Always Be Job Hunting

How do you quit? What about an interpretive dance video?

Posted on October 3, 2013 by John N. Frank

Quitting a job you’ve become disenchanted with can be one of the truly satisfying experiences in life. Is there a best way to handle it?

Normally, you simply tell your boss and perhaps put it in writing, being polite and matter of fact about it. But for some people, that’s just not enough

Witness one woman who is getting millions of views on YouTube for a resignation video she made of herself called “An Interpretive Dance For My Boss Set To Kanye West’s Gone.”

A smart move for her career? Probably not, although she is getting tons of attention. I haven’t heard about her getting job offers because of it, though. If that happens, then I’ll change my view.

In the meantime, I’d say resist the urge to tell your boss what you really think when you leave a place. It could come back to haunt you, as I detail in my book.

By the way, her former employer did a knock-off video showing people happily working there and noting it was hiring. In my mind, that shows how uncreative the place is, going, as she stated in her video, for views over content by piggy-backing on her creativity.
John N. Frank

Posted in job hunting, management issues | Tagged Always Be Job Hunting, fighting with the boss, job hunting, working environment | Leave a comment

Age discrimination getting to you? Try these job hunting tips

Posted on September 29, 2013 by John N. Frank

Age discrimination is a fact of life in the American workplace these days. Companies are firing older workers because they’re the more expensive workers, both in salary and benefit cost terms. Some industries, such as technology, also hold to the mistaken belief that only younger workers can keep pace with all the changes going on in their field. Some companies feel the same way, keeping over-50 employees to 20% or less of their workforces.

Being a 50-plus worker today is tough. Being a 50-plus job hunter is even tougher. How do you get your foot in the door, much less get seriously considered for a position, in this environment? I came across some worthwhile advice on the Middletown Patch recently that might help. It had four key tips for older workers.

Feeling discriminated against because you’re over 50? Welcome to the club. Here are tips to fight it.

Continue reading →

Posted in job hunting, unemployment, working conditions | Tagged age discrimination, fighting with the boss, new job stress | Leave a comment

Where are the best cities to job hunt? Here’s a surprising list

Posted on September 28, 2013 by John N. Frank

Moving from your home city in search of a new job can be a big change, especially if you have a family and children who have put down roots in a local school. But sometimes moving is the best way to find a new job. So lists of best cities to work in are worth noting. Continue reading →

Posted in career switch, job hunting, Job search tips | Tagged job hunting, search tips | Leave a comment

Is LinkedIn Premium worth the cost for job hunting?

Posted on September 27, 2013 by John N. Frank

I recently tried a free month of LinkedIn Premium, a $30 a month service LinkedIn says is designed to aid you in your job hunting. My thought after my free trial? I’d use the $30 for something else. The benefits offered, I found, are minimal.

What sounded like the most important benefit to me, that job applications filed through the premium service go to the top of the digital pile with potential employers, proved to be more illusion that fact. Continue reading →

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Remember when companies offered health insurance?

Posted on September 26, 2013 by John N. Frank

The question in the heading for this item, remember when companies offered health insurance, is one people just starting their work lives will be asking in a few years.

A recent announcement by Walgreens that it was discontinuing its company-paid health insurance and substituting flat payments to workers so they could find their own insurance is among the first of many.

Company-paid health insurance? The prognosis isn’t good for it to continue.

Continue reading →

Posted in health insurance, Uncategorized, working conditions | Tagged benefits, health insurance, medical costs, Obamacare | 2 Comments

Job Networking — three helpful phrases can go a long way

Posted on September 9, 2013 by John N. Frank

Networking is a must in any job hunt, so you’ll find no end of advice about how to effectively network to find a new job. I’ve had some success networking to find jobs as I became more experienced, and thus had a broader network, in my career. Sometimes jobs you get through networking can turn out to be complete dogs, however. But that’s a post for another day.

For today, here are three key phrases for your networking efforts, as posted on the Huffington Post recently. Continue reading →

Posted in job hunting | Tagged interviewing, job hunting, networking | Leave a comment

Job Opening — Designer, Birmingham, Al.

Posted on September 4, 2013 by John N. Frank

This came to me from a college alumni listserv, good luck and always be job hunting.

To apply, click on this link.

HELP WANTED

DESIGNER
Coastal Living seeks a designer to join our talented, energetic staff based in Birmingham, Alabama. This key member of the art department should be able to work efficiently to meet firm deadlines and juggle multiple layouts at once. Applicants must be detail-oriented, have a strong sense of typography, and be willing to take direction. Continue reading →

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How to Land a Job Right After College: a guest post

Posted on September 3, 2013 by John N. Frank

The following guest post was sent to me by an associate of the author. I agreed to run it because it contains some job-hunting basics that are worth remembering. Enjoy.
John N. Frank

Are you searching for your first job after college? Searching for first jobs can seem to be an intimidating challenge, but there are ways by which you can easily sail through this phase and succeed in the end. The following are helpful tips to get you a job right after college.

• Updating Your Resume – It is important to polish and customize your CV as this is the first basic point of contact between you and your potential employer and can largely determine your employment success. You need to ensure that your resume is up to date and entails all the relevant information needed by a recruiter. It is possible that you may not have chosen a specific career path so you create multiple CVs directed towards a number of potential positions or job fields. You must be aware of the ongoing job trends of your industry and gather information about every organization you are applying to. Then, you can modify your resume depending on the available job profile and the requirements of the company. The main aim is to present yourself as an asset and prove that you are fit for the role.

• Networking – This is amongst the most crucial ways for landing a decent job post college. You can attend networking events to socialize with people of your field. Whether out for an interview or at a job fair, get talking with like-minded professionals and take business cards. Being recommended or referred is among the best ways to get you a job. Keep in touch with friends from college and ask them where they work or are planning to work. This way, you will remain motivated to do better or may even stumble upon an old friend working for some accredited multi-national that you were aiming for. You can then let them know your aspirations and check for openings and availability. The person can set the ball rolling by helping to set up an interview with the HR department. Continue reading →

Posted in finding a first job, job hunting | Tagged coping with a new job, First job, job hunting | 1 Comment

Job opening — Communications, South Carolina

Posted on August 28, 2013 by John N. Frank

This job, listed on Careerbuilder.com, came into my in box recently from a college listserv, good luck and always be job hunting!

Sun City Hilton Head located in Bluffton, SC is looking for a Communications Coordinator. The position will hold the following responsibilities.

HELP WANTED

Assist in publication of monthly magazine (as an assistant editor)
Update website and social media pages
Assist in production of weekly newsletters
Write stories for publication as needed
Assist in broadcast operations (weekly news shows plus organizing other special shows)
Take photographs of community events
Assist in coordinating other special project, communication campaigns, etc. Continue reading →

Posted in Job opening | Tagged Always Be Job Hunting, Communications, job opening | Leave a comment

Millennials and job churn, when will employers get it?

Posted on August 27, 2013 by John N. Frank

Millennials already are getting a reputation as the generation that changes jobs more frequently than any in recent memory. Maybe it’s because they want work/life balance as a given and so few employers think of that these days.

An interesting piece came out recently on what it costs companies to have high employee turn-over.

Millennials may eventually get more bargaining power in the workplace.

“The high turnover rate is expensive; employers have estimated that it costs between $15,000 to $25,000 to replace every young person who leaves the company. That cost is expected to rise as millennials begin to make up more and more of the labor force. According to the most recent forecasts, workers from the millennial generation will make up 36 percent of the American workforce by 2014 and 75 percent of the global workforce by 2025,” according to the piece that appeared on WallStCheatSheet.com Aug. 19. Continue reading →