Networking Brief

Networking Brief
by Marilyn Albert

It’s the holidays and job seeking is important, but what if the jobs you want to apply for are few and far between. What can you do in between sending out job applications? I am recommending a Networking Brief, which is a one page to-the-point document which is all about you and what you know is essential about your work life.

What is a networking brief?

One page of professional skills and experience
A professional document that is to the point, no embellishments or great amounts of detail

What should be included:

• Professional statement (what you do)
• List skills
• Define Industry field of interest
• Experience

How to use a networking brief
• Email to colleagues you want to know you are job seeking
• Email to colleagues as an “professional update” when a resume is not necessary
• Distribute at networking events
• Give to your friends (if they run into someone who is hiring that can speak to your skills)
• Post on LinkedIn
• Post on your Facebook
• Include highlights on your Twitter
• Post on your blog

Advantages of using a networking brief
• A networking document doesn’t scream, “ I need a job”
• Both those that are employed and job seekers can use it (it blurs the lines between the two)
• Helps you build confidence in distributing the document since it can be used if your employed or seeking a job
• Great to hand-out during the holidays in between job applications

Talking Points
• Allows you to focus on the key-points you want to talk about with others
• Doesn’t limit you any one job description or one industry
• You create the foundation and direction of the conversation
• Establishes a new way to represent yourself in the world of work
• Can be used for not job seeking activities such as an introduction to another professional or prior to a presentation

List of Headers or than your typical resume headers
• Areas of Expertise
• Professional Overview
• Experience Summary
• Career Achievements
• Special Skills
• Leadership Skills

Or—b e creative with headers such as:
• Design and Development Skills
• Presentations and Media Skills

New Standards for the Holiday Job Search

It’s the Holiday season and for many years I believed this was the worst time to look for a regular fulltime job. With new job search strategies and new venues for online networking, the Holiday job search seems to hold more hope than years past. Along with a lot of other job search strategies that have changed over the past two years, this lame duck job search season seems to be perking up.

Things working in your favor:
• Less competition. Most people will have given up on their job search during the Holiday season.
• Easier access to decision makers who are more likely to be in the office prepping for year-end reports.
• Fall trade shows and college recruitment season is over. Employers are ready to make decisions about who to bring in for interviews.
• Hiring managers are eager to start the new-year with new hires in place by January.
• For new hires to start in January, interviews must take place in December.

Holiday Job Search Tips
• Prepare a Networking Brief. A one page document with only skills, achievements, work history, and a statement of what you are seeking.
• Print out business cards with name, phone, email, LinkedIn address, occupational field.
• Attend Holiday events with your business cards and networking briefs close by. Whether you are employed or not, business cards and a networking brief is the new standard for keeping your career active and progressive in this economy.
• Keep your job search and attitude positive by setting manageable goals for the Holiday season.
• Create a job search schedule. Have days when you job search and different days when you apply for jobs.
• Add job searching through professional organizations. During the Holiday’s hiring managers who have open

Where the Jobs Are
Compiled by Marilyn Albert

Just when I think it is safe go in the job search market, I hear a statistic like this: In June, nearly half of the 14.6 million unemployed workers had been out of work for more than six months, with the average span of unemployment rising to a record 35.2 weeks in June from 34.4 weeks in May. This is a huge loss of income and waste of our ability to increase resources in our American workforce and economy. Who said laying-off people from their jobs would help the economy? The conundrum staring us in the face is fewer workers mean fewer taxes and a greater strain on government funded programs.

Then I read a media release like this and I can, once again, breathe hope into job search process.
Last week Governor Doyle announced that nearly 2.3 million in federal funding to help over 300 displaced Wisconsin workers find new jobs and improve their skills. The On-the-Job Training National Emergency Grants (OJTNEG) – awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor – are being made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“This grant will help working families hit hard by the national recession to find new jobs and improve their skills,” Governor Doyle said. “I want to thank Senator Kohl, Senator Feingold and Congressman Dave Obey, as well as Secretary Solis and the Obama Administration, for their work to help ensure that Wisconsin workers are job-ready as the economy recovers.”

