Monthly Update

Dear loyal reader(s?),

It seems I've hit the one month mark with the chronicles of my job search.  As with all efforts, it is necessary to review effort and progress that has resulted of that effort, so as future endeavors may be properly directed. Each method will be evaluated on how many phase II encounters it has provided to this point in time...

So here goes:

Method	Phase II Progress
Method 1: Searching Job Postings	1: Interview, no spam
Method 2: Passive Seach	1 Interview whole bunch of spam
Method 3: Networking	0
Method 4: Self Employment	1Potential Opportunity at the Library
Method 5: Job Fairs	1 Phone Interview whole bunch of spam
Method 6: Imaginary Jobs	1Potential Opportunity at the Library

As you can see almost all of the "hard" methods have had approximately equal success, though when weighing the spam responses it seems that Job Fairs (when done irresponsibly) may become a waste of time.  Also Passive Search methods require constant cleaning of the email inbox to keep up with the shear number of 'respondents' who have not yet bothered to look at my resume, save to read my name and email address.

It seems that continuing to pursue job postings (on job posting boards) is a relatively fruitful method.  However my recent experiences with the library have shown that this may be a method of active job seeking that I have not yet attempted.

With these conclusions in mind, I believe that devoting more time to the library, to responding to job postings and thoroughly researching job fairs will be the most effective use of my time.

I would also like to introduce Phase I method 7: researching companies in which I am interested and 1. applying to job postings via the company's website or 2. showing up at the company's recruiting events as they are held.

Best regards,
Beth

Phase II: Introduction

 After the initial contact comes the interview period. This is when companies and I determine if we are right for one another.  Much like a blind date, we each go in with the rosy pictures painted by our profiles (they have my resume, and I have their website) and hopefully get past those basic facts and on into the meat of the issue.  Will I fit in their company; do we each offer what the other is seeking?

A component of Phase II is evaluating just how selective I can afford to be.  How much do those credentials that I managed to rake up in University set me apart from the rest of the pack?  What exactly do I want in a position, how much of that do they need to offer upfront, and how much am I willing to accept one, three and five years from now?

 Phase II covers interview techniques and abilities.  Although I am not convinced that every position I interview for will be the perfect career for me, I plan to approach every interview with the same professionalism and learn from every success and mistake that occurs during the process.  This will include accepting any interview and using it as a practice opportunity.  I will also keep track of questions that will help me to determine whether I will have a positive relationship with an employer.

Finally, this will cover all of Method 5: self improvement.  Because the majority of what I have been pursuing through method 5 is knowledge that will help me in the interview process, I will no longer count method 5 in phase I.

Best regards,
Beth

Phases

Due to the successes experience in my initial contacts with job hunters, it seems that it is necessary not only to track my primary search mechanisms, but also my secondary evaluations.  I am introducing the use of 'phases'.

Phase I covers the initial contact process through the multiple methods described on the visitors page.  I will continue to report on the success of these methods, the lessons I learn and the merits of each.

Success in Phase I will be defined as progression into Phase II, or the subsequent contact.  This covers interview of any type (phone, in person etc.).  I will report the many resources I use to in pursuing successful phase II; as well as the lessons I learn in the process.

Best regards,
Beth

Method 5: Book Review

"The Myth of Multi-Tasking" by Dave Crenshaw.

The Premise
While we think we're multi-tasking, or completing many tasks at the same time, we're actually switch-tasking; jumping back and forth between tasks. People lose up to 50% of their time on this inefficient system. The system is inefficient because when we take time to make the switch.

(Next time you're interrupted from working on something that takes your full attention, pay attention to how long it takes you to switch back and forth.)

The book also gives a few methods for chronic switch-taskers to improve their efficiency (read: stop switch-tasking). The most important are:

1. Set up recurring appointments with those people who interrupt you most often.
2. Set up 'shop hours' so people know when you will be available next

The idea is that people interrupt you most often because they're afraid they won't be able to pin you down again until after you are needed. By setting up regular appointments with those who interrupt you most frequently you are turning them from an interruption to a primary activity. They will hold onto issues until your next meeting instead of running to you the second they pop-up.

Setting shop hours is like recurring meetings, only the attendees are not always the same. You say "I will listen to ideas/complaints at 10am, 1pm and 4pm." That way people get your full attention and do not get nervous they'll never see you again.

