Leaving Behind the Muddy Tracks of 2009—Here Comes 2010

All the hard-learned lessons and trials of 2009 may be caked to your boots, but it’s time to leave the muddy tracks behind you. We’re entering a new year and a new decade. On Sunday, December 20, the Washington Post’s Kiplinger Personal Finance column started off with: “In 2010, look for a sign of prosperity that we haven’t seen in years. It reads ‘Now Hiring.’”

What shape this hopeful turn takes and how many new jobs will open up, and when, remain to be seen, but 2010 holds promise for opportunities for the more than 7 million who lost their jobs in 2009. The Post added a caveat to its cheery employment outlook—that a “full recovery is far off”—but that’s nothing new. Economic recoveries are never fast, and they tend to be different from region to region, depending on what makes local economies tick.

Whether the new job opportunities turn out to be permanent or temporary, full-time or part-time, freelance or contracted, they will be competitive. Salaries may not match what they were in 2008, but it is better to be back in the market at a somewhat reduced income level than living on memories. As the economy grows, your salary will also rise again, but you have to be part of it for that to happen.

If you are unemployed—possibly since months ago or even longer—or underemployed, now is the time to recharge your job hunting batteries. Make sure your resume is current, get back in touch with your network, connect with agencies, refresh your online profile, and be ahead of the rest of the contenders for the jobs that do open up.

Good-bye mud. Hello new decade. Happy New Year!

One Tomato at a Time will resume two posts a week on January 5.

Holiday Cheer When You’re Out of Work—Keeping It Simple

The holidays put many people in a frenzy of decorating, shopping, wrapping, cooking, eating and reveling. For some, it’s a time of reflection, and for others, a time to party. Whatever your usual approach to December’s holidays, when you are out of work your perspective changes.
Instead of buying new decorations, you bring out your old favorites. Rather than shopping and spending in your usual fashion, you may make some gifts in your kitchen—or if you are crafts minded—by hand, improvising from what you already own. You may decorate your homemade gifts with recycled paper and ribbons. Holiday gatherings can take on a festive air with music and games that draw everyone into the fun.

Another way to spend part of the holidays is helping others who are less fortunate than you are, contributing your time and energy to feed and help the homeless. Bringing cheer and warmth to others by sharing your holiday can instill the same feelings in you.

By keeping your holiday plans simple, you can find the peace that is the essence of the season. By focusing on simple pleasures, like being with friends and family or helping others, you can do a lot more than “get through” an otherwise often stressful December. You can find joy.

I wish you much joy and peace.

The “Gifts” of 2009

As the holidays approach, the out-of-work jobseeker could easily fall into a gloomy cloud in the midst of the festivities. If you see yourself sinking into this mood, stop now and look back on the gifts, small or large, that you have received and given in the past year. “Gifts?” you ask. “Is she crazy?”

Well, maybe, but I know that since my own layoff I have learned a lot and met many great people I probably never would have known. For one thing, I became an active social media participant and a blogger, now with more than 80 blog entries posted. My professional community grew because I participated in LinkedIn groups and local organizations, attended countless networking events, and tweeted. This year, through webinars, seminars and workshops, I expanded my knowledge on such topics as web analytics and search-engine optimization. I volunteered my expertise as a judge in a professional awards program and as a career advisor. To bring in some cash, I began freelancing as a writer, editor and marketing pro and spent the last four months filling in part-time for someone out on parental leave, learning a whole new field for me—international development—and gaining new friends.

Sure, I’ve had my moments of fear for the future, but learning, growing and sharing have lifted me so that I can look ahead with hope rather than back with regrets.

My suggestion to you is to make your own list of “gifts” during 2009. Everyone’s list will be different, but, unless you have totally isolated yourself, you are likely to be surprised by all that you have gained this year, even if you lost your job. The gifts can be prizes as small as a hug or a phone call or as large as learning a new skill. They can be family-based or in your wider professional community.

Special Note: During the holidays, I will post two more entries on this blog before launching head first into 2010. You’ll find these on December 22 and December 29.

Taking Stock—What Do You Really Want to Do?

We’re approaching the end of the year. A lot of people take this time to make resolutions for the next year. If you are out of work, and the months have been ticking away without a hot job lead or an offer, the holiday season is a great time to stop and consider what you really want to be doing. Here are some things to ponder:

• Do you really want a full-time office job like the one you had before or would you like to try something new—maybe two part-time jobs?
• Would you enjoy more flexibility in your work life, possibly working from home most or all of the time?
• Have you considered working independently as a contractor or freelancer?
• Would starting your own business be your dream come true?
• Is there another line of work you can pursue that also fits your talents and today’s job market?
• Do you have skills, knowledge or talents that can transfer to a totally new field, such as the in-demand alternative energy industry or health care?
• What’s most important to you: benefits, salary, interesting work, flexibility, etc.?

How you answer these, and the many other questions you can pose for yourself, should drive the direction you take as you move forward in your career path.

Sometimes, jobseekers feel so driven by a sense of duty to those who rely on them for support, they overlook this important introspective step. Taking it now could make your search for gainful employment in 2010 more productive and rewarding.

Waiting to Hear if You Got the Job? You’re Not Alone

To receive a rejection notice at all these days is remarkable, so don’t take it to heart if you don’t. Once upon a time, employers would send a short note to all applicants cut in the first review to let them know they were out of the running. That practice has all but disappeared.
If you receive a rejection note after making the first cut, even a sterile “Thank you for applying,” consider yourself lucky. It doesn’t happen often.

This omission is probably a result of the massive number of applications submitted today for every job opening. In fact, one employer recently received more than 1,500 applications for a set of five openings. The prospect of having to send notices to even one-tenth of the applicants would be daunting. However, they did send rejection emails to all who were not chosen after undergoing a stringent audition, and they were written in a positive, almost personal tone. Such a rarity!

Anyone would rather receive a rejection letter than to never hear from an employer, especially after one or two interviews, but that happens more often than not these days. The worst rejections are the ones you never receive or you learn about when you meet by chance the person who did get the job.

If there is one lesson to learn from this change in how applicants are treated, it is that you should not take it personally. Nearly everyone is having the same experience you are.

However, as I wrote in my last blog post, Don’t Hold Your Breath—Be a Proactive Jobseeker, you can break the deafening silence yourself rather than waiting for notification from an employer.

Don’t Hold Your Breath—Be a Proactive Jobseeker

Suppose you submitted an application, made it through the first cut, had a phone interview and went on to an in-person interview. You are a success story already, even if it doesn’t feel that way yet. Every time you make it to the next level, you have achieved a goal.
Suppose you’ve even had two interviews, having made it to the finalist level, maybe even the top two. What should you expect next? Assuming the interview went well, your hopes are high for an offer.

You go home, write and send your thank-you note, and wait. How long should you wait? What is your strategy?

It is kosher and advisable to ask at the interview, if it hasn’t already been stated, what the time line and decision process will be.

However, don’t hold your breath. If a long time passes and you haven’t heard, there are a couple of likely scenarios. One is they have decided to delay making a decision or they are just slow—in other words, no offer has been made yet. The other is that you didn’t get the job.

No matter which scenario may be at play, take the initiative yourself to make a call or write an email to the lead interviewer, recruiter or hiring manager. Use this contact as an opportunity to restate your interest in the position. If it has not been filled yet, you increase your odds another notch by being proactive. If the job went to someone else, you will have closure so you can stop hoping this one will come through and put it behind you.

Hiring Decisions--How Do They Do It?

Recently, an online employer located in the Washington, DC area that was seeking to fill five lateral positions received more than 1,500 applications. As a hiring manager, I can’t imagine what a daunting job it must have been to sort through them, but they did. I say “they” because it must have been a team. I recall receiving 150 or more for one opening many years ago and thinking I’d never get through them…but I did.

