A JOB ARTICLE GUIDE 2

 

Chapter 5. Job Articles 5

 

Get the Job 1

 

Communicate to them what you’ve done in your life so far and what you want to do in the future in your resume and cover letter as shortly as possible in two pages.

 

A career summary is a look at your work experience and relevant education.

 

Give a short paragraph in your cover letter and resume describing yourself.

 

Some resumes are chronological, they go by time from most recent job or education to earlier times.

 

Some people add a list of their specific skills to the resume.

 

The cover letter must be different from the resume.

 

Try to find out the name of the human resources contact or hiring manager on the company’s website  or call the main phone number and asking a receptionist for the name and title of the hiring office.

Don’t make the reader work too hard to see that you are right for the position he or she is looking to fill.

 

It’s best to get a printer and create a new resume for every position you are applying for tailored to them.

 

Make your cover letter tailored to the company.

 

Older people know the arrogance young people.  They don’t like it.

 

Target your search to your skill in your area.  Once you got your list of places, start emailing them or finding the emails of hiring managers.  Don’t make a pest of yourself in contacting them.

 

Look for job ads on websites like monster and careerbuilder.

 

Get Job Alerts from job websites.

 

Use keywords to get the best results.  Use the job title and place only.

 

Entry level means somebody without experience.

 

There are lots of job scams in the job ads.  People post ads just to steal your identity information.  Don’t put your SSN or dat of birth on your resume.  Put your year on but not the date.  Type their name in bbb.org.

 

Job-hunting is scary and tough.  People say this in surveys and stuff.  It’s one of thos ethings everybody hates.

 

Respectfully inquire about the status of your application every month.

 

Put some kind of charity or community work in your resume.

 

Don’t insult anyone.  Don’t come off like a hater.

 

Try social media or your social media profile to get a job.  Say you’re looking for a job at linkedin, facebook, etc. on your profile.

 

Clean the bad stuff from your social media profile.

 

Include a link to your website or professional

profile on linkedin, etc. on your résumé.  Keep the name simple.

 

Use linkedin to get recommendations.

 

If you have a friend at a company you want to work for, ask for a reference.

 

Hiring managers judge you by your clothes.  Don’t overdress or underdress.

 

You must know about the company.

 

All you are is the goodness in your heart.

 

Bring extra copies of your résumé to an interview.

 

If you have gaps in your work history, they might ask you about it.

 

One guy said he always look for people who volunteer in the community.

 

Focus on the interviewer.  Don’t be narcissistic.

 

If you have a controversial fact that you can’t avoid

like being fired or in jail, personally I say you don’t have to be honest.  You can ignore it or lie about it.  You are who you are now.  That’s it.

 

Ask questions you have about the company.

 

Don’t ask about salary.

 

An interview is your chance to say whatever you have to say.

 

Send a thank-you note to the interviewer.  It’s necessary in the world of work.  They expect it.  If you don’t have the email contact information, ask for it during the interview.

 

Check back once.  Unless the hiring manager tells you to check back, don’t do it.

 

You have to keep looking for work until you find a job.

 

Have a positive attitude.

 

Think positively before an interview.

 

Dress professionally.

 

Wear the least amount of jewelry as possible.

 

Dress like a politician would.

 

Sahow up with a clean car.  They might see it from the office.  If it’s dirty, it makes you look bad.  me interviewers walk the interviewee out to the car to have a look.

 

Bring a pad into an interview to take notes.

 

Leave Your cellphone out of an interview.

 

Your voice should be calm and moderately paced.

 

Be relaxed.

 

Brush your teeth.

 

Ask to take notes if you want.

 

If there are several interviewers, treat each and every person with equal importance.

 

Treat a phone interview like a face-to-face interview.

 

If it’s a meal interview, don’t focus on food.

 

If they say you have no experience, say I can learn quickly.

 

If they say you have too much experience, say my life is right here, right now.  I’m always learning.

 

Get the Job 2

 

In my heart and soul, I’ll tell you the truth.  I’m a guy who has checked out all the big job websites and every hyped-up job book out there.  They’re all brainwashed, clinical, left-brained, by-the-book and formal-sounding.  I’ve seen entire books and several hundred pages on websites dedicated to resumes and interviews.  Most people writing this stuff have lost a hold of old-fashioned, traditional, religious values.

 

They’re giving you all this crap about how to prepare for this and that but they never tell you it’s all about your essence, the light in your soul, the goodness in your heart, the honesty in your voice, the warmth on your face.

