Job - The Voice of Job Seekers

I Need a Job Right Now! I am Desperate! What Should I Do?

Someone I know told me she had been looking for a long time and said, I need a job ASAP! I thought I would share my reply so others could benefit.

This article is among the most popular on the site. Whenever the economy turns downward, with fewer opportunities, and living costs are much higher.

Well, before we talk about what you should do, we need to diffuse a bomb before it goes off. You will need to deal with the desperate state overflowing from your veins. It will scare everyone you approach. No one likes to talk to an irrational person. When you say, “desperate,” that is what people think. Your reality is you are in a difficult situation where time is of the essence.

The phrase, “I need a job ASAP” is scary. Think before putting it out there.

Companies will not give jobs or even listen to a desperate person. It frightens them and rightfully should. It’s likely you’re overwhelmed but now is the time to overcome it with rationalization. This is a good time to start doing several things to help you focus and conduct a search to achieve quicker results. Unfortunately, most employers are not rushing to hire people.

Write down and carefully consider the following:

Are you clear on the job you want and the company you want to work for? That is the first major obstacle for most job seekers.

Is there a skill you can leverage as an independent contractor?

Is there a job opportunity you passed on applying to because it didn’t seem right? Depending on what “right” is, it may deserve a second look.

Are you signed up with temporary agencies? You should sign up with several. Most pay weekly once you start. Although they will still put you through their hiring process, it is a short term fix.

Do you know any friends who are business owners who can use your skill set?

Have you told most (or all) of your friends and family of your unemployment status? As funny as it seems, people will tell strangers before family. I understand why. If you’re running out of time, then this might be the best rational option.

If you haven’t already, you should be having conversations with people you know who might be in position to refer you or hire you at least temporarily. The caution again is people will bail at the sign of desperation. You can communicate urgency without seemingly irrational.

Dress

Consider dressing business casual wherever you go. This will likely disarm those who don’t usually help anyone. It’s not comfortable during the summer months, but human nature says people are likely to trust someone who looks ready to work. Casual business is much more pleasant than always dress for the interview. The worse is looking like you just got out of bed and saying, I need a job ASAP. The latter is repulsive at best.

Do the basics

Here are some quick suggestions, but for more details, you can find articles all over the web for help. I’ll include a few references
If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, it’s time to complete one. If you’ve completed one, now it’s time to participate in conversations taking place in groups. Spend extra time writing a strategic headline with appropriate keywords.
Contact companies directly. Meet recruiters and ask questions about positioning yourself better than if they can find you a job (which isn’t their job). There are many articles on the web to help you strategize and execute.
Set up informational interviews, and shed the desperation in your voice and actions. Go to be informed, not to be picked.
Ask for introductions to people in the companies you’d like to work for. Offer them value, and likely, they will offer it back in some way. It likely won’t be a referral to their company, but to others who can lead you to good people ready to assist.
Create opportunities for great conversations everywhere you go without asking for referrals. Relationships get you introductions, information, and keys to successful next steps.
Look for internship opportunities if you’re graduating soon. It’s not a bad idea to find one for a year. Look for volunteer opportunities to help you hone untested skills and abilities
Are you a member of professional organizations? If not, are there any you can contact to see if they have any special discounted membership prices? If you’re a recent college graduate, many will give a very low discount or be free for the first year. Join the committees. It’s the way to connect with others who’ve successfully navigated the industry.
Check locally for businesses looking for someone with your skill set. It’s possible they haven’t posted a position yet, but are willing to hire the right person with a unique skill.
Try small businesses where the ceiling to learning is greater (especially if they are tech-centered), the relationships are more accessible, and there is a greater chance to build a network with coworkers.

These are a few things you can do. If you have additional questions, let me know.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

9 Reasons Spouses Lose It When You Lose Your Job

Your spouse’s mind raced because the company announced you were laid off. It is one thing to have had steady employment, another when the safety net disintegrates. Many changes are about to take place, and some will affect you.

It’s a layoff, chill. Easier said than done.

I understand. Job loss is hard, and it’s harder when the former employer adds a broad, unfair, undeserved, and potentially damaging narrative.

Read 7 Signs That A Moratorium On Marriage Has Occurred (Until You Find a Job)

The Huffington Post recently reported that married couples on the brink of divorce are waiting because of a lack of employment.

In March 2007, before the bubble burst, 4.6 percent of the labor force was unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Three years later, the unemployment rate jumped to 10.2 percent. Divorce, on the other hand, decreased by 1.4 percent between 2007 and 2008, according to the report, and then by another 2.8 percent between 2008 and 2009.

Things have changed in the last 10 years.

Your spouse lost their mind over time. Remember when he or she lost it because you worked overtime? You are not alone. At least stats show it’s a slow but grinding process, so there is hope if it seems bad now.