Before applications went almost entirely electronic, I would create three piles. As I whittled the stack of letters and resumes down, I tossed all that lacked required information, had gross errors, or were obviously done in haste or addressed to the wrong organization, straight into the NO pile. Why waste time? My other two piles—MAYBE and PROBABLY—were trickier. The PROBABLY category was for those whose experience most closely matched the requirements and who wrote convincing, well crafted cover letters. This never turned out to be a large pile, but it had depth in quality. The MAYBEs were all the rest that had some qualifications but weren’t shoe-ins. Since the process went electronic, the physical piles have disappeared, but the general approach is often still the same, and it’s not easy.

Imagine yourself as a hiring manager or recruiter with 1,500 applications to review for those five positions. If you saw your own application among them, how would you do? Which pile would yours land in?

Keep this in mind when you write your next cover letter or fill out an application. Staying out of the NO pile is largely in your control. All you have to do is apply to jobs that are appropriate and pay attention to details. And, by targeting the right jobs—ones for which you are truly qualified—and writing compelling cover letters, you can also avoid the MAYBE designation. Landing in the PROBABLY pile is success and will likely lead to a phone call.

Rejected for a Job?—Get Over It

Rejection is part of the process of applying for jobs. There are only two possible outcomes for each application—you get hired or you don’t. How qualified you are for a job is no longer an issue, once you have been rejected. For each position, only one applicant can win out. But does rejection make you a loser? No, not at all.

The main thing to remember is that being rejected for a job is not about you. Companies have a wide range of reasons for the decisions they make that have nothing to do with you personally. They may hire internally after an open search, find another candidate whose experience is a dead-on match for the job description, or decide to delay filling the position for economic reasons. The scenarios are innumerable, but they are not about you.

It is important to not internalize rejections. If you do, they will eat you up—and suck the life out of your job hunt. And, the longer you are on the market, the more rejections you will have. Sure, they are disappointments, but it’s unproductive to let them hang you up. The best advice is to get over them quickly, brush off and move ahead.

Shoes—A Detail That Can Affect Your Job Chances

In the past two weeks, I have focused my attention—while commuting by subway into the city—on feet. It started when I glanced across the aisle at a professionally dressed traveler who neglected (or chose not) to wear socks in his shiny loafers. Either way, he seemed unfinished.

There have been many interesting pairs of feet in the stations and trains. Some are shabbily shod with worn down heels, thin spots, dulled and scuffed leather, and even worse. Then there are the flip flops (even on cold days), humongous furry boots (even on warm days) and enormously long-pointed, needle-heeled showy shoes that make my feet hurt looking at them. Most others are wearing walking shoes for the commute, presumably because they have shoes at the office reserved for wearing at work only.

If you are a job seeker, your footwear decisions can be very important. Shoes can offer a lot of clues about you. Reportedly, many recruiters and hiring managers take notice of what’s on your feet the moment you walk into the interview room. And more often than not, first impressions can determine your fate. Within seconds, assumptions are being made as to whether you will fit in to the company culture.

Clean, polished, sensible but stylish shoes that complement your outfit, preferably a tailored suit in a neutral color, send a clear message that you pay attention to detail and want to make a good presentation. They mean you want the job. Paying attention to such a seemingly small detail will also take the interviewer’s focus off your feet and bring it back to you, where it belongs.

Approaching Your Job Search with an Entrepreneurial Spirit

Taking an entrepreneurial approach to your job hunt is a way to stand out in the masses of jobseekers now on the market. People have been known to stand on the sidewalk hawking their availability with sandwich boards or to buy billboard space. These people reached a point at which they will do anything to get a job…and their tactics reek of desperation.

What are some ways to show your enterprising spirit without seeming weird and crazy? Here are some ideas to jump-start your thinking:

• Make your 30-second “elevator speech” less conventional. Spotlight a remarkable success you had rather than your laundry list of skills or jobs.
• Create unusual business cards. They could be a unique shape, have a fold-over flap, come in an electronic format…use your imagination.
• Start a blog and submit articles as a guest blogger—use every online opportunity to promote your blog (and you), without being pushy.
• Become an active blog commenter on popular, influential blogs in your field. Get noticed by sharing your expertise.

Instead of your resume, prepare a Qualifications Statement as if you are a consultant for hire and send it to the companies where you would most like to work. Sometimes you can get in the door full time after showing off your skills as a consultant.

Since this is Global Entrepreneurship Week, use the occasion to launch your own branded, entrepreneurial job search. Within professional parameters, you can have fun with it and demonstrate your creativity. It can’t hurt!

Get a New Job— Entrepreneur

This week is Global Entrepreneurship Week, focused on encouraging people around the world to bring new ideas and services to the marketplace. If you are looking for alternatives to solving your unemployment dilemma, becoming an entrepreneur may be the route for you. If you are a freelancer or have taken on contract work that you arranged yourself, you already qualify as an enterprising individual.

An entrepreneur is defined by Merriam Webster's as “One who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise,” but what it takes to be entrepreneurial goes beyond this generic description.

All the same skills and attributes you need to apply to job hunting are basic to starting a business: market research; believing in your idea and yourself; having a goal; building a plan; networking; marketing; persistence; and a base of knowledge. But, is this a good time to be an entrepreneur, with the economy still weak? Opinions differ, but if your risk level is low and you need little capital to get started, it just might be the best time to start a business. Before taking the plunge, though, do your research, get some advice and check your own finances.

There are many free and low cost local resources for prospective and active entrepreneurs throughout the U.S., especially through the Small Business Administration, SCORE, and your local government’s small business development agency. Because these groups want businesses to succeed, they offer training classes to get you started as well as ongoing advice and support.

Entrepreneurship may not be for you—it requires hard work, attention to detail, long hours and sometimes low self pay until the business is sustainable—but with a solid plan and mentoring, you may find that being your own boss is right for you.

See these articles for commentary on whether a recession is a good time to start a new business:

Five reasons why a recession is a good time to start a company

Is Now a Good Time to Start Up?

Starting a Business in a Downturn

Preparing Ahead for Curveball Job Interview Questions

If you have a spotless background—never made a single error—then hats off to you. You are a rarity. As humans, it is normal to commit gaffs on the job such as misjudgments, hasty decisions, misspoken words, overlooked details, and so on at some time in our careers. Since not everything goes perfectly all the time, you need to think ahead how you would handle a curveball question.

It’s the curveball questions that can trip you up, especially if you are not ready for them. Try answering one of these without any preparation:

1. Tell me about a decision you have made that turned out to be wrong.

2. Describe an incident where you disagreed with an executive decision.

3. We all make mistakes. Tell me about one of your worst.

4. What was the worst job you ever had?

5. In what area are you weakest?

The list could go on, and I suggest that you make your own list of questions. Include the questions you’d rather not have to answer, ones that might point to embarrassing events or your own errors.

Then, as an exercise, privately write out your answers truthfully, laying out the worst details in no more than a paragraph. Next take a look at what you’ve written and think about how you resolved these situations when you were under fire, in a tight spot, or just plain wrong. Did you learn anything from these experiences? Did they influence how you acted later to ward off the same kinds of ill events?

Whatever actions you took during or after a mishap—the ones that fixed the problem, saved the company unneeded expenses or embarrassment, or kept you from repeating the unfortunate situation—those are the ones you want to focus on during an interview. By demonstrating that you can step up to the plate to solve problems, learn from your errors and shoot for positive outcomes, you will show how you can handle any pitch, even a curveball.

The Curveball Interview Question—Don’t Let It Toss You Out

“So, tell me about your worst campaign,” asked the interviewer. The candidate, an experienced but young association professional, wasn’t ready for this question.