 

I scanned a 250-page book about interviewing.  A job seeker doesn’t have time to read psychobabble garbage.  Prepare the best resume you can, send it out to as many people and companies as possible and go out there as an unassuming good instrument of God knowing you’re a good person.  You’re not slick.  You’re just a good person talking to a person at an interview.  It’s not a great feat.  It’s not the end of the world.  You just live and do the best you can then when you get rejected like everybody, you just keep going until you get a job.

 

What are you really good at?  Go for it.

 

The internet has made job-hunting more competitive because everybody is applying at the click of a mouse.

 

A recruiter needs to select the best candidates.  You have to look good.

 

You need an iron-cast positive attitude because it could be rough, especially after your first hundred rejections.

 

Identify what makes you better than your competition.

 

Define what you want.  Go after those jobs.

 

Creat a powerful short message about you on your resumes and cover letter.

 

Network.

 

Look for jobs.

 

Look for companies that offer your job and apply.

 

Sell yourself.

 

Everything about interviews comes down to one thing: HOW MUCH LOVE AND LIGHT DO YOU GIVE OFF?

 

Always send a thank-you email or letter.  It’s expected.

 

Rejection is more normal than acceptance.

 

Come off like you’re there to help without coming off like a slickster sleazo asshole.  Slickster get the jobs though.  I saw it myself in interview groups.  The good people were too nice to be assertive.  The loudmouths got the jobs.  Employers don’t care about goodness.  They care about the asshole who they know will do the job.

 

Be an attention-getter without being an asshole.

 

Interviews should be easy.  Go in with love.  No matter what happens you still got your dignity at the end of it.

 

Answer difficult interview questions without sweating.

 

You have to talk about yourself.  Practice a little speech about who you are.  You have to do it everywhere in life.

 

What is your biggest challenge?  Tell them it’s trying to be true to your natural sense of inspiration.

 

People fail at interviews because they make them seem so important.  You are who you are.  That’s it.

 

Sell yourself through the whole job-hunting process.

 

You lack confidence because you don’t feel that you know your true identity.  Once you know your true identity, you know who you are and that’s it.  It doesn’t matter what other people say.  Show love to try to get the job but the world is nuts.  People will be mean to you and reject you.  Some will be good to you.

 

Create a list of your personality traits and accomplishments.

 

Everything in life is improvement.  You are who you are.  Do something good with it.  All you got is fight or die.  Do not take rejection personally.

 

It seems like everybody on TV got the easy life.  Real life is hard.

 

Get a simple business email address.  Try mail.com, hotmail.com or yahoo.com.

 

Staple a business card to your cover letter.  Give yourself the title of your job.

 

You must dedicate time to the job hunt.

 

Do what you can control.

 

Look healthy.

 

Be as good as you can be at what you do.

 

Put yourself in the place of an interviewer.  He sees you as generic person #5.  Show love.  Be relaxed.  Don’t be so formal and uptight.  It’s just human to human. 

 

What can you do for them?

 

What is the exact job you want?  Focus on that area.

 

Visualize a job you enjoy.

 

Work is about money but it’s also about self-fulfillment.

 

What is a good person, not a cool person, a good one?  Be that person.

 

Find your true nature.  Follow it.

 

Before you apply for a job, check everything like the hours, the travel, the place, etc.

 

They always ask, "Where do you want to be in five years?"

 

In today's job market, you have to earn a job not just show up.

 

The hiring manager wants to solve his problem.  Show him you can solve it.

 

You should be hired because you’re a healthy, good, capable person.  SHOW THEM YOU CAN HELP THEM.

 

Employers fill old positions but create new positions.  The write out the job description and create the job.  This is why you have to read job ads and tailor your application to exactly what they want. 

 

They might look at candidates inside the company, post ads, or contact recruiters.

 

In most companies, the real manager hires most people.  The HR staff are there in case the guy wants their help.

 

When you go in for the interview, they are looking to see if you’re healthy, good and helpful.

 

The funny thing is that people who act like they’re in demand and don’t need the job get hired.  Desperation turns people off.

 

Interviewers will hire you if they think you will

solve a need and make them look good.

 

Nowadays with the internet a typical job ad can easily get a hundred resumes in the first day.  Make your resume and cover letter a brief, powerful advertisement about you.

 

Ask permission before you list someone as a reference.

 

Your aura should be:

 

good

deferential

healthy

nice

pleasant

helpful

confident

 

Getting a Job Offer

 

If they offer you a job, don’t take it unless the salary is enough.

 

Will they pay you enough compared to others doing a similar job.

 

Can you renegotiate or are there raises?

 

Are their good benefits and perks?

 

Do you receive health benefits?

 

Do you have a flexible work schedule?

 

Ask yourself if you really want the job.

 

Will you fit in?

 

Do you like the boss, the guy that interviewed you?

 

Is this a job you can like?

