oliviatamccue

January so far has been quiet in terms of job opportunities.

Stock price pattern may not reflect the company’s performance pattern.  In similar ways, less job openings does not translate to quieter moments for job seekers.

There are a few things that actually keep job seekers pretty busy.

There are the job seekers’ groups or networking, often offerred by Career Transition Services Agency.  Non-profit job seekers’ groups typically require some time commitment and showing up.

The one I went to, expects a 4-hour service commitment every week; plus some weekly meetings.   That is not petty time.  The idea is to  expand network and to improve some skills.   It is one of the better ways to broaden the social or professional circle in a secure setting.   The different types of profession and the diverse industries of these professionals, I have met in the last few months, far exceeded the diversity in the past ten years and more.

In such a setting, the positivity is crucial when the weekly meetings take place.  I would rate these groups on the amount of positive energy the leaders can bring.  In this group, the organizer does a very good job to plan guest speakers in the meetings, with relevant soft topics.

For those who have been in between jobs for a while or for a few times, it almost feels natural to develop bitterness or disappointment.  I think job seekers’ group makes a difference to give the members a lift every week in addition to providing services to improve job search skills.

This past week has felt like a very LONG week!…  I am glad that it is coming to the weekEND.   Job opportunities sometimes come in spurts, its arrival tends to do a very good job to kill rhythm or other plans.

Last week has 5 interviews on different job nature, very different companies.  It has taken some mental strength to prepare and show-up.      It feels like travelling to 5 different countries in 5 days, good experience yet exhausting.

*********************************************************************************

Cool Unique Questions:

My top ranking:

– how heavy is this building?

– spend 3 minutes to teach me a new skill.

– how would you set up at disney to get new customers sign-up for a credit card company?  how much would you charge per every successful sign-up?

– plus brain teaser type of question.

These make the experience unique and quite memorable.  How it could have helped the selection, it is still beyond me in spite of hiring experience.

**********************************************************************************

Towards the end of a conversation:

Job seekers sometimes would be suggested to ask questions like “How do you see my fit to this position?”   So far, I find this question could be intimidating to some, it is like “tell me my score right there?”.   I prefer this following series of questions:

– What makes a best fit for the position?  Or what would make a great partner for you in this position?

If the response echoes, that is wonderful to provide feedback; if it represents another individual, it is food for thought offline.

The other question I think is easier on both sides of the interview:

– Are there further areas I can answer to complete your assessment?

*********************************************************************************

Success story 

one lady in my job group got an offer in an exciting company, she has been in one company for the last 30 days, and have no job search experience, until now.  Isn’t it exciting news?

–

After a holiday hiatus, it is time to dust off the sleeping-bug and get back to some rhythm.

January 4, 2013 is one of the best days ever for wedding.  Why? January 4, 2013 in YYMD format becomes 13-1-4, the Chinese pronounication of 1314 in Chinese has a meaning.   CCUE means everything is as wish; 1314 means “forever in the whole life for the whole century”.   Imagine how sweet for a couple to get married on such a date “love forever in the whole life”.

Let’s say it creates some good-luck charm for anything we start today.

Finally there is a deal for the US fiscal cliff.

Well, for job searcher, there are different types of cliff that can easily get a person in low spirit.  What is a job search (fiscal) cliff?

• You run into a job opportunity that fits like a glove, all the interviews are done and the conversation flows beautifully, and the hiring manager promises to get back to you quickly.   It feels an offer is on the way.  Then next day comes and goes, another day and then more days of anticipating until the news that another candidate has been selected or there is a change in the hiring direction.  This is a cliff where the high expectation turn to a low disappointment.
• You run into a long period of no action.  It seems all applications go to a black hole. What happens?
• You finish an interview, and the interviewers end the conversation making you feel chance-less for a job that you consider qualified when you apply.
• And believe me, more forms of cliff.

Like the law of physics, after a cliff fall,  it takes extra anti-gravitational energy to get back up and it is not easy.  It is good for the endurance test.  It is even more challenging to get back up higher, and to-be-ready for another cliff.

Some thoughts to climb out of the hole from the fall over the cliff…

– Think of the positives.  It is encouraging to go deep in the process, than not getting started.  It is like “well, you are the runner up”, while the defeat is hard, it is still a good show.   You have conversations with more folks of this company than many other jobs that you have ever applied, aren’t you?  Not everyone is a born positive thinker.  Next …

– Distraction.  Most are born with natural survival and recovery ability, often it takes time. Some take a couple of hours, a day, some take much longer to recover from a rejection.  Distraction can be in the form of doing something related to a hobby, reading a book, sports…   If you run out of ideas, then just trying something easy and new.  For example, if you are never a music person, try to pick up a crazy teenager music from the library; or pick up a new free class, from the zillions of web sites.

– Keep getting at it.  The best recovery is to create new hope and opportunities.  That means, going back to the drawing board, be it be more job applications or more networking.

– Be Better.  The good news is there is always room for improvement.  If you get the offer, it feels like the end of the journey; if you don’t get it, it forces reflection.  These reflections are pre-mortem for the next opportunities.   If you are in a job search group, it is a good window to ask for feedback.  Failure, to get what has been expected, helps to grow character and resilience.

I wish all to be healthy and happy 1314.