The “worst case” question is the proverbial curveball, thrown at the candidate to see if she can think quickly, solve problems and learn from mistakes.

Three scenarios came quickly to her mind:

1. An assistant neglected to match the names on letters with the addressed envelopes for a large mailing.
2. The applicant herself inserted the wrong year on a renewal form.
3. A temporary helper hired to fold letters and stuff envelopes, who reported for duty wearing 3-inch fake fingernails, wound up getting her blood red nail polish on the letters.

Given these three stories as my options, I like the fingernail story, because it injects a bit of humor into a serious answer, while giving her a chance to show how she addressed the problem. Perhaps she noticed the red marks on the letters early on and thus staved off a costly disaster. She may have called the agency to ask for a new temp after seeing what was happening. There are many possible approaches, but ultimately, she needs to demonstrate for the interviewer how she took charge of the situation and turned it around. Did she supervise temp staff more closely after that event? Did she change agencies? Did the mailing end up going out on time despite having to reprint some letters? Did it affect the bottom line for the campaign?

Of course, if the scene was a true disaster, she shouldn’t bring it up at an interview.

When asked to describe a negative event, job candidates should shape their answers in terms of positive outcomes, lessons learned and what they did the next time.

Watch for my next post on planning ahead for curveball questions.

Pinching Pennies & Spending Effectively After a Layoff

Face it, one of your first worries after a layoff, or any job loss, is money. In this economic environment we are all watching what we spend, but when there are no more paychecks or unemployment benefits are all you have to live on, spending decisions are critical.

Your main goal is to find a new job as quickly as possible, but to make sure your money covers your needs and expenses, your spending choices need to be strategic. Consider first what you absolutely have to spend on for your job hunt—things like Internet access, cell phone bills, business cards, transportation and a few office supplies. If you need professional help with your resume or job hunting techniques to get you started, especially if you have been out of the job market for a while, seek recommendations from friends and price out your options. Put your money where you will gain what you really need.

Networking is a necessity. Not every penny you spend will bring you actionable results, but every connection can lead to another. There are plenty of low cost networking options, where $10-30 will get you in the door if you register ahead.

Consolidate your events or meetings to economize on travel costs and time. If you have to drive to networking events, try carpooling with a friend or job hunting buddy, trading off on who drives each time. If you are going into the city for a meeting or an interview, take public transportation and make it a day. Set up additional informational interviews in the same area. Meet someone for lunch and maybe someone else for coffee.

Print your own business cards or use one of the low cost or free online business card printers. Printing you own will allow you to customize your cards to specific scenarios, which is helpful if you are looking at more than one career path.

Stretching your job hunting budget is possible if you make wise decisions.

The Old Fashioned Thank-you—Your Post Interview Spotlight

People like to be thanked for gifts or attention. It’s human nature. The same principle applies in the job hunting process.

After an interview, there is nothing better than a formal, personally written thank-you note from you to solidify you in your interviewer’s memory. It also shows your attention to detail and follow-up. Saying thank-you is done all too seldom, so your note of gratitude will make you stand out. It’s like shining a spotlight on yourself.

Prepare ahead by purchasing a set of simple thank-you cards and postage stamps, and do this before you even send out resumes. Consider them a necessary staple in your job hunting toolbox.

Why not just send an email? Emails these days are ordinary and easy to lose in the mass of other emails everyone receives. A note on card stock in a small envelope, written in your own handwriting (printing is also fine) will emerge as unique in the office mail.

Here is what your note should include:

• The date
• A formal greeting, such as “Dear Mr. Jones,” unless you are writing to an old friend, in which case you can use the first name
• Your personal statement of appreciation for their time, information and interest in you
• A brief mention of something about the job or company discussed during the interview.
• A reiteration of what you offer that will be of most value to the employer.
• A restatement of your interest in the job and working with them.
• A professional closing, such as “Sincerely” or “Best regards”
• Your full signature

The note should be short and friendly but professional, and enthusiastic but not gushy. Because it will be hand written, draft your note on the computer or a separate piece of paper. That way you can edit and improve it before transcribing it onto your purchased note card.

Mail your note the same day as the interview or at least the next morning. In today’s competitive job market, being first and being timely are highly important.

Networking—Compassion or Competition?

Fellow jobless people you meet through networking can become part of your community of connections or they can be competitors. The distinction is really up to you. However, choosing the compassionate route can have short- and long-term rewards.

Even those who may be competing for the same jobs hold some promise as connections, because if they find a job before you do, they are suddenly on the inside track again and able to help you more. The wider you cast your net, the more options you give yourself. If you shut off those who might “take jobs away” from you, you also shut off the potential leads and support they can offer.

Just as with not burning bridges with past employers (see the last post), being open minded in your networking could lead to a job opportunity you never imagined existed.

The keys to success in networking with other jobseekers are sharing and caring. You can:

• Share interesting articles, papers or news items with your connections.
• Add them to your online network on LinkedIn or other social media.
• Offer support by listening.
• Notify them about new networking opportunities.
• Invite them to join you to hear an interesting speaker.
• Ask them to come along to a professional meeting, exposition or other event.
• Introduce your contacts to others in your network.
• Send links to resources on job hunting or their profession.
• Check in periodically to see how they are doing.
• Get together one-to-one over coffee.

Turning Anger into Positive Energy after Job Loss

When you leave a job, especially under unhappy circumstances such as a layoff or separation, it is wise to leave with as much style as you can muster—staying calm and professional. And, to stay that way, no matter how angry you are. Throwing epithets or trashing your former employer will only do you harm.

In a town like DC where a lot of people know a lot of people, word can get around. You may tell people what happened to you in “confidence,” but in another context your tale of woes may just be another bit in their memory bank, and it may be reaching the ears of possible future employers or coworkers. It might even reach your previous boss, which could hurt your chances if he or she is called by your next potential employer for a reference. Additionally, people shy away from complainers. If you are networking, you’ll do better if you park your personal issues at home.

However, I’m not suggesting that you ignore how you feel or suppress your initial anger. What I am suggesting is that you deal with it to get over it, so you can start on a positive path towards finding new employment. If you deal with your anger in constructive ways, whether it’s writing in a personal journal (not a blog), talking it out privately at home or with a professional counselor, or taking it out in exercise, you are taking charge of it rather than letting it consume you and infect what you do and say.

Employers are looking for upbeat attitudes, and burning bridges has never been the route to success. Working through your feelings will help you find the positive energy you need to move on.

After the Networking Event—What’s Next?

When networking, you will likely meet people who are looking for jobs like yourself, some just laid off and others who have been on the market for months or longer. You will encounter others who are well connected in the DC business community, sales persons or business owners looking to gain a customer, and career coaches and recruiters. Any of these individuals could turn out to be good connections for you to make.

Each time I attend a networking opportunity, I leave with several business cards and connections that could lead either to freelance, contract or permanent work, or new friends, or even guest bloggers. These are just quick meetings, nothing definite, but bearing potential. So, what’s next?

Without follow-up, all these networking connections are just noise. It’s up to you to make the music. On the same or next day after a networking event, you should:

• Make sure the notes* you jotted on the business cards you collected are meaningful, while you can still remember enough about the people and what they said. I recommend that for later reference you also date the cards and add the name of the event or organization.
• Sort your cards (and your memories) into: A. those with true long-term potential; B. those with peripheral common interests; and C. those who are probably not going to be part of your immediate circle.
• Start contacting your A group first. Invite them to join your online network (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) or set up a time to meet over coffee.
• Write short greetings to your B group, and if you are so inclined, to your C group. After all, this latter group may have connections to other people you’d like to know.

Now you have begun the networking process—and it definitely doesn’t end here.