 

Can you be here for a long time?

 

If you accept the job, they want to see excitement.  They think they’re doing you a big favor.  Act happy.

 

Set up a Job Website

 

Set up a professional website that you put on your resume.

 

Use weebly or wix for a free website.

 

Set up a professional profile at linkedin or facebook.

 

Put a link to it on your resume.

 

What a Career Counselor Will Tell You

 

I got a free career counseling textbook.  It was one book in a series of about 20 counseling books in different things all the way from eating disorders to career change.  They’re all the same.  The counselor is basically a phony expert that makes money pretending to know a lot more than you about the problem. 

 

There is nothing all that advanced about a human being.  You are either trying to be in harmony with who you are by nature or you’re a lost soul.  That’s it.

 

Oftentimes, they’re just hired friendship for people who can afford them.

 

They don’t know anything that you can’t find with a bit of research.

 

Mostly they just give you a psychological motivational lift.

 

Here’s what the textbook said.

 

Look for support like a job support group.

 

Think upwards and forwards.

 

Set goals.

 

Pick a career that matches your true identity.

 

Be flexible about change.

 

Transfer skills from one career into your next career.

 

Stay active.  Don’t get down on yourself.

 

Work on getting a new job.

 

Deal with stress by walking and meditating.

 

Try being creative, start a business.  Try freelancing at guru.com.

 

There is no answer.  You simply grieve after a job loss then start looking for a new job or education for a new career.

 

Everybody has a true nature.  You will never feel good until you do what naturally inspires you but you need money to survive.  Almost everybody sells their souls.  It’s the way life goes for most of us.

 

What did you like to do as a kid.  Look for occupations that match those few things you really liked to do as a kid.

 

There is no stability at work.  You can lose your job.  Your boss can change your job tasks.

 

It’s your life.  Nobody else can really decide for you like a career counselor.  Do what God says in your inner voice.

 

I recently watched some graduation speeches on youtube.  It’s all crap next to the bottom line – get a job, earn money.  Don’t go for that New Age crap about finding your soul unless you want to be like the 99% of unemployed actors on Hollywood.

 

People have to find their own path intuitively.  Don’t let aptitude tests send you somewhere you don’t want to go.

 

Self-assessment is finding your true nature.  OK, so you know like physical activities and you’re creative.  So what.  So are ten million others.  You need a good job that pays well in an in-demand field.  Live in the real world.

 

Don’t aim too high because life is lived one day at a time.

 

There is ageism against older workers.

 

Most young people are massively brainwashed.  A smart young person doesn’t get serious about a career direction until they’re at least 27.

 

It’s a mix of finding something that you kinda like to be and earning money.  All the great jobs are very competitive and scarce.  Everything has a downside.  A job is a job.  You’re somebody else’s servant.

 

Some people have unrealistic career aspirations like almost every college student.

 

The only way to be really motivated is to love what you do.  Some people work hard even if they hate what they do.

 

Some people are anti-social or can’t take orders.  Discover yourself.  If you can’t handle certain things, find a career where you won’t deal with it.

 

Why be a teacher if you’re an introvert?

 

Work is simply you helping someone in exchange for money so do your part.

 

It’s always about how desperate you are for money versus how desperate you are to be your true self in your soul.  Why do strippers strip?  No woman wants to strip.  It’s all about money.

 

I’ve talked to lots of people about jobs.  Most say they’re not in their ideal career but intend to be in the future even though they do nothing about looking for a better lifestyle.  How desperate are you to find a career or business closer to your soul versus making a living at a lukewarm job?

 

There is a lot of crap out there like them aptitude tests that might say you’re good at something that you have no interest in.  If some counselor says you’re good with people but you’re an introvert, tell them you’re not really into that despite what the tests say.

 

If you could do anything you want, what would you do?

 

What are things you feel most passionate about?

 

Not Suitable for a Job

 

People are what they are.  A lot of people can fake it but a lot of people can’t.

 

Some people aren’t suited for an eight-hour a day job.  Find a way to employ yourself.

 

Some people are mentally ill.

 

Some people are lazy.

 

Some people have no real identity.

 

The government gives some people disability payments but most people who can't work regular jobs are on their own.  In my world, I would give everyone a small apartment.  There would be no homelessness.  That’s why I created the People Power Program.

 

Unrealistic Expectations about Work

 

Another big thing is unrealistic expectations.  It’s everywhere.  When I was about 22 I thought that they offered this degree in college, I got the degree now I should get a good job.  I realized there are many unemployed people with graduate degrees in almost every field.

 

Nothing has changed.  On a CNN show, a host asked a Chinese guy what’s the big problem with young college people.  He said they think they’re gonna get some grand slam job right out of college.

