree program I believe will suit me and any organization, government or private industry or an NGO going into the 21st century; BS/B - Green and Sustainable Enterprise Management. I will graduate late 2010. I chose to achieve this discipline online as I continue to seek sustainable employment.

Time management, putting emotions in check and staying focused is my recipe for remaining hopeful and positive.

I just "celebrated" 1 year of unemployment August 23, 2009. 

After joining this group (pinkslip) just today and reading about others reaction to being jobless, I feel relieved my symptoms are not alone.  Since I was terminated from my company of 29 years, I took it really hard at first.  Then I got on-line and started cruising job boards.  I then joined Linked In and have steadily been updating my profille and building my network.  I've joined many groups there, and the discussions and e-mails are very positive.  I now have my own web site.  So finding a job has been an evolution, and a job in itself.  When I'm not online looking for work, I try to keep busy around the house with cleaning, yardwork, etc.  Routines are important.  I stay in contact with friends, relatives and former co-workers. I've started birdwatching for fresh air and exercise; plus it's free!.  I'm going to start walking every day.  On the down side, I've gained 10 pounds and have a bad habit of sleeping too much.  I've GOT TO CHANGE THAT! 

Thank you all for your input.  We are not alone!  I now realize it's normal to feel depressed and hopeless, but it's NEVER GOOD!!  Stay positive, keep busy; but get out of the house, try to have fun, and enjoy life!!!!