Unemployment Rate Hits a Nerve

Unemployment Rate Hits a Nerve Wow, I didnt expect people to comment on my rant/whine/post from yesterday about the unemployment rate. The truth is, its been something that has bugged me since I started my job search. Because it was so low, people would be surprised to hear that I was *still* looking for a job. Get it? It provided proof that if I couldnt get a job, the problem was me, because this economic indicator showed that anyone that really wanted a job could get a job. Plus, it didnt help that I was still living with my own strong stereotype that if you couldnt get a job it was because you made bad choices, sucked, or just werent up to snuff its what I believed and now I had to apply those ideas to my own situation. At 32 I felt I was too old (they could hire kids from college for cheaper) and too young (I didnt have the decades of experience and wisdom of the baby boomers). Hows that for age discrimination? Theres gotta be something out there that says that GenX has been lost between these other two generations Anyway, as usual, the comments are smarter than the post. Heres some gems I picked out: From Daniel Johnson, Jr., he said that he used the unemployment rate as an excuse to why he couldnt find a job. Im guessing the unemployment rate during his search was higher than normal. From Daniel Sweet, who is a recruiter and has been at this job search stuff a lot longer than I have, he says my logic is a little messed up (or at least, he redefines some stuff I was trying to communicate) and emphasizes that we need to keep our skills current and make sure that we market ourselves properly. Katie Konrath has a really positive take on all this stuff which is refreshing to hear from Gen Y (usually the stuff I hear from Gen Y has to do with entitlement and bucking the system) she says that its true that they are expecting to have 10 15 career changes (mind you, thats not job changes !!) and that there are really lots of opportunities out there, even though there isnt really job security. David Armstrong comments on job happiness (where does that come up in government metrics?), a real job search (that is for another post perhaps next week!), and relationships. And thanks a TON for sharing JibberJobber with a large group a couple of days ago! Heather Mundell talks about our attitudes and succeeding even though the numbers say perhaps we should (divorce rate, etc.). Very cool strategy Heather! Scot Herrick talks about staying in a big company and the changes that youll see there, with reorganizations every 6 to 10 months. Its really interesting perpective considering I cant get a job at a big company and honestly, his comment doesnt make me want to :p Finally, M brings up two points that really, really bug me. First, as I mentioned in the post yesterday, the unemployment rate is subject to garbage-in-garbage out problems. M says that the unemployment rate doesnt take into consideration those that are nut currently filing for unemployment (where the unemployment benefits have run out). This is really common, I think, as I know lots of people who are well past their first six months of job search, or they havent found the one yet and continue to look. Second, M says that just because you get a job doesnt mean that its going to work. I was not in a position financially where I could go to general manager of a software company to a burger flipper or a Wal-Mart greeter. Not because I was too proud but because I could not afford to make $24k a year. Of course there was talk about age discrimination, career management, and other stuff. The comments really were quite insightful thanks to all that contributed to the discussion. I guess this boring topic (it was boring in college :)) really is quite interesting! Unemployment Rate Hits a Nerve Wow, I didnt expect people to comment on my rant/whine/post from yesterday about the unemployment rate. The truth is, its been something that has bugged me since I started my job search. Because it was so low, people would be surprised to hear that I was *still* looking for a job. Get it? It provided proof that if I couldnt get a job, the problem was me, because this economic indicator showed that anyone that really wanted a job could get a job. Plus, it didnt help that I was still living with my own strong stereotype that if you couldnt get a job it was because you made bad choices, sucked, or just werent up to snuff its what I believed and now I had to apply those ideas to my own situation. At 32 I felt I was too old (they could hire kids from college for cheaper) and too young (I didnt have the decades of experience and wisdom of the baby boomers). Hows that for age discrimination? Theres gotta be something out there that says that GenX has been lost between these other two generations Anyway, as usual, the comments are smarter than the post. Heres some gems I picked out: From Daniel Johnson, Jr., he said that he used the unemployment rate as an excuse to why he couldnt find a job. Im guessing the unemployment rate during his search was higher than normal. From Daniel Sweet, who is a recruiter and has been at this job search stuff a lot longer than I have, he says my logic is a little messed up (or at least, he redefines some stuff I was trying to communicate) and emphasizes that we need to keep our skills current and make sure that we market ourselves properly. Katie Konrath has a really positive take on all this stuff which is refreshing to hear from Gen Y (usually the stuff I hear from Gen Y has to do with entitlement and bucking the system) she says that its true that they are expecting to have 10 15 