*See the October 20 post.

Making a Networking Event Worth Your While

Networking is more than meeting people, elevator speeches and a stack of business cards. It’s about building relationships.

At a “networking” event, such as those given by the groups mentioned in my Oct. 19 posting or by a professional organization in your field, you will shake hands with many people, exchange short conversations and trade business cards.

Here are a few tips for making attending such an event more successful and meaningful:

• If the name badges are “do-it-yourself” stickers, write your name neatly and large for easy recognition.
• Attach your name badge on your right side so when you shake hands, those you are meeting can easily read it.
• Arrive early before the full crowd has assembled. It’s a good chance to have fuller conversations when the room is quieter.
• Hold back on the drinks, even if there is an open bar or drink specials. A tipsy networker is not a pretty picture.
• If there is food, have yours early on so you can greet people without a mouthful.
• Practice name recall by making introductions. The more you use a name, the better you remember it and the stronger the connection will be.
• Do not make the mistake of discounting the value of fellow jobseekers, who may prove to be your best advocates and scouts. These linkages can prove to be mutually beneficial and long-lasting.
• Do not ask for jobs, but rather listen to what people talk about, what their concerns are and what they are looking for.
• Make notes on the backs of business cards you gather to help you remember specifics about the people who gave them to you. Jot down their interests, goals, specialties or other notable facts.

Armed with a handful of cards, what do you do now? I will address that in my next post. Also, see these earlier posts on networking.

Call Me an Optimist—Jobs Are Like Tomatoes?

One of my two “girls,” a tall productive yellow cherry tomato plan, bit the dust in early September. Her offspring were delicious. The sister plant with its plump red cherry tomatoes is nearing its demise. Both plants lived fruitful lives, enjoying the sun, enduring storms and cold nights, and delivering 100s of wonderful little tomatoes.

We popped them in our mouths raw right off the plant, we added them to vegetable and pasta dishes, and we sautéed them with leaves from our basil plants. They joined our stir fry meals and topped fish fillets.

As the two plants aged, they developed leaf spots and hosted spiders who strung their webs from stem to stem. They stopped being pretty. At one point, my husband pointed to them and declared they were done. No more of the little green gems were going to turn to red or yellow, he thought. “Time to cut them down.”

Call me an optimist. I wasn’t ready to give up (seems to be a lifelong trait of mine)…and it turned out I was right. We had at least a dozen more ripening tomatoes after the initial death sentence.

Now that their season is nearly finished, I look forward to planting their cousins in the spring. We had a good run together. It’s been great.

In a way, it's similar to leaving or losing a job you liked. It was a good run, but now it's time to move on.

[If you’re new to One Tomato at a Time, please check out these earlier posts on planting and tending my “girls.”]

Signs of the Season, Networking Opportunities Are Everywhere

Trees are starting to show their fall colors, and networking opportunities are abundant in the DC area. Organized groups, from professional associations to local meet-ups and interest groups, are hosting gatherings at a wide range of venues. If you are looking for a job, this is prime time for making connections. Summer is over. Everyone is back in action.

Here are a couple of affordable, very active groups that sponsor area networking opportunities jobseekers should check out.

Washington Network Group—WNG is a membership group, but you don’t have to join to attend. Over time it will make sense to join so you can participate in networking at the nominal member rate of $20. Food is included at these evening events, and there is a cash bar. The group holds events specifically for professionals in government affairs, business, communications, technology and international fields, but they also hold events that bring them all together. Go to http://www.washingtonnetworkgroup.com/ for more information. WNG also offers an extensive online list of organizations for further networking.

Washington DC Connections—This is a group spawned on LinkedIn last April that has mushroomed into a network of more than 11,000 DC area professionals. It has 13 special interest subgroups as well. There are no membership dues, and events cost $20. Since it is part of LinkedIn, there is also an active online community, where members often post information for jobseekers. Go to the group’s LinkedIn pages for more details.

The general wisdom for jobseekers is that you won’t find a job sitting at home. So take advantage of all the opportunities around you to get out to meet new people, connect with those you’ve met before, and potentially open a niche for yourself that leads to a new job.

Chipmunk Cheeks—Never Giving Up

While writing for this blog, I often see a small brown flash in the corner of my right eye as a chipmunk—cheeks full of acorns—dashes across the top step outside my back door. Sometimes it will sit there for a while on its haunches, looking around, totally oblivious to my presence. We regularly share a space on this planet, only a few feet apart. It’s one of the small pleasures of working at home.

My chipmunk friend, like millions of others, is preparing for the winter. Even I have begun my preparations for colder weather by extracting my long-sleeved shirts and sweaters from a cedar-lined storage box in my closet.

As the seasons come and go, we all make small and large adjustments to our lives. As jobs come and go, we move on too. Sometimes the effort and changes such transitions require are large, but taking each step One Tomato at a Time (so to speak), we get closer to where we want to be.

My friend the chipmunk makes countless trips to transport a few acorns from their source to a hiding spot, never giving up because the task is too large.

I think there is a lot we can learn from chipmunks.

Passing Unemployment Milestones and Focusing on the Future

Many who were laid off earlier this year or before are still on the market for a job. There’s no denying that job hunting in today’s environment is more challenging than when the economy was booming. You can’t change historical facts, but you can change your future reality.

If you are passing an unemployment milestone, say six months or more, maybe it is time to take stock of your accomplishments to date.

Have you:

• Sought advice from friends and experts?
• Lined up your references?
• Had your resume professionally critiqued?
• Regularly updated your online profile?
• Networked at every opportunity?
• Followed up on leads given to you by friends and former colleagues?
• Shared job leads with fellow jobseekers?
• Developed or participated in a support network?
• Contacted recruiters?
• Attended workshops and seminars to keep your skills up?
• Enrolled with temporary agencies?
• Kept in touch with your contacts?
• Volunteered anywhere?
• Joined Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn groups?
• Conducted informational interviews?
• Updated your portfolio?
• Started a blog or your own website?

While these are great steps to take, especially if you have done them all, you might respond, “Yeah, but,” because so far they haven’t landed you a permanent job. However, at this juncture in your quest for re-employment, it’s okay to congratulate yourself for what you have accomplished…for a moment…and then move forward.

Rather than sagging into the dumps, now is the time to try new angles and ramp up your efforts. Instead of losing steam because of the time passed, energize yourself and get going.

Portfolios for Creative Non-Creative Job Hunters

You may not design beautiful brochures or websites, but I’ll bet you have put together a report or two, maybe with graphs or charts. Maybe you wrote a portion or all of an investor report or contributed to last year’s annual report. Can you show critical path and milestones for a project you managed in a Gantt chart? How about SOPs you wrote or an executive summary?

There are lots of creative ways to demonstrate your abilities with visual effects even if your work itself is not in the creative arts. Portfolios are not just for writers or graphic designers. When you walk into an interview, it creates more impact if you have something visual that you can show while you discuss your role and the outcomes of your contribution.

Fill a portfolio with your best recent examples, including PDFs, web pages or other documents (printed in color) that graphically demonstrate your business skills (without divulging proprietary or confidential information) in developing such initiatives as:

• proposals


• plans


• programs


• policies


• profits


• problem solving


• positive results
  

When the interviewer says, “So, tell me about yourself,” you’ll be ready to talk about your accomplishments in a novel way. In today’s highly competitive market, it should make you a standout candidate who will get the job.

10+ Portfolio Tips for Creative Professionals

If you’ve been out of the job market for a while—now thrust into it by a layoff or other job loss—your portfolio has likely been languishing on a shelf. Hopefully, you’ve been saving samples of your work in your recent jobs in case you needed them someday. Now is the time to dust off or replace your old presentation binder and start all over with a winning portfolio. Here are some tips to help you make your portfolio a tool for job hunting success:

1. If your presentation binder is old and worn, buy a new one. Look for an attractive, professional one that will be durable, flexible and easy to carry.
   
