Planning Your Job Search: Think outside the Box Before you go Job Hunting

Today’s job market is one of the most volatile we’ve seen since the early 1980s or possibly even since the Great Depression. The number of people searching for work continues to grow each day, while the amount of jobs available continues to shrink.

The unfortunate reality is that even though there has been a small drop in overall unemployment, according to a recent article from Time.com, the more serious issue of long-term employment shows no signs of stopping. According to the article long-term unemployment (unemployed for 27 weeks or more) increased from 4.4 million to 4.9 million from June to July. One in three unemployed workers have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more. The most disturbing statistics is that one-quarter of long-term unemployed people; never return to the work force. This leaves the possibility of an almost permanent recession in the United States.

Given all this, competition is ruthless and salaries are shrinking. That doesn’t mean the right job isn’t out there for you. It just means you have to step outside the box a little to find it. Here are some tips to help make your job search work for you. Use these tips to figure where you should be living and looking for work.

• Where are jobs and who is hiring – what is happening
• What Professions are in demand
• Where are the safest and most affordable cities to live in?
• What Cities are the best places to live if your single?
• Consider how far are your friends & relatives

Once you picked a city or two that looks like the right place for you to find your next job, here is what you do next:

• Summarize the salaries.
• Visit some online resources that enable you to look for jobs at national level for the areas you have in mind.
• Online resources to gather neighborhood information on the neighborhood you’re thinking about moving too.

And don’t forget the most precious resource you have, a list of who you know. Former colleagues, friends, and associates. And of them may have the right connection to get you your next job. Don’t forget to spread the word that you’re looking, the right introduction may just be the one that leads you to your future.

You can also reach out beyond your Network here at Ntroduction.com – simply ask for introduction and achieve your career goal(s).

Good luck!

Would I introduce my buddy at Ntroduction?

Would I introduce my close buddy  at Ntroduction to a seeker?

That is a judgment call I have to make – I may not necessarily introduce my close buddy, the buddy of my ‘inner circle’.

Let me define who is my  “close buddy” or “the buddy of my inner circle”?  If my buddy watches out for my interest and I watch out for him/her, then I would treat such buddy as buddy of my inner circle or close buddy.

Ntroduction : Who would you introduce at Ntroduction.com?

I may not necessarily introduce my close buddy, the buddy of my ‘inner circle’  -  However, I would provide introduction to somebody who I know professionally and I am not very close to him or her – my buddy in my ‘outer circle’. I would also be upfront and tell him/her that I am getting paid for the introduction.

For example, while working as part of Finance department,  say, I came across Tom, a Sales Director who is looking for a sales person to hire.  Would I introduce Tom at Ntroduction to a member seeking for a sales job? Yes – it would depend if he is part of my ‘buddy of my inner circle’. If Tom is not part of my ‘inner circle’,  I will reach out to Tom, the Sales Director and inform that I may get paid if  he ends up hiring the candidate I introduced.

Needless to say, I will review the candidate’s resume, possibly meet him/her and obtain comfort that this person comes across as a Sales person, is personable and has general qualities of a sales person

However if Tom was really my close buddy, my buddy in my inner circle, that would be a judgment call. If my close buddy Tom reached out to me and said “I really  really need to find this Sales person as soon as possible,  please let me know if you know somebody that fits my requirement“, then I will probably think about helping Tom with the referral – I would probably ask Tom “I may get paid from this candidate for investing my time qualifying this person, is that OK?“  If Tom agrees, then I will probably proceed.

How about you?

Can Swine Flu turn professional world chaotic?

With flu’s favorite chilly weather fast approaching, get ready for the  Swine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu).  Media has been speaking about how bad it can be and looks like 1 in 5 would be affected by swine flu.

Nobody knows what might happen but the better news :

• Even with no vaccine, winter is ending in the Southern Hemisphere without as much havoc as doctors had feared, a heavy season that started early but not an overwhelming one.
• The strain that doctors call the 2009 H1N1 flu isn’t any deadlier than typical winter flu so far. Most people recover without treatment; many become only mildly ill.
• Importantly, careful genetic tracking shows no sign yet that the virus is mutating into a harsher strain.