 

Everybody is brainwashed by TV.  Some punk in some sit-com is living in a huge apartment.  They set everybody up with that phony crap on TV.

 

Real life is not the life portrayed on TV.

 

Many people serving coffee have college degrees in useless majors.

 

Do you want to be an astronaut?  Waste twenty years of life doing crap stuff before they let you fly.

 

Back in Charles Dickens’ day, it was the same thing.  The newspapers, the priests and politicians went around acting like everything was peachy cream.  Life is really hard and horrible for a lot of people.  Nobody admits it.

 

Most people do not like their jobs all that much.

 

This is the real world.

 

Get a job.  Do it.  Get your money.  Buy a car and some junk.  Shut up.  Life was not meant to be great joy doing something great that gives you purpose. 

 

Get real.  I see all these crappy books with all these aptitude tests and questions about finding your life's purpose. 

 

Go to Billy Joel’s song Allentown saying the diplomas hang on the wall, didn’t help us at all, what’s real, iron, coke, chromium, steel.

 

They have all these pop idol shows on TV.  A lot of kids want to be rap stars.  They can make almost anybody a pop star or a rap star but you have to sell your soul to them.  It’s not about your talent.  It’s about you doing what they say.

 

Welcome to the real world.

 

Don’t kill yourself.

 

Live day by day honoring who you are by nature by releasing that natural energy.

 

Chapter 6. Job Articles 6

 

If You Do Good Work But Have a Bad Attitude, You Will Fail

 

Almost nobody has a skill that is so unique that they are necessary. 

 

The biggest thing people want in someone they work with is a humble, socially agreeable person.  If you are grumpy, angry or worse, people will not want you around.

 

Want a Job Badly Enough

 

Decide what job you want.

 

Clean, create and/ or manage your online reputation.

 

Have an email address and telephone number for easy access.

 

Have a good resume.

 

Keep looking for possible employers and apply to them.

 

Keep track of your job search so you don’t unknowingly repeatedly apply for the same job.

 

Show uniqueness somehow.

 

Have the guts to open your local telephone book, find companies or organizations and call them asking about applying for work.

 

Most jobs are not posted or advertised.  Most people in bigger companies (more than ten employees) are always looking for another good worker.  That’s you if you want it badly enough.

 

You have to get out of your comfort zone, put yourself out there looking for a job.

 

Get out there, make contact with people in your local area with jobs.  Go to the company office, ask about jobs, drop off your resume, fill out an application.

 

Volunteer and intern.

 

Create a profile at linkedin.  Look on lookedin for people in your field in your area.  Contact them to gradually network into a job.  Don’t ask straight out.  It’s too blatant.  You have to make friends first.  That’s how con artists work their scams.

 

Join professional and industry associations,

most of which have local chapters where you can meet people.  Many have job boards.

 

Look at the websites of local college career centers.

 

Try alumni groups if they apply to you.

 

Join a job hunting support-search group.

 

Visit your state's government website of jobs.

 

Find lists of groups to join at google groups  and yahoo groups.

 

Some companies and agencies have tweets and RSS feeds where the ypost up new job openings immediately.  Get on those feeds.

 

Look at ads in online newspapers.

 

You have to contact employers because you want to get an interview or at least a look.  If they look at you, they might decide they like you.

 

The more interviews you have, the greater your chances for success.

 

Make direct employer contact to ge tinterviews.

 

Go straight to an employer and ask to apply for a job.

 

Show a strong desire to work without becoming too bothersome.

 

Go through the Yellow Pages to find leads.

 

Go to conpanies where you live asking about a job without waiting for a job ad.

 

Start with contacting employers by phone or email.

 

If somebody says we’ll call you in a few weeks, say would it be ok if I call you in a couple of weeks.

 

Think of receptionists as gatekeepers.  Be nice to them.

 

Rejection is common.

 

The telephone is the best way to make direct contact with employers.  Don’t be pushy.  Say you’re looking for a job.  Ask for the hiring manager or the boss.

 

If you can't get past the receptionist, try before 9 a.m.,12:15 and after 5 p.m. or Saturday.

 

Send an eamail asking if any positions are currently open.  Say that you will call within a day or two.

 

Make the email the cover letter.  Attach your resume.

 

Also send via mail what you emailed.

 

Personal Fulfillment at Work

 

We live in an economic climate where unemployed people are desperate for a job and employed people try very hard to be proper because they are afraid of losing their jobs.

 

Everything in life comes down to both money and how much you use up the inspired energy in your true nature everyday.  It's up to you.  Do what you want and possibly starve and shut and go to work doing whatever they tell you to do.

 

All jobs involve selling your soul.

 

How much do you value dignity over money?