2. Research the types of materials produced by the employer. Ask in the phone interview what types of pieces they would like to see.
   
3. Customize your portfolio to the organization’s needs and the job description.
   
4. Make sure your portfolio contents are fresh, bright and interesting with no torn or spotted pieces.
   
5. Organize your pieces by type or by employer, whichever seems most logical for your presentation.
   
6. Put your award winners, if any, up front.
   
7. If your work is online, do screen captures and print them. Explain what your role was and the outcome.
   
8. Inquire ahead if you want the option of showing your portfolio in presentation slides or online, to make sure the employer’s office is equipped, particularly if you are interviewing with a group. Test your electronic presentation at home before arriving for the interview. Technical glitches can be spoilers.
   
9. Time your presentation to no more than 10-15 minutes. Practice by showing it to a friend or family member.
   
10. Talk about your work as you show it, relating how it fit into the business plan, what your role was and what the results were.
    
11. Highlight any comprehensive projects you had and how you managed them.

Your Portfolio Can Put You in the Spotlight…or Out

Standing out in the crowd is harder when the crowd is bigger, as it is in today’s job market, but there are ways to make yourself a true standout, and among them are your portfolio and how you present it.

If you do any type of creative work, whether it’s writing, design, web development, signage, art or making presentation slides, to name a few, a portfolio is a must. However, it can take a lot of different shapes. Let me tell you about three portfolios I have seen.

Worst: A candidate showed me samples in his portfolio that were completely off the mark from the type of work I needed, although once I noted it, he said he had those back at home. It was already too late. The image was set. The portfolio should have been reset ahead of time to match the job, showing similar pieces done for other groups. In addition, the presenter should be enthusiastic about his or her own work. This one showed no excitement, no real sense of pride. I was left cold.

Bad: One portfolio that scored low with me had obviously been sitting on the shelf a while. A graphic designer was showing it to me, pulling out piece after piece from a faded presentation binder. Before the meeting, I expected to be dazzled by the design. Instead, the portfolio was disorderly and the samples were old and stale. There was nothing that said “hire me” in any of the work.

Best: The best portfolio I have ever seen was not only targeted, but it was delivered with panache and a bonus. The candidate arrived for the interview with a binder that showcased her recent writing and project management experience, both for print and online media, organized with tabs for different types of projects. The cover was personalized for me and my organization, and when she left she gave it to me. She had clearly done her homework, too. We had talked about a planned overhaul of a publication during our phone interview, so, inside the binder cover, she included a three-page thoughtful proposal for how the project could proceed. It didn’t matter that not everything in it was actionable. What mattered is the research and effort she put into it. I was sold.

Yes, Volunteer Work Can Go on Your Resume

If you choose to do substantive professional volunteer work or participate in a charitable action group, such as Habitat for Humanity, it’s fair game to include it on your resume. If you’ve been laid off, as time passes, your resume will show a gap that may raise questions for a hiring manager or recruiter. One way to fill that gap is with volunteer work.

Here are some ways you can leverage your experience for the benefit of others as well as your resume:

• Become a volunteer leader in a professional organization.
• Judge a competition that uses your skills and expertise.
• Teach a class at your community center or local adult education program.
• Tutor a high school or community college student.
• Teach English to non-English speaking adults.
• Get involved in planning a local event, such as an arts fair or charity auction.

Reader Janet Falk recommended the following additions to the list of volunteer sites I posted earlier in No Pay, But the Rewards Are Many:

• www.smartvolunteer.org
• www.idealist.org

She added this one for readers living in New York City: www.nycservice.org.

I invite you to suggest additional volunteer resources and activities.

Donate Your Talent When Job Loss Leaves You Short on Dollars to Give

After a layoff or other job loss, you may not be able to donate money, but there are a lot of ways to volunteer your time and talents.

Volunteering brings multiple benefits. It’s an outlet for you to think outside of yourself and do something good for others. It’s also a way to network, depending on where you focus your volunteer energy.

Here are some ways to volunteer:

• Help organize a community event, such as a park clean-up or neighborhood barbecue.
• Make your hobby the focus of your volunteer time. For instance, if you like the outdoors, join a hiking club and become active in the group’s leadership.
• Organize a group visit to a nursing home to bring cheer to the residents.
• Get politically involved in local, state or national actions or groups.
• Read to children in daycare programs or at the local library.
• Deliver meals on wheels to homebound seniors.

While you’re doing your volunteer work, get to know your fellow volunteers or coordinators. Collegially, let them know who you are, what you offer and where you want to be. Share ideas and jump in to get things done. The rewards are immeasurable.

That Important Fleeting Moment: Your elevator speech

Have you been in a professional networking situation and participated in a round robin, only to realize—after you’ve given a brief, dull “here’s who I am and what I do” statement and others have taken the floor with a flourish—that you missed out on something?

Once you passed on the baton, your moment in the spotlight was over and gone. What happened, and how can you make sure this misstep doesn’t occur again?

First, be clear to yourself who you are and where you want to be going. As a jobseeker this is vital anyway, so now you need to articulate it in a value statement—the statement usually referred to as your elevator speech because it’s short and to the point.

Brainstorm key words that especially apply to you. Your statement needs to sound natural, not like a canned speech using generic terms. Write out several versions and test them aloud to yourself. How do the words roll off your tongue? Can you state your case in 30 seconds? Edit and rewrite until you have something that works for you.

Second, get some practice. You have a fleeting moment to let people know that you are knowledgeable in your field, experienced, passionate and goal oriented. These are not words that will slip off your tongue at a moment’s notice in a coherent, impelling fashion. So, unless you are one of the extremely rare birds who can speak eloquently off the cuff, practice with family or friends before you try it in a professional setting.

Next, go to a networking event and give it a go. Remember, you don’t want it to sound like you memorized it, and each time you speak to a new person, the one you just spoke to may overhear you, so mix up the words. This is not the time to sound like a parrot. Stay calm and keep talking, but keep it short. Blather on and people will stop listening.

The more you network, the more you will become comfortable sharing your value statement, and the more people will listen...and remember you.

Seems Like a No Brainer, Doesn’t It?—Read the instructions

Let my error be your knowledge gained.

I thought I had it nailed. I’m normally a very detail-oriented person, priding myself on not missing anything.

An especially interesting federal government job opened up, but the application period was fairly short and during a very busy time for me. Offline, I prepared my resume, making sure, as instructed, that the references were there to support the numerous essays that I needed to write. After spending considerable time over several days getting ready, it was time for the submission.

On the final application day, after about two hours entering my data, reviewing it, and then checking it again, I took the plunge and submitted my application. However, the next step—submitting required documentation—was yet to be completed and had to be done by midnight the same day. My cursory review early on indicated to me that I wouldn’t need any such paperwork, but the final instructions pointed to a request for my college transcripts. Uh, oh.

I’ve been out of school long enough that my transcripts are truly irrelevant, and I’ve never been asked for them before—not in more than 30 years. At this point I have no idea if I have them or in what box they might be deteriorating. My experience should speak to my qualifications, in my humble opinion, but the federal government (and I’m sure, other employers) requires transcripts.

Transcripts do not materialize in a few hours. It may take a week or more to receive them after your request, depending on your college or university. And, you may need other documentation, especially if you have a military background. So, even though I missed the deadline for this job, I drove to a local shop that same day and faxed the request to my alma mater. If another job arises, I’ll be ready.

Lesson learned: Read all the instructions well in advance and plan ahead. If you miss an important detail, you have thrown away valuable time and effort.