Read Marriage and the Unemployed Spouse

Hiring in your career industry appears bleak, and your marriage has peeling paint. I have listed a few reasons why your spouse is losing their mind if it’s still a mystery to you:

Your spouse thinks you should have seen job loss coming. This premise exposes your lack of communication before it hit the fan.
You are minimizing the impact on the family by saying things like, “It’s not so bad.” “I’m glad it’s over.” “My boss was out to get me!” Transparency is the key, and never talking about it with your spouse is a problem.
Either laid off or fired, you were dishonest about how it happened. That will definitely tick him or her off. Own up to a poor job performance or an incident that was your responsibility.
You’re the one freaking out. You are lashing out at your spouse and children for no reason. Showing control and restraint is YOUR responsibility. Practice temperance and reason, and everyone else should follow.
You lack updated, relevant skills to find a job. Unfortunately, a spouse who has encouraged you to return to school or pursue another career track will have little mercy on you. It is best to be humble, hear the noise, and push forward.
Your spouse knows the lazy person in you will not conduct due diligence. He or she knows that your ambition barely treads water. Diffuse the bomb before it explodes, and be aggressive in searching and researching jobs. Let your family see your research, talk with your spouse about potential decisions critical to the household (night job or day, lower pay, mandatory overtime).
That makes two. When both spouses are out of work, the panic button is abused. Keep your hand off the button!
You won’t take on extra chores since you have extra time. Unemployment has fringe benefits, but another way to reclaim your spouse. If there is a disconnect, then find ways to reconnect. If you know what makes your spouse tick, then be what they need to make them happy.
The lack of money will eventually exploit all marriage weaknesses, or at least most. However, the focus on money can turn into idol worship, thus becoming an even larger issue. Don’t be surprised if this has always been prevalent in your marriage.

Read 10 Ways Your Spouse Can Boost Your Career

Sure, there are other ways to keep the peace. The unemployed spouse has to compensate for the fear of not contributing financially. Although decisions made out of guilt or compulsion are potentially hazardous to any relationship, this is the kick in the behind you need.

Many issues existed before you lost your job. How you deal with them will determine whether your marriage grows or perishes later on.

What are other reasons spouses go CRAZY when a job loss in the family occurs? Perhaps there are ways to handle a spouse’s job loss properly. Please share either by commenting below.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

How Winners Easily Embrace Losers Who Are Really Winners

The job market today is unrecognizable from 2022. It was a job-seeker market. Most people are waiting to change jobs if they can. It’s a smart move. But eventually, the levees will break as far as opportunities are concerned. Preparation should be the mantra right now.

It’s not a good time to be Charlie Brown, so I thought. Read the rest of the story.

Growing up, my favorite books were the Charlie Brown volumes my mom bought me. If I wanted to read, I read Charlie Brown. I felt that I identified with him the most. I’m glad my life didn’t turn into this 100-game losing streak in how he managed and played with his baseball team. Many people have been searching for jobs so long that they may feel like Charlie Brown. That may not be a bad thing, but let me explain.

Many of us identified with him because he was so human. He was more realistic than his cartoon contemporaries his age. Many people don’t remember the name of Charlie Brown’s baseball hero.

Joe Shilabotnik.

Who?

Joe Shilabotnik was not a real baseball player; he was fictional, like Charlie Brown, but here is what I remembered about this player.

1) He was not a starting player in the major leagues

2) He never had batted .300 or hit home runs

3) Charlie Brown traded away Mickey Mantle and several all-stars to get Joe from Lucy. Lucy wouldn’t trade but ended up tossing the card because he wasn’t as cute as she thought

4) No other characters talked about Joe, except Schroeder, who once told C.B. that Joe was traded… to a lower minor league team.

Think about it. Charlie Brown could have admired many other players in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s: Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, Sandy Koufax, and others. Instead, he chooses Joe Shilabotnik, who is probably a minor-league standout who played by default.

Charlie Brown’s career wasn’t much to talk about either. Throughout the years, I only remember his team winning twice. Both wins were forfeited because the other teams did not show up.

Not to mention that Charlie Brown got pounded like a pitcher. He was walloped sometimes, and it made his body spin so much that his clothes came off.

Maybe you remember how Charlie Brown always tried to kick the football from Lucy’s hand. He kept trying, and she kept pulling it away. But I later admired how he put his whole body into it. He intended to kick it to kingdom come, even though he missed every time.

We count on Charlie Brown to keep trying, to give 100% effort even after we lose or experience pain.

But what is bittersweet about the hiring process is being liked goes a long way. People who say yes and no will decide whether it sustains employment, but you should be likeable—like Charlie Brown and Joe Shilabotnik.

What did we like about Charlie Brown?

Perseverance, endurance, steadfastness, and faith. Charlie Brown’s team lost yearly, and his team would return year after year. He organized, coached, and coordinated the team’s activities yearly with few good players and many lousy ones, including himself. But he gave his all daily.

He had a vision he never gave up on. Would generations of kids and adults find Charlie Brown interesting if he was a champion? Perhaps. But we relate better to people who are more like us. That makes us likable and hirable, that we come back from our losses. Like the movie “Seabiscuit,” we naturally cheer for the injured horse more than the others.

He had a faithful network of friends. You need your network to support, vouch, and encourage you daily. Although his friends complained about Charlie Brown, they were in position at game time. It is easy to rally people when you win. How about when you frequently lose? People must like you to rally don’t feel you’re a loser.

All of us should have a Joe and Charlie to defend. It’s part of winning, being a winner, and defining winning. It’s the passing of opportunities better for others. It’s considering others ahead of us at times. And believe even when their batting average is sub .200 (in baseball).

Everyone has felt like Charlie Brown, but few realize they have redeemable and attractive professional attributes like him. Although it is up to the job seeker to highlight these attributes, a great resource is people within the network who could help bring out the best in them.

There are attributes about you that people like and that could be used to get hired. What are they? How are you like Charlie Brown? How are you like Joe? Who believed in us when we were like either one?