Archive for the ‘Preparation’ Category

Laurie Ruettimann recently posted a letter from Matthew Clark on her site Punk Rock HR. I found his letter particularly stirring, not for his story of being laid off multiple times, but for his attitude throughout the process.

Any while he is now looking for work again, I wanted to draw your attention to one of the most important aspects of Matthew’s letter:

And, while it is not the most desirable, I also understand that these corporations had an obligation to the greater populous, not just to me or the few who were released. I have worked diligently to promote my employers and have made significant contributions in each role. But, because of Corporate decisions related to sales, my jobs have been sacrificed, having nothing to do with job performance.

There is one thing that you really need to keep in mind throughout your working life. A company’s sole objective is to generate profits, not to employ you. I have heard from too many bitter job hunters that believe that they are entitled to their positions because they “won” their job through the interview process. This is simply not the case and leads to all sorts of harmful emotions when a layoff arrives.

Matthew really seems to understand this concept and I commend him for it. There isn’t any bitterness or anger in his words, only understanding and resolve to find a new position. I truly hope that he finds a rewarding role in the near future. I would guess that he is already well on his way.

Great post over at New Grad Life called New Grads’ Biggest Blunders in Job Interviews. It’s has some great “what not to do” advice for new grads looking for entry level jobs.

Among the tips:

Thinking the interview only begins when you’re across the desk from the interviewer. HR professionals repeatedly told me: From the moment you walk into the location where you’ll be interviewed, you are “on.” That means no talking on your cell phone, listening to your MP3 player, or texting in the lobby while waiting for the interviewer

If you are looking for an entry level job, I would recommend checking this post out.

Every year thousands of new grads move to a new city for work. For many, this move is also marked by the isolation felt when you move away from family and friends. I remember being in this situation. I felt great that I had landed a fantastic job, but I was also sad and lonely when work ended.

Moving to a new city for work is not like moving away to go to school. You will be surrounded by people who have established lives, not just with other students who are also making a fresh start. You don’t have the same bonding opportunities you once did.

So when I read Seven Tips To Make New Friends After Your Relocate To A New City, I thought it would be worth sharing.

Among the great tips in this article:

Find “friends of friends”. In our highly mobile society it is inevitable that someone in your network will know someone in your new town (if you are relocating to a major city). Contact all of your contacts and let them know about your move and ask them for introductions to cool people in the area. Once you have been put in touch with locals, make it a priority to meet them for lunch or happy hour in a timely manner. People are usually happy to meet and share their ideas about the city, but if you wait too long you many lose the momentum.

and:

Get a hobby. When you move to a new town is a great time to take up a new sport. Many cities have rowing clubs, running clubs, biking clubs, ski clubs, etc…. Your participation in a sport will put you in direct contact with others who share your interests.

If you are in this situation, give this article a read. It may change your outlook about your new city.

I was flipping through my Feed Reader the other day and I came across an article on TechCrunch called Kleiner And Bessemer Put $8.65 Million Into ReputationDefender.

The article itself isn’t important (it’s a VC funding announcement), but it did bring ReputationDefender, a relatively new company, to my attention.

So what is ReputationDefender? It’s a subscription service which can be used to manage and monitor your online identity and reputation. Essentially, you pay a fee and they provide information on your online presence and what people are saying about you. In theory, this should allow you to head off unwanted negative information more quickly.

I can certainly see how this service could be useful to an Entry Level Job hunter. In the era of initial “Google Reference Checks”, knowing what is being said about you online could be critical to whether you land the job or not.

But the question remains, should you pay for this service? My hunch is that, unless you have a wealth of negative information posted about you online, you probably don’t need this service. From an employer’s perspective, most of the “negative” information that is out there is made freely available by the candidate themselves. Simply restricting access to your Facebook posts and Twitter feed can go a long way towards eliminating the types of material that would hurt your job search.

Ultimately, the decision is up to you. There are plenty of pricing options available (from monthly fees to full-year subscriptions). Either way, it certainly couldn’t hurt your cause. The choice is yours.

Ever used a third party to monitor and control your online identity? If so, leave us a comment below. It would be great to know more about your experience.