career changes (mind you, thats not job changes !!) and that there are really lots of opportunities out there, even though there isnt really job security. David Armstrong comments on job happiness (where does that come up in government metrics?), a real job search (that is for another post perhaps next week!), and relationships. And thanks a TON for sharing JibberJobber with a large group a couple of days ago! Heather Mundell talks about our attitudes and succeeding even though the numbers say perhaps we should (divorce rate, etc.). Very cool strategy Heather! Scot Herrick talks about staying in a big company and the changes that youll see there, with reorganizations every 6 to 10 months. Its really interesting perpective considering I cant get a job at a big company and honestly, his comment doesnt make me want to :p Finally, M brings up two points that really, really bug me. First, as I mentioned in the post yesterday, the unemployment rate is subject to garbage-in-garbage out problems. M says that the unemployment rate doesnt take into consideration those that are nut currently filing for unemployment (where the unemployment benefits have run out). This is really common, I think, as I know lots of people who are well past their first six months of job search, or they havent found the one yet and continue to look. Second, M says that just because you get a job doesnt mean that its going to work. I was not in a position financially where I could go to general manager of a software company to a burger flipper or a Wal-Mart greeter. Not because I was too proud but because I could not afford to make $24k a year. Of course there was talk about age discrimination, career management, and other stuff. The comments really were quite insightful thanks to all that contributed to the discussion. I guess this boring topic (it was boring in college :)) really is quite interesting! Unemployment Rate Hits a Nerve Wow, I didnt expect people to comment on my rant/whine/post from yesterday about the unemployment rate. The truth is, its been something that has bugged me since I started my job search. Because it was so low, people would be surprised to hear that I was *still* looking for a job. Get it? It provided proof that if I couldnt get a job, the problem was me, because this economic indicator showed that anyone that really wanted a job could get a job. Plus, it didnt help that I was still living with my own strong stereotype that if you couldnt get a job it was because you made bad choices, sucked, or just werent up to snuff its what I believed and now I had to apply those ideas to my own situation. At 32 I felt I was too old (they could hire kids from college for cheaper) and too young (I didnt have the decades of experience and wisdom of the baby boomers). Hows that for age discrimination? Theres gotta be something out there that says that GenX has been lost between these other two generations Anyway, as usual, the comments are smarter than the post. Heres some gems I picked out: From Daniel Johnson, Jr., he said that he used the unemployment rate as an excuse to why he couldnt find a job. Im guessing the unemployment rate during his search was higher than normal. From Daniel Sweet, who is a recruiter and has been at this job search stuff a lot longer than I have, he says my logic is a little messed up (or at least, he redefines some stuff I was trying to communicate) and emphasizes that we need to keep our skills current and make sure that we market ourselves properly. Katie Konrath has a really positive take on all this stuff which is refreshing to hear from Gen Y (usually the stuff I hear from Gen Y has to do with entitlement and bucking the system) she says that its true that they are expecting to have 10 15 career changes (mind you, thats not job changes !!) and that there are really lots of opportunities out there, even though there isnt really job security. David Armstrong comments on job happiness (where does that come up in government metrics?), a real job search (that is for another post perhaps next week!), and relationships. And thanks a TON for sharing JibberJobber with a large group a couple of days ago! Heather Mundell talks about our attitudes and succeeding even though the numbers say perhaps we should (divorce rate, etc.). Very cool strategy Heather! Scot Herrick talks about staying in a big company and the changes that youll see there, with reorganizations every 6 to 10 months. Its really interesting perpective considering I cant get a job at a big company and honestly, his comment doesnt make me want to :p Finally, M brings up two points that really, really bug me. First, as I mentioned in the post yesterday, the unemployment rate is subject to garbage-in-garbage out problems. M says that the unemployment rate doesnt take into consideration those that are nut currently filing for unemployment (where the unemployment benefits have run out). This is really common, I think, as I know lots of people who are well past their first six months of job search, or they havent found the one yet and continue to look. Second, M says that just because you get a job doesnt mean that its going to work. I was not in a position financially where I could go to general manager of a software company to a burger flipper or a Wal-Mart greeter. Not because I was too proud but because I could not afford to make $24k a year. Of course there was talk about age discrimination, career management, and other stuff. The comments really were quite insightful thanks to all that contributed to the discussion. I guess this boring topic (it was boring in college :)) really is quite interesting!

