How to Avoid the Summer Job Search Meltdown

It's very easy to get distracted by the sun, hot weather and seemly endless summer events. Smart job seekers know that finding employment is a full-time job, and while you can give yourself a "mini-vacation" for a day or two, you need to remain dedicated. Here are a few tips to keep your search strong in the summer months:


Network, network, network: You don't have to be at an organized networking event to meet new people. Take advantage of the different festivals and events around town to expand your contacts and volunteer to beef up your resume. You never know who you could meet that can help your job hunt in the future.

Use job board alerts: Most online jobs boards allow you to use an RSS feed or another method of notifying you when new positions are posted. Take advantage of this tool to give you a leg up on other job seekers who might not be searching daily.

Practice makes perfect: You can never have too much practice when it comes to interviews. Have a friend prepare a few questions and do a mock interview. Don't review the questions ahead of time and answer as if you were in an actual interview. This will help ease your nerves the next time you interview with a hiring manager.

Keep a job hunt journal: Keep a written list of positions you've applied for that you can monitor, following up on open positions and updating your list when positions have been filled. You can also use this list to target companies that are in similar industries and would have similar positions.

Be proactive: If you find a company that you admire but they are not hiring, send them your resume and a cover letter detailing what attracted you to the company. Ask that they keep your information on file for the next open position they have. Connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn and keep tabs on any company news.

58% of workers laid off in past year found new positions

According to a survey by CareerBuilder, 51% of full-time workers who were laid off in the past 12 months have found a new full-time position. Additionally, 7% found part-time work.

They survey also found that of those who found new jobs, 61% were able to get a comparable or higher salary than their previous job.

What has your experience been? If you were laid off in the past year, have you found a new job?

Spring Cleaning for Your Job Hunt

The grass is green, the birds are chirping and your new job is just around the corner. Now is the time to give your job hunt the same treatment that you give your home.

Reorganize Your Priorities
Just as you might reorganize your closet, do the same with your priorities. Evaluate how much time you are spending on your job hunt. Establish a daily routine to have a sense of normalcy. Remember that looking for a new career is a full-time job. You should be spending at least 40 hours a week contributing to your search.


Update Your Resume
Have you been using your time off to volunteer or take classes? Make sure to keep your resume up-to-date by adding new experiences. Hiring managers will appreciate seeing what you've been up to since your last position ended.

Dust off Your Address Book
Contact old managers, co-workers, friends and family. Let them know about your job hunt and ask if they know of any open positions. Remember, many available jobs are not open to the public; it's all about who you and your connections know.


Clean up Your Attitude
Often times job seekers experience bouts of sadness and frustration. Remind yourself that you are a good worker and you will find a job. Maintaining a positive attitude will keep you going during your search.


Try New Things
Invest time into social media. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are a few user-friendly sites that can be used to research companies and network with other job seekers.

Worst Office Phrases: It's time to retire some of these sayings

CNN had an article today about the 10 Worst Phrases to Use at the Office.

So let me pick your brain: what is your least favorite office catch-phrase?

QPS Releases First Quarter Employment Forecasting Survey

QPS recently surveyed over 300 companies in Wisconsin and Illinois to get their predictions for the upcoming year.

Check out the survey results which were printed in the Business Journal!

Bridge to Employment: Temp Worker lands dream job

While I don't normally post on Tuesdays, I just had to share this article with you from CNN.

Allison Riney, a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, got over her negative perceptions of the staffing industry and once she got her foot in the door, landed her dream job.

Have you ever used a temporary service before? What was your experience like?

Unemployment decreases in November, Temp services on the rise

New unemployment figures have been released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the report, unemployment dropped from 10.2% in October to 10% in November.

Employment in professional and business services rose by 86,000 in November. The report says that "temporary help services accounted for the majority of the increase, adding 52,000 jobs. Since July, temporary help services employment has risen by 117,000."

To learn more about QPS and the staffing industry, visit http://www.qpsemploymentgroup.com/

Running on Empty: How long can you live off your savings?

According to a Monster.com poll, most Americans would only be able to live off of their savings for two months if they were to lose their jobs. Over 16,000 people participated in the poll.


The findings:

• 34% only have 1 weeks worth of savings

• 16% have between 2 and 4 weeks of savings

• 16% have 1 to 2 months of savings

• 20% have 6 months worth of savings

Do you have a "plan b?" Has this recession made you re-think your savings plan?

