Job Search Success Story: Contacting the Employer

March 17th, 2013 by Susan P. Joyce

In His Own Words: Story of a Successful Job Search

A recruiter, Drew Tewell  knows how to find a job when he needs one.  Here’s how he went from fired to hired in 3 steps.  How Drew describes his job search -

Have you ever been fired from your job?  It doesn’t really boost your confidence level, if you know what I mean.

What happens when you get fired a second time?  I can tell you.  It happened to me.

Over eight years ago, I was fired from a job I didn’t like.  What happened next? Unemployment.

Over five months ago, I was fired from a job that wasn’t the best fit.  What happened next? Unemployment.

Do you see the pattern?  When you get fired, not only do you lose your job, but you also become unemployed.

Fired + Job Loss + Unemployment = Tough Times

Having been through Tough Times University more than once, I can tell you, it is not easy.

You may find yourself in the same situation that I was in.  You were recently fired.  Or, maybe you lost your job for some other reason.

If you are currently unemployed and looking for work, I want to share with you what I did to find a new job.  I used this strategy both times in my own life, and it worked each time.

This strategy will also work for you if you are currently employed, but don’t like your job and are ready to make a change.

The strategy I used was connecting directly with employers.

By “connecting directly with employers,” I mean that I contacted the employers UNRELATED TO ANY JOB POSTING.

How to Connect Directly with Employers

Here’s how to connect directly with employers, step-by-step.

Step # 1 Figure out what you want to do.

The first step to connecting directly with employers is to figure out what you want to do.  What job or career do you want to pursue?  Both of the times I was unemployed, I figured out what I wanted to do next.

Step # 2 Target specific companies and organizations that do what you want to do.

Now that you know what it is that you want to do, target specific companies and organizations that do it.  Both of the times I was unemployed, I targeted specific places that, in some way, did what I wanted to do.

Step # 3 Contact the places where you want to work

Once you know what you want to do (Step # 1) and find the places where you want to work (Step # 2), contact those employers.

Both of the times I was unemployed, I contacted the places where I wanted to work, and asked if they were hiring. 

How did I contact them? I picked up the phone, and called them.

The first time I did it, I started calling a group of my targeted employers (the ones which did what I wanted to do). 

One of the organizations I called was hiring.  I ended up landing the job.

The second time I did it, I used LinkedIn to find companies that were doing what I wanted to do.

One of the companies that I called invited me in to interview.  They were thinking about hiring someone, but were not in a hurry.

Almost two months later they called me out of the blue, and asked if I was still looking for work.  Of course, I said “Yes,” and they ended up hiring me.

So, both of the times I was unemployed, this strategy worked.  I found my next job. 

You may be thinking, this all seems so simple, it can’t really be that effective. Let me tell you, it is simple, and it is effective.

It worked for me. Twice.  It will work for you.  Don’t believe me? Try it! 

About This Author

Recruiter Drew Tewell is the author of the book, The Dream Job Program: Get the Job You Want. You can purchase it on Amazon, or get it for free when you subscribe to his blog.  You can also connect with him on Twitter and Facebook.

Where to Search for Jobs? Association Websites

March 11th, 2013 by Susan P. Joyce

jobs-magnifying-glass-97x76Using associations as a job source surprises people.  But, they are a great, somewhat hidden treasure for job seekers.

Many (if not most) professional and industry associations offer job postings as a service to members and, often, also to non-members.  Since professional associations exist for most industries and careers, they are often very effective “niche” job boards for their fields.

Of course, in addition to job postings, professional and industry associations often serve as excellent venues for making networking connections since many have local meetings as well as national conferences.  They may also manage related LinkedIn Groups and offer other social networking opportunities.  And, as we all know, networking is THE BEST way to connect with a new job.

Job-Hunt has a large directory of professional associations, organized by industry or profession.  In it, we link to the association’s home page, give you a summary of what is available on the site (like a directory of members and/or a career center), and then a link to the job postings, if there are any.  Just click on the link subtly labeled “JOBS” to find the job postings.  Click on the association’s name to go to the association’s home page.

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Where to Search for Jobs? Employer Websites

February 26th, 2013 by Susan P. Joyce

jobs-magnifying-glass-97x76Most employers have websites that support their businesses or their mission/work.  Often, the websites include job postings.  It is not effective or rational to chase the jobs on every employer’s website.

A smarter approach to a job search is to pick the employers that are the best employers for you.  This requires research, initially, but it enables you to focus your efforts and to avoid ending up in a dead end job or working for an employer you don’t like or respect.

