Busy week finding people jobs

WOW, it seems like everything happened at once here at the office. Diversified Industrial Staffing hasn’t been this busy since last October. Its been a long time since I have last posted but I promise that I will post at least once a week from now on. Everyone here at the office has been super busy with work and life in general. We are so busy that Todd is hiring Krista on full time effective on Monday. She has been working here two days a week and she is a huge help. I think everyone in the office is excited to have her here full time.

My boss Todd Palmer’s son is graduating from High School so he has been tied up in graduation ceremonies and awards dinners. Lisa is also frantically trying to plan a graduation party on top of her already busy work schedule. On top of the usual work Todd, Lisa, and Krista have been working on the Job Search Process seminar. The Job Search Process is an eight step system that empowers and gives you the skills that you need to find a job in six weeks or less guaranteed. Its a great process that everyone can learn from. I think that everyone underestimated how much work it would be this time. But the seminar when off without a hitch and we have scheduled the next seminar for June 26 here in Troy, MI.

Because of the Job Search Process Becky has taken on most of the Diversified Industrial Staffing and Diversified PEOple work. I am amazed at all the work she has done. Things keep piling up but somehow she is getting them all done.

The other intern here, Evan is going through a trial by fire introduction to how things happen here. He is doing quite well if I do say so. Evan was also dealing with high school graduation so he has been tied up along with Todd and Lisa. It seems like the motto for the interns here is fire, ready, aim.

I have been frantically running around doing what seems like twenty jobs all in one. On top of that I got food poisoning yesterday so I missed a day of work so I’m behind in all of the projects that I have to get done.

Being busy is certainly not a bad thing. We have several positions open so check out our website at www.diversifiedindustrialstaffing.com or visit our page on facebook. We are in desperate need of handymen to do apartment turnovers and maintenance so if you know of any in Michigan tell them to give us a call at 877-867-8233.

-Rob

Busy days and Job Fairs

In the past few days things have been very busy at DIS. We are doing all we can to help our candidates find jobs but we want to give our candidates and everyone else find jobs as quickly as possible so the founder of DIS, Todd Palmer, created the Job Search Process. The Job Search Process is for everyone who is unemployed. It teaches the canidate how to find a job in six weeks or less on there own. If you are interested in this give the office a call (877-867-8233) or visit the Job Search Process Website www.jobsearchprocess.com .

Beyond the Job Search Process which has taken on a life of its own and spawned into its own company DIS has been busy. I have to fill ten job orders in general labor category this week. If anyone knows of any landscapers, handymen, or aluminum welders in the Detroit Area let me know, you will save me a lot of work.

We also attended the Good Morning America job fair this week at Cobo hall in Detroit Michigan. This was a huge event, ten thousand people showed up but only four thousand people were able to get in the door. Unfortunately I didn’t make it on TV but I was able to talk to lots of people about there jobs and what there next career move is. I look forward to doing my best to help all the people I met find a job.

Interview Follow Up

I have been getting a lot of questions about post-interview etiquette relating to contacting the employer. After the interview you have one simple question: Did I get the job? As days go by you begin second guessing yourself and wondering if the hiring manager will ever call you back. Here are a few things that you can do to help the situation.

1. At the end of the interview ask the person doing the interview what the next step in the hiring process is. This way you know how they hire, if they require a second interview or if the interviewer makes the hiring decision in a week. Find out when you can expect a phone call or what the next step in the interview process is and write that down.
2. Send a thank you card immediately after the interview. I prefer to send a hand written thank you card because it is more personal. Emails work as well but your email could get lost or easily skipped over in the hundreds of emails most business people get a day. Very few people take the time to send a thank you card and it shows that you care about the position enough to go the extra mile. It also makes you more memorable. Chances are the interviewer will interview a couple other candidates with very similar backgrounds so a thank you card can be the edge that you need to make you stand out.
3. Call them! As long as you are polite it will not be rude or annoying. If they haven’t contacted you by the hiring decision day call the manager back the next day. This shows the employer that you continue to care about the position. When you call them you should continue selling yourself in the phone call. Here is an example: “Hi my name is Jon Smith and I can contribute to your company with my leadership and experience. I was wondering if you have made a hiring decision?” This way you start a dynamic conversation where the hiring manager can ask you about your experience. If you just ask “Am I hired” you will get a one word answer, either yes or no. If they say you were not hired you should ask politely if they could keep your resume on file in case any more positions open up in the future. Then follow up every six to eight months to see if any positions have opened up. When you follow up be very polite and sell yourself in a similar fashion as I mentioned above.

If you follow these simple guide lines you will greatly increase your chances of getting the job. I wish you the best of luck with your job searching!