[Giveaway] Honor a Woman Leader Who Has Inspired You - Classy Career Girl

[Giveaway] Honor a Woman Leader Who Has Inspired You Big  news: We’ve partnered with Zenni Optical  to give away a gift card for one pair of beautiful glasses up to $150. We are working together to get the message out that leaders are everywhere inspiring us to succeed and reach our potential.  Often, those women sit next to us at work, have served us meals for years (thanks mom!) or even authored a book that changed the direction of our lives. There are millions of women leaders that have inspired me over the last 15 years and I am excited to recognize these women. Today, we are encouraging you to share your vision of leadership and honor a woman leader who has influenced you too! Note: Compensation was provided by Zenni Optical. Opinions expressed herein are the authors and are not indicative  of the opinions or positions of Zenni. Who inspired me? The first leader that came to my mind is someone who I have talked a lot about on my blog yet. Shes not someone I worked with or even a boss or in a corporation. Today I would like to honor  Julie McEliece, previous Director of the Fermanian Business Center at Point Loma Nazarene University. Julie was not just the Director of the Business Center, she was also a very different type of career counselor. She was a relationship builder, encourager, and connector. Not only that, she was my first introduction to someone who was 100% passionate about her career and basically born to do what she was doing. She led  students by being that model of passion and joy for the work you are doing. I learned from her that opportunities are all around us and there are no limits in your career. I am so glad I reached out and asked her for help. She introduced me to three people (just CEOs!) who gave me informational interviews and I learned and gain so much confidence from those interviews. Plus, she told me about a job in the government where they actually paid a third of my tuition while I was still in school, plus my hourly rate. I ended up working for the government after graduation for three years and then later as a consultant for the government for another eight years. So, that little connection she made paved the way for my corporate success plus my vision long-term of becoming a career coach with the same passion as she had for her job. Now, we want to hear.who inspired you? How to win: Here are the ways you can win a pair of glasses from Zenni enter using Rafflecopter below: Follow @classycareergirl on Instagram and tag a woman who inspires you on this post. Follow  @zennioptical on Instagram. Leave a comment below this blog post about a woman who inspires you. This giveaway is open to all residents in the US only. It begins NOW and ends on June 24th, 2016 at 11:59 PM. We will be giving away a $150 gift card for glasses of your choice from Zenni Optical. The winner will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 24 hours to get back to me, otherwise, a new winner will be selected. You can enter multiple times to improve your chances of winning. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

What Kids Can Teach You About Job Interviews

What Kids Can Teach You About Job Interviews Job interviews can be quite a daunting experience and the way you conduct yourself can be crucial to whether you are successful or not. To ensure your best performance in an interview, identifying some simple do’s and don’ts in advance are really helpful for preparing yourself and what better way to to demonstrate this than from the point of view of kids. This video from “Kid Snippets” plays out a job interview scenario and believe it or not, through the humorous facade, some valuable lessons can actually be taken from it, so have a watch! Takeaways: DO Present yourself smartly. Although appropriate attire may vary between industries, your clothes should be clean and tidy. Body language also speaks volumes and may tell your interviewer more about yourself than what you actually say, so make sure you sit up straight and maintain eye contact throughout your interview. DON’T forget your manners. Confidence is a valuable attribute in an interview situation, however, over-asserting yourself may come across as rude and you don’t want to appear too forceful. Be polite and attentive. Listening carefully to your interviewer’s questions, will help you to respond with your best possible answer. DO Your research prior to the interview. Read the job description thoroughly and pin point your relevant skills and experience that will be beneficial in that role. Prepare for questions you may be asked and avoid skipping past any questions that catch you off guard. Answer all questions to the best of your ability, remaining to the point and avoid rambling as you may drift off topic. DON’T Rush into a discussion about salary. Jumping the gun may ruin your chances of being considered so time it carefully. The first interview is probably not the ideal opportunity to bring it up, as this is your chance to convince your interviewer to hire you and salary discussion is best saved for once they have decided that you are in fact the one for the job. DO Ask questions of your own. Show interest in the company and the role you are interviewing for. It also gives you the opportunity to gage what would be expected of you in that role and how your performance will be monitored or reviewed. RELATED: How To Best Prepare For Your Job Interview