The OJTNEG grants will provide workers with an opportunity to develop critical job skills while also earning a paycheck. Employers participating in the projects will receive partial reimbursement to offset the cost of training these workers. The projects will help workers become proficient in necessary skills more quickly and encourage employers to hire workers sooner, improving employers’ bottom lines and spurring economic recovery.

Governor Doyle encourages all affected workers to contact their local Job Center to inquire about services by visiting www.wisconsinjobcenter.org/directory or toll free at 1-888-258-9966.
The NEG program provides funding to states when significant events create a sudden need for assistance. National Emergency Grants are part of the Secretary of Labor’s discretionary fund and are awarded based on a state’s ability to meet specific guidelines. For more information, please visit http://www.doleta.gov/NEG.

For more information:
Laura Smith, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162
John Dipko, Department of Workforce Development, 608-266-6753

Where are the jobs?

Top Employment Sectors and Salaries*:

Accounting Services $50,402
Engineering Services $56,367
Financial Services $49,703
Retail/Wholesale Trade $41,678
Educational Services $33,682

*Source: Summer 2010 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers. Data are for bachelor’s degree candidates and is based on number of offers reported.

Top 10 Jobs for 2010**
Staffing firm Robert Half recently put together a list of what it believes to be 10 Promising Jobs for 2010. The company has identified opportunities in accounting and finance, information technology and administrative fields.

In accounting and finance, salaries are actually expected to increase by an average of .5 percent in 2010. Good news for the experienced workers—companies want financial pros who can crunch numbers, communicate clearly with various departments and help manage costs.

Job titles to look for include:

1. Tax accountant
Help companies save money by managing their tax bills.
Average Salary: $42,135 to $55,564

2. Compliance director
New Securities and Exchange rules mean lots of regulations to follow.
Average Salary: $66,955 to $104,232

3. Credit manager/supervisor
Keep cash flowing by evaluating credit risk and getting delinquent accounts to pay up.
Average Salary: $39,317 to $64,892

4. Senior financial analyst
Evaluate financial plans, budgets and figure out way to increase profits.
Average Salary: $44,212 to $60,938

While starting IT salaries will drop by about 1.3 percent in 2010, the job prospects are promising because computers are will always be the future. The growth is in positions that help companies reduce costs by implementing new technologies. Here are some keywords to get you started:

5. Network administrator
The most in demand position of any IT job. If you can speak cloud computing, Voice over IP and software, this job is for you.
Average Salary: $41,620 to $60,459

6. Information systems security manager
Companies don't want their top-secret data leaked out all over the web; you'll help keep it that way.
Average Salary: $59,395 to $87,024

7. Systems engineer
Someone has to make sense of all of new and emerging technologies. You'll set the foundation for a smooth transition to the future.
Average Salary: $59,395 to $87,024

Offices also need excellent administrators to keep things running smoothly. Demand is strong for workers who can multitask, have excellent computer skills, are willing to learn and aren't afraid to adapt to change. Best prospects include:

8. Medical record clerk
Hospitals are going digital, they need workers who can help them scan and process patient data.
Average Hourly Salary: $9.58 to $12.83

9. Customer service representative
Customer service has never been more critical to success, so play up your ability to provide service with a smile.
Average Hourly Salary: $10.60 to $14.19

10. Executive assistant
Expect to support multiple manages and take on a wide range of duties.

The report also noted that even in this glut of candidates climate, businesses are still having a tough time finding highly skilled candidates, so put your best resume forward and consider getting your foot in the door with an internship or temporary assignment.

**From Career Builder
Filed under: Hot Jobs Print Article Posted Nov 18th 2009 6:05AM
by Ed Orum for AOL Find a Job

Getting a Job Favors the Prepared
By Marilyn Albert

Reality Check
The national unemployment rate is up to 9.9%, with 2.7 million people looking for jobs. The temp agencies are inundated with people looking for work. Employers are using temps for most of their entry level positions and will probably hire them fulltime when they have new positions available.