 

The best you can do is read some of my books and clarify your life for you.

 

The Career Counselor-Human Resource Fields Don't Understand the Desperation for Money

 

I've read lots of books and articles on looking for jobs, finding a career, career transition, etc.  The thing that gets me is how leisurely they are about it.

 

They don't understand that all this artsy stuff about finding your soul, your career aptitude and a good career pasth mean nothing if you have no money and are on the verge of being homeless.

 

People need to work.  The type of job doesn't matter much as long as you're working.

 

You can feel as empty as any one but the minute you start working at something, you immediately calm down and feel good. 

 

My point with this article is to tell you not to waste time or money with career counselors offering to try to help you find your soul and place in the world.  Get a job and make money.  You can search for a more suitable career later.

 

The first priority is always to get a job, any job.

 

Chapter 7. Job Articles 7

 

Job Seeking is a Full-Time Job

 

Master the job search process.

Don’t take rejection personally.  Keep plugging away.  Luck is when you’re there when someone needs someone like you.

 

What does your resume say about you.

 

A hiring manager spends less than a minute per resume until he sees one that sparks his eye.

 

Don’t ever act like an intellectual snob, especially if you’re straight out of college with all that fantasyland bullshit in your head.

 

Bosses like upbeat people but not phony over-the-top upbeat people.

 

The secret to success is to be happy at work.

 

Don’t expect things.  If you want a raise, earn it.

 

If you feel you deserve a raise and have no evidence to support your argument, you might be perceived as a lazy bum and be fired if you ask for one.

 

Build a relationship with your boss as a hard reliable worker.

 

Get your boss to like you.

 

Dress for Success.

 

Set up a small area in your house for a working space.  Do extra work at home.

 

Have good work discipline.

 

There are many lazy bums and distractions at work.  I started out hanging with the bums but I quickly left them at lunch to work out which made me feel good and look good for work.

 

Be visible.  Show up early, leave late.

 

Be a good team player. 

 

If you isolate yourself, unless you’re fantastic, people do not like loners at work because they don’t know what they’re thinking.  They want to know thast everyone is happy, not an angry timebomb. 

 

Learn from your boss. 

 

Learn from your mistakes.

 

Strive to do better and go forward. 

 

Maintain a professional image.  It makes you look stable even if you’re on anti-anxiety drugs.

 

If you hate your job, look for another on ewhile you’re working at this one.

 

Network.

 

Recruiters look for workers on linkedin accounts so have a good, active one.

 

At heart, we’re people.  In one sense, be civil.  In another sense, it’s about money.  People are greedy.  You need that capitalist for-profit mindset at least a little bit.

 

What is your life about?  What do you really want?  Is a corny office job worth the money or would you rather work on a farm?  Decide on what you want then live by it.

 

Don’t show anger at work.

 

You can try freelancing on websites like craigslist, guru and taskrabbit.

 

Show positive body language.  Act like an open friendly person without looking fake.

 

Poor eye contact demonstrates lack of confidence and immaturity.

 

Listen and be interested.

 

Show a genuine interest in work and the people there.

 

Negativity is easy to spot.  Once you’re pegged as sad sack, you’re marked for termination unless you change drastically but leopards don’t change their spots.

 

 

Job Checklist to Clarify What You Want at Work

 

period of employment you want

full-time

part-time

language at work

bilingual

french

english

job type

permanent

temporary

seasonal

casual

student and youth jobs

agency jobs

jobs linked to government funding

federal public service jobs

 

education level

management

university

college or apprenticeship training

secondary school and/or occupation-specific training

on-the-job training

 

job categories

management occupations

business, finance and administration occupations

natural and applied sciences and related occupations

health occupations

occupations in social science, education, government service and religion

occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport

sales and service occupations

trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations

occupations unique to primary industry

occupations unique to processing, manufacturing and utilities

 

job types

 

accounting

advising and consulting

allocating and controlling resources

analysis

analyzing information

biology

building

building and construction

business administration

business management

business, finance and management

chemistry

cleaning and house/shop keeping

clerical

client service

communication

communications and media

communications and transportation

computer and information systems

constructing

cooking, preparing, serving

co-ordinating and organizing

counselling and nurturing

creative expression

debugging and reprogramming technical systems

design

designing

earth sciences (geosciences)

economics

education and training

electricity (electrical and electronics)

engineering and applied technologies

engineering and technology

evaluating

examining and diagnosing

finance

fine and applied arts

finishing building interior/exterior

food production and agriculture

geography

handling goods and materials

health services

history and archaeology

information handling

inspecting and testing

installing and setting-up technical infrastructure

installing building interior infrastructure

interviewing

knowledge

languages (english and french)