Social Networking for a Job

The US Department of Labor estimates that only 15% of available jobs are ever posted.  That leaves 85% of available jobs that are never posted. One way to tap into that 85% of invisible jobs is through networking.  Social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter can be a powerful resource for job hunting. It is fun to connect with people from the past and see what they have been up to.

Here is how networking will find you the other 85% of jobs that are available.  Fist create a profile and connect or invite all of your friends to do the same.  Fill out the profile completely, including descriptions, pictures, etc.  Once you have built your profile tell everyone in your contact list that you are searching for a job.  Hopetully by notifying all of your contacts about your job search they will keep their eyes and ears open for prosepective jobs for you.  This way your connections will be looking for looking for a job for you as well.  If you see a job that fits a connections qualifications then forward it on to that connection.   Its that simple.  One of your connections may have heard that they are looking to hire another employee and let you know before the job ever gets posted.

In order to have an effective job search social network you must be active in your network.  The easiest way to do this is to answer and ask questions.  When you get a job keep up with the networking.  The more you network and the stronger your network becomes the more it can benefit you. On top of that connecting with people and having conversations can be very fun so keep up the network.

I found my job through networking on LinkedIn and I know of a person who found a job through networking on Facebook.  Social networking does not guarantee jobs but it can help you get your foot in the door and get that interview that may lead to a job.  Best of luck with your networking!

Motivation

What happens when you loose motivation? The motivation to find a job, or just the motivation to do the work that has to be done?

There are a thousand reasons why both you and I loose motivation.  I think that I loose motivation when I try really hard but it never seems like it pays off.  At that point I think of all of those cheesy quotes from an unknown author “life is a marathon, not a sprint.”  For me, no motivational poster or cute catch phrase is going to inspire me.

The only way that I can re-gain my motivation is by figuring out what it is that specifficaly motivates me.   I am extremely motivated by people.  I don’t know why but other people tend to be the best inspiration for me.  I am inspired to be a better boyfriend by my girlfriend.  My boss inspires me to do my best at work.  Even negative things like a bad teacher has briefly inspired and motivated me to become a teacher.  I think that situations like the time when I encountered a bad teacher inspires me to try and improve a situation or fix the problem.  I want to make the world a better place and the best way I know to do that is to improve the lives of as many people as possible.   That is my underlying motivation, to improve the lives of as many people as possible.  It doesn’t matter how I accomplish that goal, but I will never stop trying to make the world a better place.

You are probably wondering how this post is going to relate to the Job Search Process.  Well one thing that Todd Palmer talks about in his seminar is motivation.   You have to be motivated to find a job or else its pointless to even look.  What is your motivation to find or keep a job?   I know my motivation to have a job is to pay the bills and have the spending money that I need to  live the lifestyle that I want to live.  What is your motivation to find a job?  Comment on this and let me know, I am very curious.

Be the Solution

Take a step back from the job seeker perspective and take a look at the hiring manager”s perspective. The hiring manager is hiring because he has a problem.  He either is in need of additional help or he is not satisfied with an employee and he wants to replace that employee.  The hiring manager has a problem, you may not know exactly what the problem is but he is looking for a solution to his problem so he is hiring.

The challenge for the interviewee is to be the solution.  The hiring manager is going to hire the person that fits his needs and is a solution to his problem.  It is all up to you to be the solution, no one is going to make you the solution, you have to be the solution.  You cannot simply rely on your skills to sell you as a solution.  You have to do more than that, sell yourself as that solution.  Tell the person doing the interview that you had 95% efficiency at your last job and that you showed up every day.  Describe your previous jobs and how you made a difference to that company.

It is easy when you get a job to feel relaxed and not work as hard.  NO that is wrong, in this competitive job market the employees that only do the bare minimum get replaced or laid off.  Go the extra mile when you are working and tell the hiring manager how you went the extra mile at your last job.  Tell the interviewer that you did the job in three hours instead of the four hours expected.  Tell him or her about how you finished your work early and cleaned you machine, helped a struggling employee, or take on new projects.  By going the extra mile you are becoming a solution to the problem.

Another radical way to prove that you are a solution to your problem is to offer to work for free for a certain time period.  Prove to them that you are the solution and that you are the employee that they need.  Simply making the offer may impress the hiring manager so much that they are willing to offer you the job right away.  As a footnote it is important to be prepared to go through with any offer that you make.  Another important foot note is that it is important to sell yourself as the solution but do not sell yourself as the the solution to a problem that you cannot fix.

If you have any questions then please comment on this blog and I will answer it promptly.