Day After Labor Day Pep Talk for the Jobless

It already feels a bit like fall. Children have all returned to school. Vacation time is over. Put away your summer attitude and get down to brass tacks. It’s time to refocus on where you need to be—gainfully employed.

The jobless rate was reported at 9.7% on Friday, a slight gain over the previous month, and it is likely to climb again. You could let that get you down. It would be easy to get down in light of unhappy statistics.

However, there is an undercurrent in which jobs are beginning to appear. Capitol Communicator reported last week “that things are starting to heat up on the business front” for DC area communications agencies. As I see it, new business leads to job opportunities. Also, the federal government, according to the Washington Post last week, will need to replace more than 270,000 retiring workers for “mission-critical” positions in the upcoming 3 years. More temporary jobs are starting to emerge as organizations find they need extra help for annual events or to replace people out on special leave, such as maternity.

Yes, most employers are back from vacations and refocused on business, and jobs may be slowly opening up, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue trying just as hard as you did right after losing your last job, whether because of a layoff or other reason. Or, that you don’t stand a chance in a highly competitive job market. You need to do whatever it takes to stand out, show off your strengths and offer employers what they need, and do it better than anyone else competing for the same jobs.

It’s a new season. Let’s get going.

Why Should I Help You? Part 3

Networking is not just about you
by Linda Franklin, guest blogger

Not everyone can reply to every message all the time, but a little courtesy goes a long way toward helping maintain a bridge or build a connection that can lead to something down the line. But for those who see themselves in the scenarios described in Why Should I Help You?—Part 2; Lessons from real life, remember:

Networking is not about building your count on LinkedIn. Networking isn’t just about you; it’s about building and strengthening your relationships with others and keeping that two-way communication going. You never know with whom you will work or who may be a referral or reference for you, or—ultimately—your hiring manager.

So, the next time someone agrees to provide you with a referral, offers to meet for coffee or look over your resume, take a few minutes and make sure you thank them. Better still, ask them how you can help them. After all, your high priority (to get a job) may not be their priority; they’re taking some valuable time to help you, so in the grand scheme of things, you’re incurring a debt you need to recognize. Those who do follow up stand out—and, you never know, one day the person you thank may be in a position to recommend you for a job.
________________________________

Thank you, Linda Franklin, for your good advice this week. And, to all my U.S. readers, have a great Labor Day weekend, and to everyone else, I wish you beautiful days. One Tomato at a Time will be back in action next Tuesday.

Why Should I Help You? Part 2

Lessons from real life
by Linda Franklin, guest blogger

I am more than happy to provide a connection or referral when appropriate. We all want that jump start to our next career move. Imagine my surprise, then, when I have experiences like these:

A former colleague contacted me to see about having coffee, but never confirmed. Then, a month later I received an email asking me to be a reference. It turned out I was to be a reference for an interview THAT SAME DAY for a potential job I knew nothing about. I foolishly agreed, and looking back, I can’t say I’d do it again. I have no idea what happened, since I never heard any follow up or even received so much as a thank-you.

Another former colleague is actively looking in a specific career niche. When I saw a relevant function coming up, I forwarded the notice immediately. No response.

If you are reaching out to someone for a referral, always be considerate of other’s time. And even if a lead doesn’t fit, always send a quick thanks to someone for thinking of you. A little courtesy can go a long way.
________________________________
See Linda Franklin's previous post for a brief bio and contact info.

Why Should I Help You? Part 1

Reaching out to others
by Linda Franklin, guest blogger

Last year I became another statistic filing for unemployment. My story was not unlike many others: With a company for 7 years, I thought I would be there for my career. When my notice came, I went through the usual shock and disappointment (“WHAT?!?!?”).

And then came the “What do I do now?” I began reaching out to everyone I knew and began meeting new business contacts at professional networking functions. LinkedIn became my new best friend.

While networking I quickly realized an important lesson: those who had themselves been laid off or experienced similar job ups and downs were the ones most likely to lend a helping hand. They understood the pain and frustration of the job search, and they regularly went that extra step to get my resume in front of the right person.

It was easy then for me to decide that, once I was employed again, I would make sure to reach out to help others in my network going through a layoff/job search. Not just by getting their business cards, but learning more about their background, experiences and their goals so that I could refer them to others or job postings that would be a good match.

_____________________________________

Linda Franklin, who has survived the bruises of 2 layoffs, is happy to be working again as Marketing Manager of WiseChoice.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lfranklin99
http://www.twitter.com/LindaFrank123
http://us.mc518.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Linda.Frank123@yahoo.com

Networking Is a Door Opener

If you are a regular reader of One Tomato at a Time, you may have noticed a gap between posts this past week. I’m not quitting the blog, and I haven’t been ill or lazy. I actually found some work that pays, and it has consumed my days and some of my evenings.

For part of the week, I’m on contract with an organization to cover marketing and communications while the director is on maternity leave. This means commuting two days a week and working at home part of another day. The remaining time is now devoted to writing, proofreading and editing marketing materials for a large D.C. client as well as making courtesy phone calls to members on behalf of a healthcare association.

My week is now diverse, I’m working with interesting people and stimulating topics, and I am using the best of my skills to do fulfilling work. I’m not back to where I was before I was laid off almost six months ago, and I still need to find a permanent, full-time position, but this is certainly an improvement.

What led to two weeks of interviews, meetings, a temporary job and freelance assignments?

Networking. Networking. Networking.

Attending professional and networking events, meeting and connecting with new people, staying in touch with friends and past associates, participating in email list groups, checking in periodically with a contract placement agency—all of these actions have been keys to opening up opportunities for me. They can be for you too.

See these other relevant posts:
To Temp or Not to Temp—That Is Sometimes the Question
Thoughtful Persistence Can Lead to Temp or Contract Work
Put on a Smile and Get out the Door

Play the Match Game When Applying for Jobs

There are tons of employment options in the D.C. area, even in today’s fractured job market, but where are you putting your attention? Are you going for those that offer you the chance to do what you know best? Are you following a career path or just going for a “job” to earn a paycheck?

It’s easy to justify to yourself sending out hundreds of resumes, following every remotely possible opportunity. You are actively job hunting, right? Wrong. You are just doing stuff rather than focusing on jobs that truly suit your abilities and experience or that offer career growth. Going for jobs that are not right for you are a waste of time and energy, and if you do land a job for which you are not really qualified, you could be setting yourself up for failure.

Success is the goal. Finding a job that you may not like and may not really know how to do at any salary, for any employer, won’t get you there and may be short lived. Finding a position that allows you to shine while being paid a fair market rate (or better) to provide vital services to an employer is my definition of success and is most likely to lead to long-time employment.

Making the right match and focusing on a realistic target are game winning strategies.

No Job, Little Sleep, Getting Frazzled?

A lot has been written about the stress associated with job loss. What are you doing to maintain your equilibrium in light of your own dilemma?

If you are getting down or finding it difficult to get to sleep or stay asleep, leaving you short on energy in the morning, it is time to take some measures for change. There are steps you can take that don’t add cost to your budget but should help:

1. Get some exercise every day. Walk, run, bike…whatever suits you best.
2. Breathe some fresh air. Enjoy a local park’s gardens and natural vistas or tend to your own yard. When the weather is nice enough, find a place to sit outside and eat your lunch.
3. Cook simple, healthy meals. Stay away from sugary or fatty “comfort foods,” sodas, caffeine and excessive alcohol, especially in the evening. Nourish your body and brain with important nutrients.
4. Minimize your before-bed stimuli. Take some time to slow down before you lie down. Have a cup of chamomile tea, read a magazine or listen to quiet music. Television and intense reading can activate your brain instead of putting it to sleep.

