Articles - The Voice of Job Seekers

What is not so Human about Human Resources?

Why in the world would you expect Human Resources to be “Human”? Are we not the super heroes of each company? We are in place to serve the best interest of everyone remotely involved with our company which includes a very lengthy list. Let us start with senior management, middle management that believes they are senior management, actual middle management, senior staff level employees, entry-level staff that believe they are senior level, actual entry level staff, interns, recruiters, vendors, clients and let us forever remember each and every one of our job seekers, our candidates for employment.

If you have not gathered by now, I am a bit Sassy. This comes straight from the hip of Sassy HR Girl. I do my best be a straight shooter while blogging. Why else do it, right? We each get our share of smoke blown ice cream castles with no lines, no waiting. So, let’s not have that mirage during blog time.

Now, back to the issue of Human Resources or shall we call it Human-less Resources? We are a special breed. We willingly took the bait to serve our fellow co-workers and whoever else that may be in need of our services…everyone. Most HR professionals really do love people and love the role of HR. Now we may not like every individual that we serve all the time. That’s right! I said it. We do not like everyone all the time. The HR smile is sometimes hiding the secret desire to flip someone off or masking the fact that we may have placed someone’s issue at the bottom of our “to do” list because they are somewhat of a “workplace turd”. Every company has one and sometimes several. You know who they are because their face is now plastered in your mind and you are possibly smiling, laughing or grunting right now at the thought of this “workplace turd”.

There are many mountains to move in HR which most of whom we serve, want the mountains moved precisely and quickly. Everyone’s issue is the most important issue to them and hence should be to HR. Super HR hero flying to the rescue of all that need us but wait Super HR hero forgot their cape today and there’s a run in their tights. Ughhhh! My effort to paint a quick picture of how Human Resources may not be so “Human” or actually quite the opposite, we are simply human.

We have great days. We have not-so-great days. I won’t say bad days because I was taught that I don’t have time for a bad day. I may have time for a bad moment or a minute but never a whole day.

So now you get the picture of the HR crazies. How can this help you in your job search? Let’s start with a focus on Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements. 1) Be impeccable with your word; 2) Don’t take anything personally ; 3) Don’t make assumptions; and 4) Always do your best. Listed below are four of Mr. Ruiz agreement cards that I would like you to ponder. While pondering, remember the HR crazies and all that is expected of your potential new HR team.

1. Be Impeccable with Your Word—Let go of self-judgment and blame. Being impeccable, you take responsibility for your actions, but you do not judge or blame yourself for anything. Your need or desire for a job is simply that…a need or desire. Be mindful of the words you speak to others and yourself regarding your search for employment. Your words matter.

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally—Ignore the opinions of others. Whatever people do, feel, think or say, don’t take it personally. Others are going to have their own opinion according to their belief system, so whatever they think about you is not about you, but is about them. If it were up to HR professionals, we would ensure that everyone is employed. I have never met an HR professional that likes to tell job seekers “No.” This is why we sometimes drag our feet with a delivery of these type of calls. Is it right to drag our feet? No, but it is human. No simply means no. It truly is not personal. It is business. It’s a very competitive job seeker market and employers really do have an upper hand sometimes. Let your attitude of self-worth shine ever more.

3. Don’t Make Assumptions—Ask for what you want. Find the courage to ask for what you want. Others have the right to tell you yes or no, but you always have the right to ask. Likewise, everybody has the right to ask you for what they want, and you have the right to say yes or no. Kill all assumptions. There are so many things happening with companies that sometimes require a constant shift of processing or of people. It is always okay to ask questions. How else will you truly know? You may like the answer or you may not. Take on the spirit of the Courageous Lion from the Wizard of Oz and simply ask instead or tormenting yourself with assumptions that you later believe as truth.

4. Always Do Your Best—Your best is changing all the time. Your best will depend on whether you are refreshed in the morning or tired at night. Your best will be different when you are happy as opposed to upset, or healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret. Your best is always good enough. Each interview is different. No two are the exact same. Maybe similar but never the same. You may shine one day. You may glisten the next day. We are never the same. Each day brings a different element and hence a different you.

Sassy HR Girl

by Mark Anthony Dyson

3 Things to Remember If You’re Unemployed Like I Was

Editor’s note: Drew Tewell is our contributor today. Since I met Drew Tewell, we talked daily or have exchanged ideas through our common social channels. His latest book is The Dream Job Program: Get the job you want.

“Tough times never last, but tough people do”

Robert Schuller

Being unemployed is not easy. I can say this from experience. I have only been at my current job for three weeks.

Today I want to share with you three things to remember if you’re unemployed.

1. You will find another job

This is very important. When you are unemployed, things can seem hopeless. But you must not lose hope.

In my search for another job, one of the things I did was to focus my job search. What I mean by this is that I picked one position, employment recruiter, to go after.

Having a focus for your job search will help to concentrate all your efforts and make them more effective. Meaning, you will find a job faster.

2. This is only temporary

Even though it may feel like you have been out of work forever, and even though there may be no end in sight, this to shall pass.

Another tip to help you find a job faster is to schedule your job search. I spent some time in the morning, before my son woke up, and some time in the afternoon, while my son was taking a nap, looking for work.

