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Welcome to Our Weekly Job Transition Newsletter
Hi Everyone~
Welcome to Spring - as we see new life begin in our environments it reminds us how important it is to continue to recreate oursleves. It has been said that life is not for the weak in spirit and the older we get the more we realize how true that statement is. For many of us it is imporant to focus on what we can become and not stay fixated on what we have been! The world of work is changing and with that change many of us need to assess all of our skills and see where those skills best fit.
This weeks newsletter will focus on ways to rethink ourselves. I hope it will be helpful to each of you. For those of you who are new to my newsletter - Welcome and for those who are clients of my coaching pratice I am pleased to report that last week we had 7 clients land new jobs. It just goes to prove that when you have a strategy that you work with clarity and enthusiasm you CAN find your next opportunity.
Have a great week and let me know how I can help you grow and succeed!
V. Mikal Jackson
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Should I Consider a Temporary Assignment?
Let's start with the situational reality. It's going to take time for the economy to reabsorb America's unemployed workers. According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, our present 8.5% unemployment rate translates to 13 million people without jobs. By most estimates, there are approximately 3 million job openings in the economy, so it doesn?t take a mathematician to know that it's going to take time for the economy to produce enough new jobs for these displaced workers. Finding alternative forms of work is going to be necessary for many people as they ride out the recession.
As a general rule, I strongly advise people to consider a temporary assignment during an extended period of unemployment. There's no shame in doing everything you can to remain mentally and fiscally healthy. This might take the form of delivering consulting services in your area of expertise, learning new skills at a nonprofit, or accepting temporary work to maintain a minimum level of income.
Here's why I'm( Job Fox - Rob McGovern) an advocate of this approach:
- By being active in the workforce, in any form, you increase the opportunities to build your network. It's hard to meet people and learn about job prospects while sitting in your house. And while volunteering in the accounting office of your favorite charity might seem "small time", it also presents the opportunity to network with some of the charities key executive members.
- It'll be therapy for your frayed nerves and stress. While it might not be your dream job, it's better than having all day to dwell on your situation. It might also help your relationship; having a spouse or significant other who is unemployed can be very stressful.
- A consulting or contracting assignment can sometimes be easier to find in a recession. An employer might not be able to make a full-time commitment, due to frozen headcount numbers, but can offer you a consulting or contracting position. In fact, history has shown that during the recovery phase of a recession consulting jobs grow ahead of the full-time job market.
- It's yet another opportunity to learn new skills. I believe that most employers will understand when they review resumes with gaps during the Fall 2008-Summer 2009 period. With that said, it would be helpful if you continued to build your skills and credentials during this timeframe. A contracting assignment that allows you to learn a new software program, or a new industry area can be a beneficial addition to your resume.
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How About those New Green Jobs?
A growing number of unemployed Americans are hoping to launch new careers in the renewable energy industry with help from the federal government.  According to the Greenwire blog on the New York Times website, recent federal efforts like the stimulus bill and President Obama's green jobs agenda are helping jobhunters find new careers and helping the companies that hire them as well. Some of these items include money for green jobs training, home weatherization funding and financial incentives to help renewable energy companies expand. "The growth in this field is remarkable. The federal government and essentially the people who get funding from the federal government are really thriving. And a number of corporations are seeing an opening for more work as we move into an era of greater regulation," Steve Cohen of Columbia University was quoted as saying. Earlier this year, the American Solar Energy Society predicted that green energy and energy efficiency could create up to 37 million new jobs by 2030, up from 9 million jobs in 2007. Some green job categories expected to be in demand include electricians, mechanical engineers, metal workers and chemists. | |
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Is Going Back to School the Right Thing?
Continuing Education May Give Job Seekers Advantage
Find educational programs that match your needs
In a world that appears to have a significant amount of people looking for work, job seekers may need to be a little creative and think outside of the box in terms of landing a job or changing their career.
Recently, a career fair in New Hampshire was reportedly overcrowded to the point that buses halted service and stopped shuttling people from the parking lot to the event, the Nashua Telegraph reports.
For the lucky people who did make it inside the gymnasium, they were greeted by 140 employers offering 1,000 positions, according to the article. However, because of the amount of people inside, some patrons described the scene as "a crazy madhouse."
There may be another way for some job seekers to gain a slight advantage in the current employment market through continuing education or online education.
Some people have entered these types of programs to either gain new training in a specific industry or as a way to enhance their knowledge within their career. And because some institutions have special relationships with certain corporations, there may be a way for a student to get some important business contacts at these companies |
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For those who have been out of work for more than 3 months you can receive a substantial reduction in the hourly rate for coaching. The reduction in the hourly rate will vary depending on the nuimber of months you have been unemployed. Forward your resume and Mikal Jackson will offer you a complimentary 30 minute session. . Should you realize after the session that coaching would be helpful to you he will discuss a rate reduction.. After the complimentary session there is no further obligation.
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| Offer Expires: May 31, 2009 | |
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