So, Choose Your Target Employers

A better strategy is to target the employers (20, 50, or more, depending on your preferences) which look like places you would like to work.  Having target employers is a very big advantage in a tough job market for several reasons:

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Jobs: 15 Top Washington State Employers with Nearly 11,000 Jobs Open

February 5th, 2013 by Susan P. Joyce
 state-of-washingtonThis list of top employers in the state of Washington includes 8 well-known members of the FORTUNE 500 list for 2012 (3 of which are the largest in the world in their industries).

As usual, the employers, below, are ranked in descending order based on the number of jobs they currently have open in Washington.

Click on the employer’s name to visit the employer’s job board where you can search for jobs and apply directly to the employer.  A new browser window or tab will open when you click on an employer link.

These 15 employers currently have 10,876 jobs open in Washington:

1.  Microsoft Corporation – 2,152 jobs open

Headquartered in Redmond, Microsoft is a very well-known name in technology.  Microsoft provides the Windows operating system as well as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access), the Internet Explorer browser, and many other software and software-related products we all use every day.

Currently, Microsoft is # 37 in the 2012 FORTUNE 500, # 75 on the 2013 list of FORTUNE Best Employers, and was also selected as one of the “World’s Best Multinational Workplaces” in 2011 by Great Places to Work.

Since Redmond, WA, is Microsoft’s corporate headquarters location, many central/corporate functions are located there, so it’s not surprising that the vast majority of job openings are in Redmond – 1,506 of them.

Other Washington state locations with Microsoft job openings include Bellevue (536), Seattle (53), and Issaquah, (29).

Most of the open positions are full-time.  Open positions are open in the fields of program management (all levels), product management, and engineering, with a few paralegal opportunities available at this moment.

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Jobs: 15 Top Minnesota Employers with 8,500+ Jobs Open

January 23rd, 2013 by Susan P. Joyce

Minnesota has a wide range of employers, including an impressive 20 on the FORTUNE 500 list for 2012, and also an impressive number of open jobs represented in this list. Retail and fast food dominate this list of 15 employers, but not quite as much as most of the other states (so far). This list of Minnesota employers includes some famous names in retail and technology which happen to be headquartered in Minnesota – Target and Best Buy.

As usual, the employers, below, are ranked in descending order based on the number of jobs they currently have open in the state of Minnesota.  The number of jobs open will vary widely depending on the needs of the organization and the time of year.  Fast food seems to be fairly consistent in their staffing requirements, but others, like H&R Block, on the list below, tend to have seasonal opportunities and this is the season for H&R Block (a.k.a. income tax preparation time).

The jobs with these employers are at all levels, from executive through intern, including both full-time and part-time opportunities.

Click on the employer’s name to visit the employer’s job board where you can search for jobs and apply directly to the employer.  A new browser window or tab will open when you click on an employer link.

These 15 employers currently have 8,655 jobs open in Minnesota:

1.  Target – 1,100 jobs open

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Target is quite a large company.  Formerly known as the Dayton and Dayton-Hudson stores, it has been officially known as Target since 2000, but the first Target store opened in 1962.

Currently, Target is the # 38 in the 2012 FORTUNE 500, # 195 in the Financial Times Global 500.  It is also # 25 on the 2012 FORTUNE 50 Most Admired Companies.  Target is the 2nd largest chain of discount retailers in the USA after Walmart (# 2 on the FORTUNE 500), operating nearly 2,000 Target and Super Target stores in 49 states, with growth into Canada planned.

Because Minneapolis is the corporate headquarters, many central/corporate functions are located in Minneapolis.  These are in addition to the typical jobs needed in the retail locations across the state.

The Minnesota locations with job openings at Target are, not surprisingly, in Minneapolis (983), Brooklyn Park (86), Fridley (70), Rochester (67), Richfield (66), and many other Minnesota locations.

The greatest number of openings are  for interns and new grads.  In addition, many positions are open in the fields of training and instruction, business development, technology, technology management, and more.

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Jobs: 15 Top Georgia Employers with 12,300+ Jobs Open

January 14th, 2013 by Susan P. Joyce

Georgia has a wide range of employers and an impressive number of open jobs represented in this list. Retail and fast food dominate this list of 15 employers, as they have in the other states (so far), but this list of Georgia’s top employers also includes H&R Block, the U.S. Federal Government, Deloitte Touche, and two major local health care services organizations.