In Wisconsin we are doing a little better, the unemployment rate is 8.8. The Midwest is mixed bag. Iowa is at 6.8% and Minnesota at 7.4. Illinois is at 11.5% unemployment. North Dakota and South Dakota top the list at only 4%, with Nebraska, Kansas and Vermont rounding out the top 5 states with the lowest unemployment rates. The highest unemployment states: Michigan, Nevada, Rhode Island, California, and Florida; all with double digit unemployment rates hovering around 12-14%.

Hearing these statistics upon graduation is daunting. However, new college graduates must participate in a job search. Even this economy should not dissuade graduates from becoming fully engaged in a job search. However, if you are like most graduates, along the way, you chose to postpone all career related/job search activities and focus on a fall-back plan.

If graduate school or getting a second degree is your fall back-plan, be aware that many colleges are not accepting “post-bac’s” (people wanting to get a second baccalaureate). It could be too late to apply for graduate school for this fall. Most graduate schools have closed late applications. Furthermore, graduate schools are only accepting career and professional degree candidates (the degree is required for the field). Graduate schools always have been selective with limited enrollments, even in good economic times. Going to graduate school has never been a good fall-back plan.


If you have done the following while attending college, you are on the right track:

• Participated in an internship related to your major or career goals that led to you learning what it is really like to be a new professional.
• Attended multiple information sessions with companies both on-campus and at the company’s office.
• Worked with a career counselor to help you develop a perfect(!) resume
• Practiced interviewing skills with employers and career professionals (including recorded interviews)
• Can answer the following questions confidently without hesitation:
o What do you want to do?
o What can you tell about yourself with regard to this job?
o What do you know about this job?
o Started applying for and interviewing for jobs prior to graduation

College career offices offer all of the above from the moment you arrive on campus, especially in the state of Wisconsin. All the public and private schools provide career services to help students to become proactive in their career development even as Freshman.


What have you been doing?

Quoting every panicked parent in the world, “What have you been doing?” Granted students everywhere have been working like crazy attending classes, working on team-projects, writing papers, preparing for presentations, and studying for exams. College students have been busy. However it is still hard getting around this statement, “I’ll work on my resume and look for a job after graduation.” Frankly—that’s too late.

There are two college recruiting seasons that are aligned with major graduations dates. For December graduates it is October and November; for May graduates it March and April. College recruiters who put approximately $33,000.00 into recruiting just one employer ready candidate are making decisions on who to hire long before graduates are walk across the stage for the graduation ceremonies. So, if you did not participate in the college recruiting season it will be tough for new college grads. Employers are most impressed with students who can juggle their busy senior year with the rigorous activities of a professional job search. They are not impressed with the Alumni who starts their job search after taking the summer off. Harsh, I know, but true.
So if your summer plans sound like this: taking the summer off before you a start your job search, not willing to relocate; and, not knowing what you want to do, then you have some serious catching up to do. Remember, “Luck favors the prepared.” So here’s how to get prepared.

Your Fulltime Job this Summer IS to Look for a Fulltime Job

One resume does not fit all: Today resumes need to reflect skills that are stated in the job description you are applying for. No longer will one resume do. Always print the job description, highlight the skills and then shoot for 100% match of keywords in resume.

Job searching on your own: Your job this summer IS looking for a job. Sitting at your computer all day conducting job search will make you feel productive and you will be able to apply for a lot of jobs quickly. I recommend you do this and more. Attend business mixers. Check out the Chamber of Commerce website and the Business Journal in the town you want to work in to find out about business mixers, conferences and networking events. Attend these to get your name out. Keep your LinkedIn profile updated.

