Three Weeks Down..How Many More To Go?

Why the Royal wedding shot? Well....why not? On to other matters.

I’ve heard the voices of some readers, which sound something along the lines of “Larry, are you EVER going to write another blog post?!” Being a positive person, I take it as such a nice compliment! They miss my writing as well as my thoughts, information, and ideas that I share here. Certainly they’re not complaining. Well, new business cards for this last search have been ordered. Included on these cards will be my Twitter account

as well as this blog site. The pressure to post more regularly is on! I plan on being here often, and hope you will be too!

My three month marketing contract with Walgreens ended earlier this month. What a great group of people I got to work with in their infusion and respiratory care marketing area! More people need to know that Walgreens has over 100 facilities across the nation staffed with expert nurses for these patients. First on my long, never-ending, to do list: getting myself right back into that great company.

As always, we all want to know how others are doing. How have your job searches changed this year? Have the number of bites you get increased? Are you getting more interviews? More calls from headhunters?

I'm very interested in knowing

how it's going for you and your friends.

Since that contract ended, these first three weeks of my last search have been much more active for me than any three weeks in the last two years! Timing? Luck? Networking? Not sure.

Have you considered changing your job searching strategy? Are you thinking of changing industries, careers, going back for school or training? Share it here, we’re really interested in how your approach has changed.

I’ve always thought that during the job search, I go wherever I need to go to meet the right people, to network, to interview. Whether it’s by car, train, or bus. To me, transportation is a necessary evil that one can’t worry about during the search. And then…the price at the pump hit $4.00!! What!?? How high do you think It’ll go? As always, the economists are predicting everything you can think of. Have your driving habits changed? Will they? Are you budgeting

differently now?

Tell us what you do to relieve the insane stress of the search. Walking? Yoga? Swimming? Tennis? Cooking, gardening, eating, drinking? We all have something to learn from how others effectively deal with the madness. For me…it's many things including: spending lots of time with my daughter; running; reading; movies; seeing friends; and always always…plenty of chocolate!

You’ve reached the end of this brief post. The wait for the next one will be short. In the meantime, if you haven't already, please go back and comment on some of the questions posed. I promise you that we all can benefit and are interested in what you share.

Thanks for reading!
larry

December is the Worst Time to Look For a Job..Oh, Really?

How was your December? Were you glad when 2010 ended? Do you remember December? What excites you about 2011? Do join in the discussion, and let us know! I've mentioned before that so many people rationalize, throughout the year, how some specific month is the worst month to look for a job. You can also say how that SAME month can be the best month to look. Take December. A terrible month, the worst month to job hunt, right? Everything seems to be on hold, hiring managers waiting for the new year; so many Christmas parties taking up so much free time; people focused on upcoming vacations, etc.

But, in December, this contrarian believes, many people’s pace at work slows considerably. They actually may have time to not only return your email or phone call, they may actually ANSWER the phone! Even if their workday is still crazy, they do attend these Christmas parties, and more parties = more opportunities to network! Stay tuned for next December, when I'll post links to articles about taking advantage of these increased opportunities to make great connections.

What’s gone on with you all since my last blog post? Comment, and tell us, please. For me, the first two weeks of December were the best weeks for me in almost two years of this current job search. Two opportunities came in by that old reliable method: timing, networking, and luck!

Currently I'm working on a three month marketing project manager role with Walgreens. So, the latest score: 2 part time jobs done, now have one 3 month freelance job and 1 part time position. It was quite an unpredictable end to my year. Tell us about yours! I’m hearing from many in my network who have recently landed, and hope to hear your successes here too.




For you newer grads or for friends of yours who may be new to this job hunting adventure, there's a nice piece from the "New Grad Life" blog about Linked In, and mistakes to avoid.

Can't put in a posting without wondering if there are any great networking opportunities are around the corner? Please, comment, tell us. Here's what I can recommend:

For you marketing folk, and anyone who is interested specifically in millenial marketing and the college and university marketplace, be sure to attend the Feb. 23 University of Chicago Marketing Roundtable. Click here to register for this event and to be included on their listserv to learn about future roundtables. You don't need to be an alum or connected to U. of C. in any way and they are FREE! They even offer discount parking. They take place downtown at the Gleacher Center.

What do you all know about Meetups? They are free to join, and they are an excellent way to network, socialize, get involved, meet others who share your interests, no matter what that interest is! Click their homepage and explore. You enter your interests - you won’t believe how specific these groups can be, for networking, work-related, family, sports, anything - and they’ll notify you of groups that exist in your area. You can join the group, explore that group’s page, see all the other members’ bios, learn about past and upcoming events, and decide whether or not you’d be interested.

Finally, a couple interesting articles I found in Yahoo worth checking out.

"The And Factor"
"Job Search Using Online Niche Job Boards"
and finally:
"I want to Be a Bumble Bee: Think about the Animal Job Interview Question"

A lot to digest, I know. Please folks, comment, respond, argue, agree, let us hear your voices! Forward, share, post. And remember: believe it or not, winter is over in just two days!! That's right...pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training!

larry