Having a schedule and sticking to it will help keep your job search a priority among all the other things you have going on in your life.

3. Your dream job is waiting
If you currently find yourself unemployed, why not take some time to discover and land your dream job.

And when I say dream job, I am not talking about getting your one and only “dream job”. The fact of matter is that you will probably have many more jobs spanning over your entire work life. What I am talking about is you getting the job you want at this age and stage in your professional life.

My final tip is actually the first thing you should do if you want to find a better job than you had before and that is to figure out what you want in your next job.

Years ago, after being fired from a job I didn’t like, I took some time to figure out what I wanted in my next job. I wrote down 3 things:

I wanted a job where I could help people.
I wanted a job where I could make more money.
I wanted a job where I could work with young people (I previously had a positive experience working with and mentoring youth).

I ended up targeting organizations that worked with young people and calling them directly. One of the organizations that I contacted had an opening that they were looking to fill immediately. I ended up landing a job helping people, making more money, and working with young people! In addition, this is where I started helping people with their work and careers, which is what I still do.

If I had not taken the time to figure out what I wanted in my next job, I may have never found that opportunity.

So if you are unemployed, be encouraged and remember:

You will find another job.
This is only temporary.
Your dream job is waiting.

Consider putting into practice the tips I mentioned. And before you know it, you will be talking to the right person at the right time who is hiring for the job you want.

Question: What advice would you give someone who is currently unemployed?

The Dream Job Program by Drew Tewell

If you are currently unemployed, or you just don’t like your job, and you would like to discover and land your dream job, go to dreamjobprogram.com.Enter your email address and you’ll get a FREE copy of my book, The Dream Job Program: Get the job you want (which sells on Amazon).This is the same material that I took my coaching clients through. The only difference is they paid me hundreds of dollars for it.

by Dunya Carter

5 Ways Volunteer Work Enhances Your Job Search

In the never-ending search for better work and higher pay, it can be extremely easy to brush off volunteering. After all, isn’t volunteering just for elementary school fundraisers and community environmental projects? Most certainly not! Volunteering can provide a unique, powerful, and possibly even fulfilling way to improve both yourself and your future job prospects if you have the drive to take advantage of it.

1. Chance to Acquire More Experience

Especially for younger adults just getting into the work world, experience is one of the major barriers to landing that ideal position, even for those with the education credentials. If you can’t get someone to pay you to do what you want just yet, try volunteering to do it, or something closely related, for free.

Volunteering work looks great on a resume because it not only shows the employer that you have dabbled in the work in question, but it makes you look like a “team player” willing to go the extra mile to get a job done even without explicit reward. Even if the work isn’t directly related to the position you apply for, regular volunteering shows that you are able to manage your time and commit to a goal once you’ve begun it, both vital qualities in any employee.

2. Chance to Develop Skills

Other than the extra lines on your resume, the actual activities you undertake during volunteering can help you refine and improve any number of skills. Different volunteering projects can have you learning a new computer program, working with the public, teaching, understanding a different aspect of a business, and more.

Volunteering can be a great way to keep polished skills that you do not get to use much in your actual job: for example, an accountant who tends to work on his own most of the day might want to volunteer at the local fair to get more personal interaction with the public, just in case a new, more socially active position opens up later.

3. Chance to Explore New Things

If you are looking to change careers (or for young people, not quite sure where to even start), volunteering can be a low-stress way to explore a lot of different fields without the firm commitment of an actual job – nor the difficulty in actually attaining a position. A hospital volunteer, for example, can see many of the daily happenings of the nurses, doctors, specialists, administration staff, and others, giving a first-hand view into what a day in one of those positions could be like. If you like animals, you can find a volunteer program helping endangered wildlife. A person interested in teaching who also loves travel can find a suitable international volunteering program and help local communities in countries such as Cambodia, Thailand or Costa Rica, while also experiencing a different culture and practicing teaching.

4. Chance to Network

In business, it is never about what you know nearly as much as it is who you know. Volunteering, especially in an industry you are interested in joining on a professional level, exposes you to a huge range of people that you would never have a chance to meet otherwise. You never know when a connection could turn into a relationship that could turn into a potential job offer down the line.

That even ignores the personal benefits of expanding your worldview and making new friends, which can help improve you as a person and make you a better employee wherever you are!

5. Chance to Stay Active

In this economy, it is the unfortunate truth that many have spent far longer unemployed than they would ever wish to. One of the biggest problems with extended unemployment is the malaise that settles over someone lost as to how to spend their days when waiting for a call back. Even worse, that kind of inactivity can look bad on job applications, making getting a job even harder the longer you remain unemployed.

Volunteering provides a way to spend time and provide a sense of purpose so you can feel like you are accomplishing something while out of work. It also can impress a potential employer who sees that when out of work, you continued to find fulfilling and useful ways to occupy yourself, displaying a drive above and beyond most other applicants.

Not all the benefits of having a job are monetary, and while volunteering lacks a paycheck at the end of the week, it often has those secondary benefits available in spades. Never discount how much working for free can increase your earning opportunity in the future!

Dunya Carter wrote this article to support and spread the word about a wonderful EDventure International program for those interested in volunteering in Cambodia. Their Facebook page is also a great source of information on how you can help local communities in Cambodia, Thailand, South Africa and Costa Rica.