Opinion

The book never addresses whether or not true multi-tasking is possible, it does mention 'background tasking', for example listening to music while you jog. Listening to music is passive in this instance, and as a result it can be successfully completed while doing your primary task of jogging.

As always, I'm skeptical. I believe that many activities we do can become background processes with enough practice, or the right kind of methods for doing them. Though writing (like I'm doing right now) demands my full attention, doing the dishes doesn't necessarily, so long as I have a system down that will ensure that I will not be able to leave food remnants on the plates.

Of course, the dishwasher would completely count in this case ;).

Application


I am reminded of a former boss of mine. An absolutely brilliant woman who was almost incapable of completing anything because her day consisted entirely of interruptions. She was so disorganized even those people with appointments were treated as interruptions. Her job was very broad in scope, and as a result everyone in the organization constantly needed a piece of her.

Recommendation

I would recommend this book to people like her. For myself, however, I am a very organized person, and I have yet to be in a position where I felt as disorganized as I would need to be in order to require the changes recommended in this book.

Method 6, Job Fairs and Method 5, personal enrichment

The long beach job fair is coming up next Monday!

Though most of the companies are insurance or financial services (can anyone say cold sales?) There were a few in which I'm interested.  So, it's time to update the resume!

I have two resumes that I consider 'general', one for marketing, and one for coordination.  I use these for career sites and for jumping off points for resumes customized to job postings.  And it's high time I give them a revamp!

Because none of the employers in which I'm interested list positions, it'll be a bit of a guessing game as to what to put on the resume.  My plan is to put in those experiences which I would like to duplicate.  I plan on communicating what I want out of a job to the employer based on what I put in my resume.  Of course, I'll be a bit selective about which employers I give which resume, those that I suspect might be looking for salesmen I'll be more likely to offer my coordination resume, and those that I think might have a career path that starts with marketing I will give the marketing resume.

Of course, Long Beach is about an hour and a half away from Irvine, meaning most of the companies are not located near enough to my apartment.  But as they say, practice makes perfect!  In attending this fair, I'll be more than ready for the Orange County job fair on the 27th.

I plan on passing out more of the coordination resume due to my personal interests and strenghts.

And in preparation for any potential interviews or meetings, I checked out a book from the library; Doing Business In China.  Come to find out I should have checked the copyright date; 1994.  Suspecting that there may have been some changes in the past decade and a half, I purchased another book (Strategic Asia) from the local university bookstore.  This purchase was only $1, and contains information from as recent as 2007!  Not exactly bleeding edge recent, but a little better than 1994.

Wish me luck on my resume updates!

Beth

Method 1: Job Postings, Method 5: Personal Enrichment

While patrolling my common job posting boards, I found an interesting listing.  One that the job didn't seem to match up with the requirements.  By this I mean the job looked to be much higher level than  the requirements would dictate.

Sure, I'd love to be a management consultant to fortune 500 companies all over the world, but are you sure that I only need 1 year of work experience and a bachelor's degree to do that?

Intrigued, I investigated further.  Turns out they have an internship program, which in turn leads to an associate consultancy, and eventually full on consultancy, with a path into the company's upper management.

Cool!

I can do an internship, and I certainly fit their criteria.  So, after about 3 hours of collaborative work on a cover letter and resume (thank you Allison and Sara!) I finally had a product with which I was happy.

Of course, after staring at a screen for three hours, my brain will convince me that a three year old's story is Shakespearean verse, so I elected to take this morning (and early afternoon) off from the screen.

My shift at the library was from 12pm - 2pm.  I was on shelf reading, and, lo and behold, I reached the area with books on consultancy and working with China (the company has two offices in China!).  I checked out the books I thought would be most helpful, and plan on reading them in case they call me for an interview.  At the very least I won't sound completely green!

More than that, if anything happens with Henk's work, they're a consultant firm, too!  And if I am hired onto a management position, again I won't sound completely naive for the first few months.

And of course doing business in China will probably be inescapable no matter where I end up working.

I also started re-reading my programming book.  It's all in Python, but I figure I can take what I learn and apply it to other languages.  I got through the first chapter which covers if/then, while, and a few other basic tools of programming.

And finally I drew on my tablet for about half an hour (will probably do more of that before the day is out).  Nothing major, just working on a drawing of a woman.  I should probably start doing more graphical things rather than art, but I'm enjoying myself for now.

My day continues!

Beth