Avoid the single minded approach: Many new job searchers make the mistake of focusing on their major in the first stages of the job search. A major is not a job. Seek out resources on “what do with a major.” Every college has this resource on their website. Schedule “career dates” for yourself. Essentially, a career date is anytime you schedule time to observe, talk to, or visit a work setting. Go to any place that offers tours of their facility. Epic does this, the Capitol, Monona Terrace, etc. While you are touring seek out names for “information interviews.” Find people who are working in jobs you aspire to. Call them, ask them if you can have 30 minutes of their time, schedule an appointment and then ask them how they got started.

Eliminate false expectations: New college graduates with little to no experience are looking at entry level jobs. Unless, you have tons of experience in a given field prior to or while attending college, you are looking at entry level jobs at entry level salaries. What’s remarkable about this, is that the entry level perspective only lasts for one year. After that you have experience, be patient.

Clean up your presentation skills:
-Documentation: Perfect resume, perfect cover letter, perfect thank you notes (yes-send a thank you note). After the interview, or phone conversation, take notes that are clear and precise.
Keep a file of all the job descriptions and resumes you sent as well as deadline dates and directions on how to get to the interview.

-Appearance: Dress professionally. Wear a suit. Do not wear jeans or khakis. Remove face piercings and dark nail polish.

-Language: loose the college lingo. Practice your greeting and handshake. Review common etiquette guides for job searching. Replace the word cool with interesting. Avoid “you know” and “ah.”

Employment statistics:
http://www.bls.gov/
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.toc.htm

Have You Ever Felt Like there was a Missing Link in Your Life?

By Marilyn Albert

The key to job satisfaction, ultimately success is to link your work personality to your work environment. Whether you are dissatisfied with your job, or can’t figure out what you want to be when you grow up, this session is for you.

Contrary to popular belief, the world of work is not as random as it may appear. Tire of hearing well meaning relatives who give ancient career advice from a different time and economy? Aunt Jenny’s advice about her son, your cousin once removed, may be more than you can handle right now. Nobody, knows what is in your head at this time. So, until you learn a little more about how the work world is structured, ease up on you near misses, shaky interviews, and what-was-I-thinking(?), self-talk. Not only is will this information help you in choosing a career path, it can help you stay in a job that currently isn’t a good fit by learning more about others around you.

It’s time to try and fit everything I know about career assessment in three minutes. All this information is online on NBC Channel 15 website. You can print all the documents and take a quick self-assessment within minutes. The read through the accompanied documents to sort it all out.

Let’s begin with the basics:

1. There are six different work personalities and environments.
Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. You either fit in one of three of these or you don’t. Nobody, is one perfect type, we are all a combination of three of these work personalities and work environments.

2. People can either choose an environment they are interested in working in (such as a hospital, school, tall office building in the city) and then find a job they are interested in that environment.
Example: working in a hospital. There dozens of different types of jobs in a hospital besides doctors and nurses. There are social workers, technicians, accounts, graphic artists, therapists, interpreters, etc...)

3. Or, it could be the other way around. Your personality is such that it can work in a variety of environments. Basically, the work personality chooses or creates the environment.
Example: Writer. Writers work in journalism, public relations, advertising, television, the blogosphere, etc. They work as freelance or work for a specific company.

Following are the six work personalities and work environments that all occupations fall into. Find your work personality and understand your work environment. Link this information in you educational choices, volunteer opportunities, resume, interviews and career choices. See how the world or work can change, in a good way, for you.

We won’t have time to go through all this so put the next 6 abbreviated items on the screen and I can go through the talking points. Viewers will have to go the website for the full text.

Realistic: prefers concrete problems, see the results of their labor, avoid abstract situations

Investigative: autonomous, prefers complex problems, analytical

Artistic: creative & good problem solvers, flexible, avoids structure

Social: supportive, philosophical, nurturing

Enterprising: lead, persuade, economic gain, manage, sell

Conventional: routine, organized, structure, data, repetition


The Realistic Personality Type (prefers concrete problems, avoids the abstract)
Likes to see the results of their labor and concrete problems. Sees themselves as very practical in nature. Has good skills in working with tools, mechanical drawings, machines or animals. Values practical things you can see and touch -- like plants and animals you can grow, or things you can build or make better. Prefers physical activities.