languages foreign

law and public safety

law, government, and jurisprudence

leading and motivating

liaising and networking

library and heritage

loading and unloading

management

managing information

manufacturing and production

marketing

mathematics

mathematics and science

mechanical installing, maintaining and repairing

mechanics and machinery

medicine

negotiating and adjudicating

operating and repairing equipment, machinery and vehicles

operating mobile equipment

operating stationary industrial equipment

performing and entertaining

personnel and human resources

philosophy and theology

physics

planning

processing and production

processing information

professional communicating

projecting outcomes

promoting and selling

protecting and enforcing

psychology

public safety and security

recruiting and hiring

researching and investigating

restoring and repairing

sales

service and care

serving others

social sciences and arts

sociology and anthropology

sorting

statistics

strategic planning

supervising

teaching and instruction

teaching and training

telecommunications

tending to daily needs

therapy and counselling

transportation

treating people/animals

using specialized instrumentation and equipment

working with technological equipment and machinery

writing

 

Use dotdash.com, thebalance.com and thoughtco.com for Job Articles

Big websites with lots of free articles and lots of ads.

 

Career Development Guide

 

Constantly develop skills in your field.  It’s easy to take online courses for college credit. 

Even if it’s not college credit, many of the free MOOC courses still belong on a resume.

 

Many companies and NGOS say they offer continuing education courses and programs to employees.  If they do, use them.  If not, do it on your own.  Keep taking courses.  Pad your resume.

 

Identify career goals and pathways to achieve them.

 

Create a Career Development Plan.

 

Identify what you’re interested in then figure out a way to make money from it.

 

Become good at whatever career you choose because you’re proud of yourself and want to do well.

 

Do anything for professional development.  Create one of these for yoyur field:

 

website

youtube channel

meetup events

linkedin profile for your field

twitter or facebook page for your field

 

Talk to your boss.  Say you want to get ahead.  Ask him wha tdo you have to do to get promoted.

 

Tell him you want to learn the field.  Ask for advice in learning it.

 

Become a mentor to others.

 

Do a project on your own.

 

Look for a better job.  Start a business on the side while working.

 

Always keep a professional image.  Never be controversial about politics or religion.

 

How do people feel after they interact with you?

 

Do people think you’re a good person?

 

Network via:

 

smalltalk

online job boards

professional associations

recruitment agencies

directories

journals and newspapers.

 

Talk to people in your field.

 

Find a work-life that provides meaning and satisfaction.

 

These are positive qualities at work:

 

focus on doing the job

 

Seeking solutions and making improvements

 

Creating and maintaining partnerships

 

understand the needs of others

 

developing and mentoring others

 

be a good guy or gal for the team

 

get things done everyday

 

Identifying bad processes and replace them

 

Think up ways of improving processes

 

Communicate professionally for positive outcomes 

 

Build on your knowledge and expertise through education and training.

 

Keep up to date with new practices.

 

Propose practical improvements.

 

Organize work so that you can meet deadlines/ quality measures.

 

Responding to unplanned things in a professional manner.  Don’t fall to pieces.

 

Deliver customer-focused, quality and timely services.

 

Be aware of work politics like who’s friends with who, who hates who, etc.

 

Set a strong professional example.

 

Connect staff to the goals of the company.

 

Go to a conference in your field.

 

Identify what is most important to you at work.  Tell your boss you want more responsibility to prove yourself.

 

Some people are true narcissists.  They will not listen to others.  These people should be unemployable but they get hired because of their charm then turn out to be duds.  Don’t be this person.  If someone like that works for you, get rid of them.

 

Take advice.  Most people want their egos stroked by giving advice except for a few cranky psychopaths.  At the same time, don’t be a suckhole/ brownnose.

 

A lot is about Formal Qualifications even if it’s bullshit.  When I was a teacher, I used to teach useless psychology courses to a bunch of adults after work who had no intrinsic interest in knowledge for its own sake.  They were all there to upgrade to a Master’s or doctorate to make more money at work.  This is how the system works.  Take those courses.  Upgrade.

        

 

Getting and Doing an Informational Interview

 

Some people ask for information interviews.  The idea is that you’re not asking for a job.  You’re asking for information about the field, industry and company while informally trying to network but don’t abuse it.

 

If someone grants you an information interview, don’t ask for a job.  Have prepared questions ready about the field.

 

The truth is that a girl can easily get an information interview in any stuffy company run mostly by men.  Men can’t because other men, unless they’re truly good people, gay or egotistical, don’t care to mentor another young man.  Most are tired of their jobs.

 

If you’re a college student, ask the people at your career center if they can set you up with a job shadowing situation or an informtion interview. 

