Quote of the Week

Typically I only do a quote of the week at my other blog, www.disaster-zone.com but then I came across the following that fit well with the topic of jobs.

"The closest a person ever comes to perfection is when they fill out a job application form." Stanley J. Randall The resume and the job application are the places to put forward the best you have to offer. These are also the places to be honest with yourself and with others.

I'm a big believer in citing your accomplishments. If you are a recent graduate, then it is your education. Later in your career what you have done in your work life will become much more important than your education.

Unfortunately there are still unscrupulous people who will lie on their resume. At my current job the HR department has an outside firm check all the references and the educational history.

So be "perfect" but perfect in what you have accomplished, not what you wished you had accomplished.

Expires 2-5-10: King County, Washington: Emergency Management Program Coordinator

Emergency Management Program Coordinator: Apply by February 5, 2010

This is another project position tied to the potential for Green River flooding. If you have family or friends in the area you could live with (it is not a permanent job) it might be the entry level job for someone with a degree in emergency management.

Emergency Management Program Coordinator

The Emergency Management Program Coordinator will serve as principal coordinator in King County for mass care and shelter activities through the Regional Communications and Emergency Coordination Center (RCECC) during emergencies and disasters, with a special emphasis on the Green River Valley. The successful candidate will work along with regional partners in the planning and implementation of efforts to provide shelter, feeding, and other emergency mass care services to disaster survivors. In addition, the successful candidate will coordinate training and exercise initiatives for the Office of Emergency Management.

Expired 2-5-10: King County, Washington: Emergency Management Program Manager

This is a King County OEM job that you have to apply for by February 5, 2010.

Note that it is a term limited project--so don't get too excited about the salary unless you already live here in the Seattle Metro area:

Emergency Management Program Manager

The Emergency Management Program Manager will serve as lead staff person for King County Office of Emergency Management’s mass care and sheltering efforts through the Regional Communications and Emergency Coordination Center (RCECC) during emergencies and disasters, with a special emphasis on the Green River Valley. The successful candidate will oversee the delivery of an effective ESF-6 program, including pre-planning efforts and implementation during emergency activations. In addition, the successful candidate will manage efforts to update the multi-jurisdictional Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Twitter for Jobs

Back 20 years ago when I was transitioning out of the Army and into the civilian workforce the research aspect of job hunting was something I emphasized. Today that aspect of the job search is so much easier with the Internet.

Another job search arrow in the search quiver of today is Twitter. Check out Eleven Twitter Tips--Job Search in 140 Characters

Great tools if you use them!

Who You Are Matters

"85% of your workplace success is due to your personal skills." Arden Clise

I ran across this quote this morning in the Puget Sound Business Journal. Since I did over 60 interviews with people earlier this week--this message rang loud and clear for me.

Yes, you need to meet minimum qualifications, but people hire people they like. You need to let your personality shine through in a job interview. Hiding behind a mask of seriousness and no emotion will typically doom your interview (unless of course you are an engineer being interviewed by other engineers).

Maybe who you are does not match the needs or the personality of the organization. So be it!

Southwest Airlines hires for personality as the major component of their interview process. Everything else can be trained. Which is not a bad way to think about the team you are trying to build.

If you have been looking, looking, and looking for work--do not despair. My guess is that things will pick up again later in 2010. Remember that you can't catch any fish if you don't have lines in the water, so keep searching, applying, and fine tuning the resume for each position.

And, smile during your interviews!

Job Interviewing Tips

Today I participated in seven job interviews, and in the next five days I'll do 65 more. Here are a few interview tips:

• Arrive in plenty of time to be prepared and on time for the interview. There is nothing wrong with being 30 minutes early. Park somewhere near the interview location if you want to be sure not to be late.
• Smile during the interview and let your personality show. No one wants to hire a grump.
• Don't cross your arms during the interview--it is bad body language.
• Watch what you do with your hands. Being expressive with them is fine, but don't fidget with your ID card, play with your hair, etc.
• Short concise answers are best. Plan on a one to two minute response per question.
• Practice, practice, practice before the interview. There are common questions you should be prepared to respond to.
• Have a few good questions about the job or the organization to ask at the end of the session.

There are of course hundreds more tips that could be added--but these came off the top of my head for what I experienced today.

Dancing with the Stars -- and Getting Hired

Looking for a job is a full time job in itself. Reading books on job hunting, fine tuning your resume for different jobs can keep you busy along with networking. Remember that you can learn a lot from the most unusual places--watching Dancing with the Stars being one of them.

Here are some lessons to be learned:

• It is not always the most talented person that gets hired. Donnie Osmond while good was not the acknowledged leader on the show. Mya had strutted her stuff all season with higher scores. If you are the "expert" it doesn't guarantee you that you will be hired. There are other factors at work. Donnie won!
  
• Like-ability is a huge factor in being selected. Mya had the raw talent and the expertise, but Donnie showed he wanted to win, was excited about the possibility of winning and never gave up. He was persistent. Like-ability also won over talent when Kelly was selected over the more talented swimsuit model. Smile during your interview and show that you have a personality. Only engineers and scientists get hired "just for their expertise."
  
• At one point in the show series Donnie admitted that he was not having fun anymore on the show. Instead of quitting and just getting by, he dug down deep within himself and willed what I call "false enthusiasm" to get through the tough spots before rebounding later in the series. Some days you just have to pick yourself up and be self-motivated.
  
• Mya and her partner had a discussion before the finale on the show about what routine to do. She wanted to "go for it" going all out and doing something that had never been done before. Her partner convinced her to play it safe and do a Broadway Tune. Her dancing was good, but the judges and the public where disappointed in the fact that her dancing was good, but nothing special. They expected more. Donnie on the other had a great routine--going all out. Even Kelly who came in at 3rd place did not hold back and did a routine that was more difficult than her talent level. But she went for it! Lesson: Don't hold back, go for it, don't leave anything on the floor.