Realistic Type Work Environment (see the results of their labor)
Values people who are practical and mechanical -- who are good at working with tools, mechanical or electrical drawings, machines, or animals. Usually, excels in athletic skills and enjoys the outdoors.

Examples of occupations that have a Realistic environment are:
Farmer, Forester, Fire, Fighter
Police, Officer, Flight, Engineer, Pilot
Carpenter, Electrician, Diesel Mechanic
Athlete, Truck Driver, Locksmith


The Investigative Personality Type (autonomous)
Prefers complex problem solving and using their analytical skills. Likes to study and solve math or science problems. Has good skills at understanding and solving science and math problems. Values science, and sees self as precise, scientific, and intellectual.

Investigative Type Work Environment (prefers complex problems, analytical)
Values people who are precise, scientific, and intellectual -- who are good at understanding and solving science and math problems; as well as, complex psychological problems. They prefer a sense of autonomy (don’t fence me attitude).

Examples of occupations that have an Investigative environment are:
Chemist, Mathematician, Meteorologist
Biologist, Dentist, Physician
Veterinarian, Pharmacist, Medical Technician
Architect, Surveyor, Psychologist

The Artistic Personality Type (creative & good problem sovlers)
Prefer creative and flexible environments. Good at problem solving. Has the ability to think of things over and over again until they see things differently or can create a new way doing things. Likes engage in creative activities and values things like art, drama, crafts, dance, music, or creative writing. Has good artistic abilities in creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art. Sees self as expressive, original, and independent.

Artistic Type Work Environment (flexible, avoids structure)
Values people who are expressive, original, and independent -- who have good artistic abilities in creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art.

Examples of occupations that have an Artistic environment are:
Dancer, Book Editor, Art Teacher
Clothes Designer, Graphic Designer, Comedian
Actor, Disk Jockey, Writer
Composer, Musician, Social Media Marketng


The Social Personality Type (supportive, philosophical)
Likes engage in things to help people - like teaching, counseling, nursing, or giving information. Has good skills at teaching, counseling, nursing, or giving information. Values helping people and solving social problems; and, sees self as helpful, friendly, and trustworthy.

Social Type Work Environment (the process is more important than a decision)
Values people who are helpful, friendly, and trustworthy -- who are good at good at teaching, counseling, nursing, curing, giving information, and solving social problems.

Examples of occupations that have a Social environment are:
Counselor, Parole Officer, Social Worker
Dental, Hygienist, Nurse, Physical Therapist
Teacher, Librarian, Athletic Trainer


The Enterprising Personality Type (lead, persuade)
Likes to lead and persuade people, and to sell things and ideas. Good at leading people and selling things or ideas;
Values success in politics, leadership, or business; and, sees self as energetic, ambitious, and sociable.

Enterprising Type Work Environment (economic gain, manage, sell)
Values people who are energetic, ambitious, and sociable -- who are good at politics, leading people and selling things or ideas.

Examples of occupations that have a Enterprising environment are:
Auctioneer, Sales Person, Travel Agent
Recreation Leader, Judge, Lawyer
City Manager, Sales Manager, Bank President
TV Newscaster, Customs Inspector, Camp Director
Hotel Manager, Real Estate Agent, School Principal

The Conventional Personality Type (routine, organized)
Likes to work with numbers, records, or machines in a set, orderly way. Is good at working with written records and numbers in a systematic, orderly way. Values success in business; and, sees self as orderly, and good at following a set plan.

Conventional Type Work Environment (structure, data, repetition)
Value people who are orderly, and good at following a set plan -- good at working with written records and numbers in a systematic, orderly way.

Examples of occupations that have a Conventional environment are:
Court Clerk, Secretary, Bookkeeper
Bank Teller, Post Office, Clerk, Mail Carrier
Typist, Title Examiner, Computer Programmer

References:
Making Vocational Choices, John J. Holland.
Dictionary of Holland A Occupations Codes, Gary D. Gottfredson, John J. Holland.