 

If you’re not, email or send a letter to a company saying you want to learn about the field, asking for an information interview.

 

The informational interview is a way to get your foot in the door of a company without directly asking for a job.  It’s less intrusive than asking for a job straight-out.  It gives the interviewer a chance to look at you and not to have to reject you if he doesn’t like you.  If he likes you, he can offer you a job.

 

At the very least, you learn about the industry.

 

Don’t ask for an informational interview.  Ask if you can have a look and talk about the profession or even offer to bring a coffee or buy a coffee.

 

Talk honestly about your career aspirations.

 

Don’t ask for a job outright. If they don't have one and you ask, you put them on the spot.

 

They already know you want a job.  If they like you, they will help you.  Don’t ask for a job.  Just say keep me in mind if something comes up.

 

Try to network through linkedin, twitter and facebook to find a person to talk to.

 

You can request an interview via telephone, email, skype or regular mail.

 

Make it clear that you aren’t requesting a job.  You want to learn about the field.

 

If they want to meet live, go and be cordial.

 

Here are some questions to ask at an informational interview:

 

What are the different jobs in this field?

 

What is a day like?

 

How is the economy affecting this field?

 

What is a typical entry-level job?

 

How hard do you work?

 

Do you bring work home?

 

How many hours a day do you work on average?

 

What are the educational requirements for this job?

 

Do you work by yourself or in teams?

 

What is the hardest part of the job?

 

Who do you sell to?

 

What is the career path for an entry-level job?

 

What are related jobs?

 

What do you think about the future of our field?

 

Do you think this is a growth field?

 

If you were starting out, what would you do?

 

Can you suggest anyone else I could speak with?

 

May I send you my resumé?

 

Thank the person.

 

Request a business card

 

Ask for names of people in the field that might be interested in talking to you.

 

Leave a copy of your resume in case an opening comes up.

 

Send a thank-you note.  Ask the guy to keep you in mind if they learn of any suitable positions.

 

Chapter 8. Job Articles 8

 

Find Yourself, Find a Career

 

What subjects did you like best at school?

 

What do you like to do?

 

Where do you spend your time?

 

What do you think about?

 

Listen to your inner voice which is your true nature or soul.  Follow it.  That’s why I wrote A Free Spirit’s Search for Enlightenment.

 

What do you want:

 

money

love

freedom

beauty

fame/ recognition

power

meaning

creativity

sense of achievement

to be a master

to be a bigshot

 

People pick careers without having any idea about what a typical day on the job is like.  They see some emergency doctor on TV and think it’s cool.  You can volunteer to job shadow paramedics or watch career videos.

 

Envious of Lazy Fatcats

 

A saw a video on youtube a rich kid made called The One Percent.  This rich kid is one of the very few lucky people in the world.  Everybody else will have to work everyday.  Why am I telling you this? 

 

So you can get real and know there is real life and a fantasy life but we don’t know what this kid is thinking.  Will this kid ever earn his own self-respect and meaning?  An ancient author Goethe wrote a story about some guy selling his soul to the devil. 

 

He played around and played around.  At the end, he realized he had betrayed his potential as a human being.  That’s the tragedy all these rich assholes who inherit money never talk about.  They do not rise to their own potential greatness because everything was so easy.  They had a big car and a big house at 21.  They thought they were cool but they never did anything that would be considered greatly inspired.  That’s why you must not be envious of fatcats and simply try to do what God made you to do.

 

Somewhere deep down they know they’re not great human beings by any standard.

 

What to do when Stuck

 

Change your attitude to your job.

 

Quit your job.

 

Get a part-time job elsewhere.

 

Quit your job, get a part-time job.

 

Do something creative outside of work.

 

Ask for a new assignment, a new posting, etc.

 

Take mental health drugs.

 

Take a college course.

 

Start training in another field on the side.

 

Ask for a new job within the company.

 

Change department to a similar job.

 

Go to a new company.

 

Change to freelance employment.

 

Take a sabbatical or break.

 

Take two part-time jobs.

 

Start a business on the side.

 

Retrain by getting an online degree.

 

Use your skills to enter a related profession.

 

Downgrade your lifestyle so you can live cheaply and not worry so much about making money.

 

Get a stepping stone job on the side.  For example, a cop I know got a part-time job as a pizza driver.  He learned the pizza business then set up his own pizza place.

 

Get a medical check-up.  Hidden diseases cause chronic fatigue.

 

Lose weight.

 

Be optimistic.  Watch free success videos on youtube.

 

Get my money-making superbook.

 

Everything I read is about goals.  It’s not about goals.  It’s about saying I was born to be this.  I will release natural energy in this direction everyday.