What are you thankful for?

With Thanksgiving hours away, I thought I would take some time to reflect on what I am thankful for this year. Now more than ever, I am thankful to have a job.

Let me clarify that point.

I am thankful to have a job that lets me explore new initiatives (like this blog) and has enough faith in me to let me try out ideas, even potentially risky ones.

So, this Thanksgiving, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to come to work each day. I am grateful not just for the paycheck, but for the fact that my employer believes in and supports me. I am grateful to work in a place with co-workers who I consider my friends. I am grateful my for successes and my failures, because they are shaping me to be a better worker.

What are you thankful for?

Is the grass always greener?

According to a new survey from Right Management, employers may soon be scrambling to keep their employees from leaving.

The survey found that 60% of U.S. workers are planning to persue new job opportunities as the economy improves in 2010. 21% said that they "maybe" would be open to new oportunities and they have already started networking.

6% said "its not likely that they would leave," and only 13% said that they has intentions to stay at their job. One thing is for sure- employee turnover is on the rise.

But, is the grass always greener?

What about you? Would you be open to new opportunities once the job market picks up? What are some factors that would cause you to leave your current job (more money, better benefits, etc.)?

Inventions During Recessions

Do you know what iPods, The Burger King Whopper and Kermit the Frog have in common?

All were invented either during or immediately after a recession. Apple introduced the ipod in October of 2001, Burger King invented the Whopper in 1957 and The Jim Henson company was started in 1958.

Recessions can be great times to re-focus and re-invent yourself as an employee or your company. Who knows what you may think of next!

How do you pass the time?

As the weeks pass, I’ve been hearing more and more stories about what people are doing to keep busy during their layoffs or period of unemployment.

Some are taking the time to be diligent job hunters, using their 40 hours a week to apply for jobs, network with people and pound the pavement for opportunities.

Others are taking much needed time to refocus their careers by learning new skills or improving upon their skill set. Still others are using the time to volunteer at local hospitals, animal shelters or churches.

If you are between jobs, let us know how you are spending your time. And if you can, tell us how your volunteer position led to work or how you met the connection that led to your new job at a networking event. With all the doom and gloom, I’d love to be able to see some positive stories!

Dealing with Survivor’s Guilt

We’ve all seen it happen. Co-workers being called into a closed-door meeting. The awkward goodbyes (if you even have that option). The turning in of keys/company phones/computers. The stunned silence and the eerie quiet that follows for the next few weeks.

With the thousands of jobs that have been lost during this recession, I think literally everyone either knows someone who has been laid off, or has been personally laid off.

I like to call what happens next “survivor’s guilt” (No, I didn’t coin the phrase, but I think it accurately describes the feeling). The workplace blues goes around the office for a bit, with people talking in hushed tones, secretly feeling guilty.

So, you may be asking yourself, “How can I get over this?” My answer: try to see an upside to every situation.

Taking on more work? Now you have job security. Learning a new skill? More experience to add to your resume. Look for these silver linings every time you start to feel down.

Have you experienced “survivor guilt?” How have you overcome it?

Taking Time Off During a Recession?

A survey by CareerBuilder.com says that 35% of workers haven’t gone or aren’t planning on taking a vacation this year. Of those, 71% cited lack of money as the reasoning. What have you been doing this year? Going on big trips, or experiencing “staycations” and doing activities close to home?

The survey also found that 1 in 5 workers are afraid to take vacations in fear of losing their jobs or because they feel guilty about being away from the office. Do you feel guilty about taking time off?

I think not taking your vacation can be even worse for your mental health- if you are doing more work than ever because of layoffs or shifting of duties, you need to take a few days off here and there to recoup and relax.

I think if you plan carefully and coordinate with co-workers schedules, taking a few days off can do wonders, and you can return to work refreshed and ready!

Hello Readers!

Welcome to Career Corner. For starters, let me introduce myself!

My name is Anne and I work at QPS Employment Group, which is a staffing and recruiting firm. I have been with QPS for a little over 3 years as the media relations specialist.

You’ll get to know me quite well in a short while, as I will be posting to the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. What are some topics I’ll be writing about? Everything work-related (and even a few things that aren’t)!

Check back often for new posts, and leave me a message if there is anything you are interested in talking about. Let me know your thoughts on my posts, even if you don’t agree with my viewpoint (I love a good discussion)! I'm new to the blogging world, so share any tips or tricks you may have as well.