Here are some online articles and websites that offer more tips:
Job Losses Carry High 'Stress Tag'
Advice from U.C. Berkeley
Dealing with Job Loss, from CareerOneStop
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Agency
Overcoming Job Loss Depression from eHow.com
Tips on Budget Eating & Job Loss
USDA Food Pyramid

Get Your Foot in the Door with Consulting

Daria Akers, a web quality assurance tester, lost her job in January. It was a crushing experience for her because she enjoyed working for the company and would miss her colleagues. Seeing a dearth of job openings in her field in the D.C. area market, she didn’t know where to turn.

A friend who owns a web development company, Sonjara, asked her if she was willing to do some part-time consulting for a while. The 10-20 hours a week would put a little cash in Daria’s pocketbook, add something to her resume and help her feel productive again. Consulting was new to her, but she decided it give it a go.

Her client knew she was looking for a job, so Daria assured her she would give ample notice and even continue on after finding a permanent position if she needed her. After about a month of consulting, however, the client offered Daria a full-time job because of the quality of her work. She had made an impression.

She recalled, “Now I have my dream job... flex time, a virtual office and work that matches my values. Who could ask for anything more?” As a result, Daria advises anyone laid off or otherwise out of work to consider consulting. “It helps you get your foot in the door and minimizes the gaps on your resume.”

A Sudden Cloudburst on Your Way to the Interview

Here’s a scenario for you:

When you leave home the weather is sunny and bright and forecast to remain so. It’s a great day for an interview. You are dressed in your best—sharp looking and ready to present yourself as a professional. Your hair looks great; your shoes are polished. You feel confident.

You step off the Metro train a few blocks from your destination, go through the turnstile and ride up the escalator to the street. The sun is completely gone, and it’s pouring cats and dogs! Puddles are everywhere, and you have blocks to walk without an umbrella.

What would you do?
1. Panic
2. Resign yourself to looking (and feeling) awful
3. Use your imagination

If you pick 1 or 2, your interview is probably doomed. If you choose to use your imagination, you can grab a free newspaper or apartment guide from the machines that surround Metro entrances and hold it over your head while you run for cover along your walking route. You could also quickly buy an umbrella in a nearby shop or from a street vendor. If you planned ahead well enough, you might be early enough that you can slip into a coffee shop to wait out the downburst, because in D.C. such storms usually quit as quickly as they start.

And, if you get to your interview a little disheveled, with hair out of place and a few water spots on your shoulders, legs and shoes, who will care? Only you. So, visit the rest room to comb your hair, pat yourself dry and reenergize that confident air you left home with. Approach your interview with hand outstretched to say hello, and smile. It’s your day no matter what the weather is doing.

Thoughtful Persistence Can Lead to Temp or Contract Work

There is a point at which repeatedly contacting someone about contract or temporary work is too much and will only hurt your chances. Certainly a phone call every day would be ridiculous, and every week could be overkill too. But staying in touch on a periodic basis—say, every couple of weeks or once a month—with your contacts at agencies where you are registered will give you an edge over others who are not so proactive.

It’s your job to help agents remember you in a favorable way when temporary positions begin to materialize. And, the word is that they are starting to appear. You want to be first on their call list for the best jobs. So, pick up the phone and call to say “Hi.” Indicate that you are still available and provide a quick update on what you have been doing to stay marketable.

This kind of thoughtful persistence can only work in your favor.

[You may also want to read this related post: To Temp or Not to Temp—That Is Sometimes the Question]

Title Soup and Your Resume

I have gone through a roller coaster of titles—Director to VP to Manager to Sr. Director—and have decided that, for me, titles are not paramount. My satisfaction with the job itself is. However, an employer looking at my resume might wonder why I was a VP and later a Manager.

The truth is that titles mean different things in different organizations. A VP position in a small association may not be the same in a large corporation. A Director in some organizations is tantamount to a Manager in others. It’s all in the details.

It is important to show prospective employers the progression of responsibility in your career, whether through titles or descriptions. Also, your accomplishments demonstrate your impact on outcomes, which also speak to your level of influence. Your management of programs and people are testimony to your level of responsibility.

Maybe your title was Specialist or Analyst or Coordinator, but your responsibilities were beyond the usual scope for these titles. Be sure to make this clear on your resume. One technique I have seen suggested is to insert a descriptive phrase above the job title (or in parentheses) on your resume, if the title you had doesn't truly fit the job. Also, be sure to accurately explain what you did in that job, including accomplishments attributable to your own efforts.

One Tomato at a Time? What’s That About?

About six weeks after I was laid off in March, I decided it would be therapeutic to grow some tomatoes on my deck. Having something to focus on besides myself, something that would grow and be productive, seemed like a good way to channel any negative feelings I was having into something positive. Nearly 100 tomatoes later, I’m happy I did this.

The challenge was to nurture two plants to maturity using organic methods to avoid pesticides or other chemicals so I could visit my deck, pick a tomato and pop it in my mouth without having to wash it. With a couple of applications of organic plant food, companion plants to ward off insects, and daily attention, my two “girls,” as I named them, grew into 4-foot bundles of little yellow and red cherry tomatoes, sweet and ready to eat like candy.

The yellow tomato plant is done, unfortunately stricken by some kind of blight, but it had a good, highly productive life. As you can see in the photo above, the red tomatoes are still abundant, with more ready to ripen soon.

While it’s great having all these delicious orbs, the real point of growing them was to think outside of myself and take life one day (or tomato) at a time. It has been a coping mechanism for me. Some people knit or build things. I grow tomatoes.

To Temp or Not to Temp—That Is Sometimes the Question

One of the first things I did after being laid off was contact major temporary contract placement firms in my field (marketing and communications) in the Washington, D.C. area market. One of them was a firm that helped me get my foot in the door of a previous employer through a temp-to-perm contract and that I later used to find temp help for a conference. Three other agencies have also signed me on as a “talent in waiting.”

That was four months ago. The temporary job market has been slow, even downright dry since then. I’ve stayed in touch with the agencies, however, periodically checking in to say “Hi” so that I am still on their radar screen. I even heard from one a few weeks ago about a job that disappeared as fast as it arose, but it raised my hopes. Employers are starting to fill the gaps in projects and programs—gaps made by layoffs or other changes such as maternity leave. It’s a good sign.

Margaret Zollars, who specializes in marketing placements for Aquent, said yesterday that she’s beginning to see an uptick in contract opportunities at the senior level as well as for mid-level professionals. She’s seen three new positions in D.C. just this week, and as summer wraps up, she pointed out, there will likely be more. For contract work, she said, “it’s a matter of having flexibility” regarding hours (PT vs. FT) and location, but you gain “a. exposure to an industry or interesting project” and the chance to “b. keep up your skills.”

Temporary or contract work can help fill the financial gaps after a layoff, since the pay rate is generally good. Some agencies offer benefits such as health insurance after you have been working with them for a while. If you land a part-time assignment, it will leave you some time for your job hunt, networking and interviews. Keep in mind that an assignment could last weeks or months when signing a contract.

You may also want to read this follow-up post: Thoughtful Persistence Can Lead to Temp or Contract Work

Who’s a Loser? Not Me, Not You

So what if you were laid off? It’s happened to so many people these days that it is not a badge of shame. It may hurt at first, but if you look at the bigger picture, you’ll see that it’s not about you or anything you’ve done.

There are a lot of ways you could view your situation:

1. “I can’t hold a job anymore. I might as well give up.”
2. “The job market is bad. I’ll never find a job.”
3. “What will people think of me? I want to hide.”
4. “I wasn’t wild about my job anyway, so now I can find another better one.”
5. “People are losing their jobs everywhere, so I’m not alone in this.

