The recent news headlines are filled with information on the government’s impending sequestration. Without an approved budget from Congress, there will be forced cuts to many governmentally-funded programs. Because of these cuts, thousands of federal employees may be facing furloughs that could last for up to a year. In the unfortunate event that you will be impacted by a furlough, take these steps now to prepare accordingly: 1. Figure out your budget and determine essential and non-essential items. In some cases, federal employees have already received notification that sequestration will result in a four-day work week. A 20 percent decrease in pay could mean that you’ll need to really watch your spending on those non-essential items and instead focus on essential housing, food, and transportation costs. Your budget doesn’t need to be an accountant-worthy document, but you should analyze your adjusted take home pay with the decrease and your set monthly expenses. Don’t forget to include expenses that may only occur one or two times a year, like insurance. 2. Identify opportunities for making up the shortfall caused by the furlough. After you have completed your budget analysis, you may realize that you need to find some additional work to make up the difference and still live comfortably. Lots of full-time professionals also work in part-time positions in the evenings and on weekends. With your new schedule, you’ll have at least one full work day that you could devote to a second job. Perhaps your skills allow you to pursue some freelance or consulting work on a temporary basis. Start networking with your colleagues who work in the private sector and see if such an opportunity exists. You may also consider taking your skills online by using sites like Elance or oDesk. 3. If your finances can sustain the decrease in income, consider how you will use your extra time. Pursue continuing education opportunities on your own or through formalized programs at your local community college. Often times, these courses are relatively inexpensive and they will allow you to keep your skills fresh during your down time. There may also be online training courses through professional associations or an online provider like Coursera. 4. Pursue your passion. If continuing education isn’t your cup of tea, find out if there are volunteer opportunities that align with your interests, hobbies, and so on. Most non-profit organizations are in need of volunteers, so reach out to a group that shares your values. You may be surprised by how willing they are to get you involved in projects. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
- How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
- The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
- How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
- The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
- And, a lot more hacks for job search success!
Let us show you the secrets to getting a new, better-paying job you actually love. Sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp today.
Are you ready to land the job of your dreams (and leave the job of your nightmares)?