Advice for the College Grad

I found a very good article by Hallie Crawford, the owner o f Authentically Speaking. In this article she offers some very good advice for the College Graduate who is searching for a job. I agree with her, even having a college degree is not enough to land a job anymore. Experience is key for any job. A degree says that you went to school, experience says I know how to do the job and I have a proven record that says I can do what my degree says I can do. That is why internships can be so important. I know one thing that I was told consistently at Grand Valley State University is that internships lead to jobs. Some internships even turn into full time jobs.

The second main point that I have gleaned from this article is that it is important to be patient. Most of the time the first interview out of college does not lead to a job. Interviewing can be very stressful and it is a hard skill to master but it is important to keep trying. Jobs will not just fall into your lap. You must be proactive, build your network and keep at it.

It may seem like forever until you get a job but stick with it. Have a positive attitude, network, and get as much experience as possible. Thanks again to Hallie Crawford for writing a great article full of advice.

Don’t be fooled

Normally I would try and be more upbeat with this blog but I also believe in telling the truth.  I call it like I see it with the information at hand.  I don’t believe that we are out of this recession yet and it would shock me if we were to get out of this recession before the year is over.  The Associated Press wrote this article today: Jobless Claims Plunge, Retail Sales Improve http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090507/ap_on_bi_ge/us_economy;_ylt=AiGubxZBuzJinjCuiaYTnvSyBhIF

In this article they celebrate the minute drop in the expected NEW unemployment claims.  This is good news and a positive sign for the economy.  There still are hundreds of thousands of unemployed citizens in this great nation, just the increase in unemployment was smaller than the annalist expected. There remains an ominous could on the horizon though.

The reason why this article does not make me to optimistic is that Chrysler just declared bankruptcy, GM is still on the brink of bankruptcy, and several other major corporations like DuPont and Microsoft are all expected to lay off thousands more in the near future.  By far the biggest pain is going to be felt in the Auto Industry.  When Chrysler and GM shut down factories and lay off factory workers it is like dropping a stone into a pond, the ripple effects are felt throughout the entire pond.  When the plant shuts down and they stop making, for example the Dodge Durango, all of the auto suppliers that make parts for the Durango are forced either find new business or shut down.  Unfortunately these suppliers have millions invested in capital for automotive production so it is practically impossible for them to simply re-tool and start making other goods.   So by Chrysler shutting down factories it causes auto suppliers to shut down and these suppliers then lay off thousands more.  So I expect in the near future new unemployment claims to jump and the national unemployment rate to reach ten percent at least.  I don’t even want to fathom what the Michigan Unemployment rate will reach by the end of 2009.

Even through all of this there is still light at the end of the tunnel.  Chrysler and GM need to restructure in order to remain a viable corporation.  Once the restructuring is complete they will start building new cars, new models, opening up new plants, and jobs will return.  The economy is cyclical and we will soon be back in boom years.  All we can do is learn our lessons from this recession and apply them to business models so it American business can be stronger than ever before.

Opportunity

It may seem that opportunity is hard to find in a troubled job market but that is not the case.  Opportunity is what you make of it.  It could be an opportunity to catch up on some housework, spend more time with your children, or just sit down on the front porch and watch the sunset.  This could be your big opportunity to go back to school and get a better education or maybe this is your opportunity to start your own business.  Opportunity is everywhere you just have to look, and if you look hard enough I bet that you can find opportunity anywhere.

So take a positive attitude.   No one like a person who is always negative, especially an employer. Have a positive action, take the initiative and seize the opportunities in front of you.   That opportunity could be playing catch with your son or taking a seminar to help you find a job.
Opportunity can come fast and quickly disappear so next time you see the chance to improve your life don’t hesitate, Carpe Deim.  Unemployment is not forever so stay positive and positive things will happen to you.

An Introduction

Hello everyone! I am with Diversified Industrial Staffing (DIS).  DIS was established in 1997 to help unemployed and underemployed people find the right job for them.  At DIS we  use a candidate centric approach to math jobs with candidates.  I created this blog because I want to do more for potential candidates.  I know how hard it is to be unemployed and I never wish that on anyone.  That is why I want to help people find jobs.

I do have a personal life with several hobbies that include skiing, mountain biking, fishing, and in general being outside.  I am from the Detroit area and I have a strong interest in anything that runs on gasoline, especially Jeeps.  I would love to talk about anyone of my hobbies either here or on Twitter-(diversified_ind) so feel free to start a conversation.

The bottom line is this blog is about helping you with job searching.  My mission is to help the unemployed and underemployed find a job they can be happy with.  Recommend this blog to all your unemployed or underemployed friends because I want to help them.  Check back often, I will be updating daily.