Nothing will take away your financial worries, but you will solve them sooner if you can overcome grief or shame quickly after a layoff. To have some of those feelings is natural. To let them hold you down is unproductive. This is a time to reach out and move ahead, not to withdraw.

For more on this topic, see Lying Low After a Layoff by Annie Gowen in today’s Washington Post.

How Does Your Writing Sound?

Yes, sound.

The best way to find out if your cover letter makes sense, flows well and is grammatically correct is to read it aloud.

This may feel stupid to you, reading aloud what you could just lay your eyes on. However, it’s a technique that will open your eyes to things you wouldn't find otherwise.

When you read out loud, the phrasing and the stops are different than when you read silently. Also, the words you choose make a difference in how well your sentences and thoughts flow. When I read my own writing aloud, I root out duplicated words and misplaced commas and find the flaws that hinder the message I want to convey. The result is language that is more conversational, and, hopefully, more influential.

So, try it. A few minutes of quality control will enhance your message, your image and, ultimately, your results.

Will an Error Loose (sic) You the Job?

Without a doubt! Don’t lose out on a job because you are loose with your spelling and grammar standards. Take the time to follow these steps before sending out a resume, email or letter:

1. Use spell check. It will catch the most obvious errors, but don’t stop there.
2. Read it through word for word. Spell check can’t tell whether “lose” or “loose” is the correct word. Same thing goes for words like “their” and “there” and many others.
3. Reread after making your corrections…to make sure you did them right.
4. If you are not detail-oriented or you are prone to overlooking small errors, ask a friend or family member to read your letter or resume for you.

Also, if you followed my previous recommendation to customize your resume and cover letter to the specifications in the job announcement, you should take extra measures to check for errors you may have introduced along the way. Never assume that your last version was perfect.

Avoid a negative outcome by being positive that what you send an employer is spotless.

When Fridays Are Not Like Other Fridays

Fridays are not the same if you are unemployed. For that matter, no days are the same now as when you had a routine like you did when you were up and going off to an office each weekday morning. Time has an altogether different meaning to you now.

A job loss or layoff is life changing, leaving you with a new job—to find a job—that will consume much of your waking hours, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t occasionally take a day off to do something for yourself.

Until Monday…

Guest Posting: On the Road Again! What It Takes for a Successful Job Search Journey.

By Pegotty Cooper

The idea of the open road and the freedom to explore new territory feels like a great adventure. All you need is to keep your gas tank full and your tires fully inflated. Keep your eyes on the road and pay attention to your GPS to keep you on track – moving in a direction that will get you to where you want to go!

So on this journey called Job Search, those same basics apply.

You can keep your tires fully inflated with support from a variety of sources – friends, family, former colleagues, bosses, neighbors, association colleagues and strangers with a variety of backgrounds. They can all be your eyes and ears on the ground, watching out for the opportunity for you to use the skills, experience and unique attributes that make you the ideal person for the job!

The gas tank provides the energy for you to reflect, connect and serve others as well as yourself every day of this journey. Are you running on fumes or do you regularly take a break, and regenerate yourself? Eat right, exercise, spend some quiet time each day celebrating the successes you have had and being grateful for the support you got yesterday. And, slow down so that you can be aware of what is going on around you, take the time to connect with people, and look for signs of opportunity along the way!

And most importantly, set your GPS on a destination that is worth your time and effort, and stay on track in the pursuit of that goal! It is easy to get derailed, but the rewards are found when you keep up the search for that opportunity that will allow you to share your strengths, to be appreciated for your gifts, and to replenish your energy supplies every day!

Pegotty Cooper is a Leadership & Career Strategy Coach who regularly coaches association professionals at the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Meeting. Click here for more information about coaching available in Toronto mid-August. You can reach her through www.leadershipsoundingboard.com.

Yell When You Need Help

How many times have friends or colleagues said to you, “Call me if you need any help” since you lost your job? The kindness of friends and strangers will never cease to surprise you, and usually they really mean it.

They may just have an ear to lend for your trials and tribulations, but they may also want to stay connected, offer advice or leads, and share in your experience. Often tips and leads come from the most surprising sources, like your realtor or your banker. It’s in their interest for you to be re-employed, for sure, but these are well-meaning people, and you are in a time of need.

And if you truly are out on a limb by yourself, there are professionals equipped to help guide you back onto a positive course of action. For instance, when I was between jobs a few years ago, a professional organization that I belonged to waived my renewal fees so I could have access to its career resources, including a free session with a life/career coach at an event in D.C. This introduction led to a series of phone consultations that piloted my job search in the right direction.

Whether it’s to friends, family, former colleagues or a coach, it’s okay to yell when you need help. You don’t have to go it alone.

Resume No-No’s

There are some things that should not go in a resume—ever—and there are others that you may include if they apply specifically to the job description. Here’s a little list to keep handy:

Never Include:
· Your age
· Your religion (unless it applies to the job)
· Your politics (again, unless it applies to the job)
· Your height or weight
· Your marital status
· Your sexual preference
· Anything about your health or physical disabilities/deformities
· Information about family members, including children
· Specifics about your personal interests or hobbies (be general, if you include these at all, and mention only those that are relevant to your career)
· Salaries and salary requirements (provide this later or in a cover letter, if you must, but not in your resume)
· References (provide these separately later on in the process, after an interview)
· Every course you ever took, award you won or conference/seminar you attended (summarize these and list only the most recent, if you think they’re relevant)

If you’ve been in the work world for a few years, you can also omit references to jobs you had while you were in school, especially part-time, non-professional jobs.

Here are a couple of online resources on what not to include:
http://www.bestresumewriting.com/writing-a-good-resume/your-education-and-credits/not-to-put-on-your-resume.html
http://www.resume-cover-letter.info/whatnottoput.asp

An A for Effort—The Customized Resume Rises to the Top

Think like a recruiter or hiring official just the way a marketer tries to think like a customer. Would you want to look through a pile of generic (boring) resumes or would your eyes light up if you saw a resume that directly addresses the key components of the job description?

It’s basic in marketing to target your message to your audience. When you are job hunting, your audience is your ticket to getting in the door for an interview. The person receiving and reading your resume is your customer. You need to show that above all others you are the right one for the job. Even the federal government requires you to target your resume to a specific job’s requirements, so why not do the same in the private sector too?

It’s so easy to create a resume and use it over and over…but will it get you results? Why not take the time—yes, it takes time—to customize your resume and increase your chances of making it to the top of the heap? It’s time well spent.

How Many Pages Should a Resume Have?

Here’s another question that has more than one answer. If you are new to the work world, your resume is likely to fit nicely on one page. If you are an academic, your curriculum vita will include more detail than most resumes, including your research papers and published articles. Such a resume could run several pages.

However, like most of us, if you have a few years of experience in a business setting already under your belt, whether for-profit or non-profit, how long is too long? What is the right length for a resume to be your best sales agent? You want to tell your story and grab attention so your resume lands at the top of the pile.

I have seen resumes of all types over the years, as a hiring manager and as a volunteer reviewer for friends, family and colleagues and at job fairs. What I’ve observed is that jobseekers sometimes forget that, like any other marketing piece, their resume has only seconds to capture the interest of recruiters or hiring managers. Also, with hundreds of resumes to read and time at a premium, if you haven’t intrigued them by page 2, you’re probably toast.

You’ve heard the phrase, “Keep it simple, stupid.” I’ll add to that (and remove the "stupid"): Keep it simple, professional, organized, concise and targeted. And stick to no more than two pages. You can do this with bullets, phrases and groupings that make your resume easy to scan and to the point.

A couple of resources for you:

A video by D.C. area human resources expert Patra Frame with her resume tips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl-H2s9lwpk
An article that addresses the IT market: http://www.itworld.com/ITW3485