 

Fear is almost everything too.  I’ve seen every guru say be bountiful, don’t be scared.  They’re all rich selling their snake oil.  They don’t understand being near homeless.  Fear is good but not if it causes suicide.  I saw suicide photographs on youtube.  I feel so sorry that we, the human race, let people get so hopeless that they kill themselves.  That’s why every politician is a piece of crap, because they don’t really help people.  That’s why I want a big change through the People Power Program.

 

Nobody ever wants to talk about desperation.  We need governments that give everybody a small apartment and some food no matter what.  If we don’t do this, there is going to be a lot of darkness in the world because of the massive unemployment caused by free trade and automation but you will never see the tragic state of affairs on TV because advertisers have to keep the consumer jingle going all the way

 

Make an Action Plan

 

Make an action plan.

 

Work on it day by day.

 

Celebrate small successes.

 

Get back on it when you fall.

 

Review the plan.

 

Keep going.

 

Don’t depend on anyone for support.

 

Be courageous and move forward.

 

Don’t b.s. anybody.

 

No matter what, if you do not release inspired energy day after day, you will fall into a pit.

 

Get inner dignity through your own efforts.

 

Be a helpful person.

 

Try hard but don’t sell your soul.

 

Respect all people.

 

There are mean, evil and rude people everywhere.  They will try to screw you for their own pleasure.

 

It’s not about your wounded inner child and all that stuff.  It’s about becoming who you were born to be, releasing that energy, finding a job, making money.

 

If you’re too assertive, you can get arrested or they can call security on you.  Society tells us go after what you want.  That’s fine.  Do good work quietly but don’t do stupid things like demanding to see a manager or something like that.  When I read a guerilla marketing book, I thought it was crazy.  I later heard some guy got arrested for breaking in somewhere and leaving his resume on a guy’s desk.  Don’t listen too much to the lies of the outside world.

 

Don’t focus too much about psychobabble.  The act of working is enough to make you feel good.

 

Always try to be friendly.

 

Never lose your cool.

 

Every company has a certain culture.  Try to identify it.  Act like it.

 

Know your job duties and do them.

 

Always show deference and respect to your boss.

 

Try to learn what you can about your field and job.

 

Ask about upgrading courses for your job.

 

Be an encourager.

 

Make a plan.  Except unexpected changes.

 

Preparation is the key to success.

 

Always think about money.  Get my money books or go to #332 at the library.

 

Get training to upgrade yourself.

 

If you take new courses, it looks good on a resue.

 

Everybody wants managers.  Take management courses.  Get an online MBA.

 

Control your life.

 

Create a good resume so you have it if you are fired.  Take courses.  Do a part-time job.

 

Dark Side of Work

 

Do your present job as though you are about to be fired.  Have a resume ready.  Don’t have anything important at work.  Have it at home.  Sometimes they fire people and immediately bar you from your office and computer.

 

They don’t care.  They will fire anyone in a second. 

 

Take care of yourself.  There is no real loyalty at work.

 

Be proactive.  Anticipate termination.  Be ready.

 

Always plan for yourself while you are working for someone.  Be prepared in case they axe you.

 

Money is king.  Passion and inspiration is New Age lies that I think some elements of society put out to try to destroy people for their own ends.  It doesn’t matter how boring a job is.  Money in the bank is all that matters.

 

If you lose your job, do you have money to survive?  Do you have training that can get you another job?  Where can you make contacts?

 

Do you have a career plan right now in case this one fails?

 

Do you have another career path in mind?

 

Do you have a side business or freelance job?

 

Do you constantly take new courses?

 

Can you live cheaply if necessary?

 

Do you know exactly where to look for work?

 

Do you constantly network?

 

Don’t burn bridges.  Someday your worst enemy might become your ally.

 

Focus on your field.  Go to seminars, trade shows, etc.

 

Can you stay inspired day after day?

 

Helplessness is a feeling that there is nothing you can do.

 

Business and management courses help in most fields.

 

Can you start a business, sba.gov.

 

If you’re in a creative field, create a portfolio or online portfolio to showcase your work.

 

Constantly learn about the job market in your field.

 

There are career transition programs in the community either through the government, a nonprofit or where you work.

 

Take a look at your skills and see what different jobs you might fit in.

 

While keeping your current job, it’s ok to apply for better jobs.

 

Create a professional website.  Put up a profile at linkedin.com. 

 

If you set up a helpful blog, it might help you network into a job.

 

Approach recruiters.  Put your name in for a new job while you have your current job.

 

What is another career that you can transition into?

 

Discover what you like to do.  Figure out how to earn money from it.

 

If you have a part-time job and lose your fulltime job, you can probably get more hours on your part-time job.