Click on the employer’s name to visit the employer’s company job board where you can search for jobs and apply directly to the employer.  A new browser window or tab will open when you click on an employer link.

These employers currently have 12,349 jobs open in Georgia:

The employers, below, are ranked in descending order based on the number of jobs they currently have open in the state of Georgia.  The jobs with these employers are at all levels, from executive through intern, including both full-time and part-time opportunities.

1.  Dollar General Store - 1,516 jobs

Headquartered in Tennessee, Dollar General Stores claims to be “one of the fastest growing discount retail companies in America” with more than 9,200 neighborhood stores in 35 states, “growing by hundreds of new stores a year.”

Dollar General jobs in Georgia are predominently in the retail store locations.  They divide their jobs into 3 major sections based on the way DG is organized: corporate headquarters jobs (mostly in Tennessee), jobs in the stores, and jobs in their distribution centers (none in Georgia).

The opportunities in Georgia are spread relatively evenly across the state of Georgia, including Albany (29), Rome (27), Macon (26), Columbus (21), Dalton (20), Douglasville (18), and so on in many other cities in Georgia.

If you already have at least one year of experience working in retail, you might want to check the “Store Manager Candidate” positions.  Those are two-week training positions which then, hopefully, lead to Assistant Store Manager positions.

The other opportunities currently available at Dollar General Stores include Store Manager, Lead Sales Associate, and Sales Associate.  Twenty-six of the jobs currently posted pay more than $110,000/year, but the vast majority are in the $30,000 to $70,000 range.

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Protecting Your Social Media Passwords in Your Job Search

January 7th, 2013 by Susan P. Joyce

Although anything shared publicly in a tweet, Facebook post, or other public social media activity, can still get people into trouble, “private” social media information is gradually, state-by-state, gaining protection.

While 14 states introduced this type of legislation, it has become law in only 6 states so far.  Employers, potential employers, and, in some cases, schools, cannot require that employees, job applicants, and/or students share their social media passwords: California, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, and New Jersey.

Several other states are considering similar legislation, and I expect that other states will join this movement in 2013.

The laws and the protections they provide are not identitcal.  So, if you live in any of those states, learn how your state’s laws work.  If you live in other states, several other states are considering similar legislation, so let your state representative know your preferences on the issue.

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Hate Your Job and Looking for a New One? Be VERY Careful!

November 12th, 2012 by Susan P. Joyce

If you hate your job, and want to leave, go for it.  But, job hunt VERY carefully!  I have spoken with many job seekers who were in that position, and made the mistake of not keeping their intentions a secret at work.  It cost them their jobs!

If your job hunting activities become public, you may find yourself on a very fast, one-way trip out the door, with no more paychecks from that employer.  In the USA, most of us are employees “at will” which means our employer can fire us for any reason or for no reason.  Tough to be without an income but with the need to explain to potential employers why you were fired.  Not easy or fun. Read the rest of this entry »

Using Hurricane Sandy (and Other Events) to Re-Connect!

October 29th, 2012 by Susan P. Joyce

Networking opportunities can happen in the strangest times and places.  (I once witnessed friends connect with their new jobs at the funeral of a former co-worker!)

Hurricane Sandy is one of those strange times.  If you know someone who might have been in the path of  Hurricane Sandy (basically anyone in the Midatlantic or Northeast regions of the USA),  this storm is a great reason to get back in touch.

Even though the storm has passed, Sandy can be a topic/excuse/reason for sending someone an email or giving them a quick call.

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Ohio Business Services Jobs – Administration, Customer Service, Human Resources, Information Technology, Marketing, and Public Relations Jobs

October 5th, 2012 by Susan P. Joyce

Click on the job title to see the current high-priority job postings in Ohio for the business services professions – administration, customer service, human resources (HR), information technology (IT), and marketing, advertising, and public relations (PR) – job postings for 119 different job titles.

How to use this page.

  • Scroll down the list of categories, OR click on one of these links – Administrative JobsCustomer Service JobsHuman Resources JobsInformation Technology Jobs, and Marketing, Advertising, and PR Jobs.
  • Within each category, you will find several job titles.  Click on the  job title that interests you.
  • Check out the job postings that interest you.  If you don’t find what you want today, check back tomorrow or next week.  Availability is dependent on what jobs employers have posted, so the list varies from day to day.
  • Narrow the search to jobs in your target towns by adding the city name in front of the state name in the “Where” field, like “Dayton, Ohio” for jobs in Dayton.
Come back tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year, and check them again – these job postings will be updated automatically every day (or more often).