Only this week do U.S. researchers start blood tests to answer a critical question: How many doses of swine flu vaccine does it take to protect? The answer will determine whether many people need to line up for two flu shots – one against swine flu and one against the regular flu – or three.

As if we have life less complicated, when  the vaccine becomes available by mid October, there could be scarcity of vaccines so, there would be preference to  – pregnant women, young kid’s and young adults who have breathing problems – over others.

Alright! – What would happen to the professional world?

What if 1 in 5 in critical departments gets sick? Can this drive chaotic?

Typically Corporations have two plans – business continuity plan (BCP) and disaster recovery plan(DR) drafted and tested (mostly dry drills) that is executed when a crisis such as earth-quake or some action of god hits.

Can these plans be executed to avoid chaotic professional world?  Depends – It is designed for a situation to avoid losing business except that the assumption here is,  personnel who are responsible in executing the above plans should be mindful and healthy to execute the BCP.

You see where this is going?

So, let’s talk about how you can try to avoid getting affected:

• Make sure that it is a policy in your kids school to send sick kids home that shows the symptoms of flu (coughing, sneezing) – No disrespect intended to anyone. Same policy should be instilled within the corporate wall too.
• Take a lot of Vitamin-C and such, that can strengthen your immunity
• As soon as you and kids get home, no matter how tired you/they are, take a shower – Water vapor can help keep the lungs clean while body gets sanitized
• Avoid going to crowded places if you can
• Make sure you wipe your hands with anti-bacterial sanitizer as soon as you come from bathroom or from kitchen or meetings
• If you happen to catch  flu,  email the team to take leave and most importantly,  take the medication within one day, worst two (The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses)

Let’s hope that the majority of people infected with the virus make a full recovery without requiring medical attention or antiviral drugs

Am I stupid?

I know many of you got a good review, hoping to see teeny-weeny bit of a hike or a small bonus  or a promotion.

Heck… your boss walks up to you and indicates that you are not getting promoted this year and you need to be thankful for your paycheck.

Then, your boss sends a meeting invite that is scheduled in an hour along with a HR person into a conference room ‘Mount Fuji’.   Your blood pressure begins to build.

That moment comes – Your boss is not looking at you eye to eye but introduces the HR and excuses himself.

Now comes the ‘striking moment’ – HR personnel slowly speaks about how good you have done, your recent ratings etc which you don’t really care as, all you want is, to hear the catch!

You are about to scream – “Get to the point! – Show me my money!”

The HR personnel slowly and smoothly talks about how the economy is affecting the company revenues and in fact corporate executives are doing everything they can to avoid laying off employees.

Sure! Fair enough! – “Get to the point!”

Now comes the Kamikaze that knocks you down – Management has decided to instead, rescale the salary on case-by-case basis. You realize that is why he is here to talk to you.Then he tells you, your salary is rescaled to go down by 20% starting this week.

Huh…? What…?

You now need, more than any other time – a hug, a caring person who can patiently hear you and say ‘honey, don’t worry, I will take care of your shortcoming salary’.  You wish!

You walk out of the conference room with a silent nod to HR person. He says  ‘ I totally understand this is a bomb blast and if you want to take the rest of the day off, please feel free to do so’ .

But there is a all-hands meeting in the afternoon. So, you want to stick around.

Alright! – The week started with aspirations on Salary Hike, a tiny bonus and  perhaps promotion – all of these got promoted to the dreamland!

Then the CIO speaks at the all-hands meeting in the afternoon – ‘You have to be flexible to do anything needed- sometimes my controller of finance fetches me coffee and that’s how flexible we ought to be’.

Everyone giggles without energy.

You walk out of the corporate building slowly towards the parking garage thinking – you got a great review, a good rating and everyone in cross-functional departments raved your last year performance  – So.., “Am I stupid?”