Job hunting advice

I still have too many friends who are looking for jobs right now. So, I thought it would be cool (and helpful) to do a blog entry to help them.

People always say, "Read the book 'What Color is Your Parachute'" and perhaps that's not a bad idea. Or "Who Moved My Cheese." Yes, pick up either one at your local library.

But I think more practical advice is in order. After all, this is the worst recession and economy in 70-80 years so I think a lot of people just have no good advice for people who are out of work because there is no good advice, is there?

Here are a few of my thoughts. Please feel free to comment and add yours:

1. Be willing to "think outside the box" - ummm, WAY out of the box. A friend of mine recently left his music PR job of 20 years after being laid off. He considered and looked into everything -- from joining the police department to real estate. He settled on real estate, got his license and is now forging ahead in that area, while still keeping himself open to corporate PR jobs. Smart. I know a LOT of my friends who are out of work used to work in music or the entertainment business - so be willing to look into ALL industries - from health care to the police department to teaching to working at UPS or selling insurance, or working at Trader Joe's. I hear managers there can make $90K.

2. Go back to school. A friend of mine used to do A&R and is now going back to school to study drug and alcohol counseling/therapy. Smart. There are lots of things you could go back to school for - from getting your MBA to getting a teaching or paralegal certificate. If I were smarter, I would have been a computer programmer as I always see tech jobs out there so when in doubt, learn some programming skills or something technical, even if it's outside of your comfort zone. Most people are afraid of technology, even employers, and employers generally will pay high salaries for tech jobs as they themselves don't even understand what tech people do. Bear in mind though, don't get any private student loans - they are scary. And know that even with a gov't student loan, you can't bankrupt yourself out of that debt so if you take on $100-200K in student loans to get your law school degree (or any advanced degree for that matter), you better get into Harvard and get a 6 figure job so you can afford paying that money back because your payments will be $1K a month!

3. Another music refugee was laid off from her corporate job and is now temping. I'm pretty proud of her for this as when you temp, the wages may be low, but it gets you working and your foot in the door with companies and in industries you might not normally even know about much less try to work at. One of my first real jobs out of college I got through temping. I took a lowly temp salary and turned it into a nice paying full-time job with benefits. Oh, how I miss the Internet boom!

4. Move. The fact of the matter is, California's unemployment rate is one of the highest in the nation. I hear there are lots more jobs in NYC and DC and jobs in smaller towns and cities across the country. Apply for jobs out of the city and out of state.

5. Go where your friends and contacts are. It's all about relationships. It's always easier to get a job through someone you know (or someone who knows someone) that blindly off an ad.

6. Use but don't rely on the Internet and applying for jobs online. I've heard from many people that they just aren't getting responses to their online job applications. Sure, keep applying online (and tailoring your resume AND cover letter to each job), but don't rely on applying for jobs online. Companies are literally getting hundreds, if not thousands of resumes for each job posting. Find a contact there - ask everyone you know, use LinkedIn or Facebook if need be but find SOMEONE at the company (cold call someone if you have to) to get your resume on someone's desk. Be CREATIVE. One applicant bought Google keywords of a guy's name (Bob Smith) of where he wanted to work. When Bob googled himself, his guy's resume came up. Needless to say, this got Bob's attention and the guy got the job! (I think it was for a creative job at an ad agency...)

7. No matter how bad things get, KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. I emailed with a few job hunters earlier this year that I was trying to help. One was looking for work and yet was so cheerful about everything. I sent her resume to an entertainment assistant gig opening. They really liked her but by the time things moved along and they wanted her, she had already accepted a gig at another company. Nike I think. I'm 99% sure her cheerful attitude got her hired over dozens of other applicants. Another searcher was more "down" and was out of work for months longer. Believe it or not, your demeanor comes across in your resume, cover letter and job interview - and little things you type, say or do. Be happy, fake it if you need to but a HR person or interviewer will be a LOT more impressed with you if you seem cheerful and upbeat than "man it's horrible out there" when you meet with them.

8. Start your own business. No matter how bad you think the economy is, there are ALWAYS opportunities out there for entrepreneurs. Can you do what you used to do in corporate America for yourself? Before you automatically say 'no' really think about it. Maybe there's a way! Making even a little money to start is better than making nothing!

9. Really use your creativity. I was watching that Nate Berkus TV show the other day and some guy on there was out of work so long. He knew he was a "decisive" person so he created a business/web site "Pay me $5 and I'll make any decision for you." Questions could range from "What color nail polish should I wear to my 20 year high school reunion?" to well, you name it. He seems to do be doing well with this business venture. Enough to be paying back his student loans anyhow.

10. Write down the top 5-10 things you are good at. Are you good at communicating, like being your own boss and like kids? Maybe teaching or being a nanny is for you.

Most importantly, keep your expenses low. Can you move back home or in with a friend or family member? If so, do it. It will save you a lot of money every month and take a lot of the stress off you. I know it's not cool or fashionable but I have a few friends in this boat.

Anything to add?

Job hunting tips

I am psyched that a few of my friends recently landed jobs. Of course, I still have quite a few looking!

A few thoughts / job tips came to mind as a result that I wanted to share...

Here are some tips:

1) Obviously "who you know" is incredibly important. Knowing someone can get you a job interview stat! So definitely ask everyone you know if you see a job you want to apply to but don't have a direct contact at the company.

2) Also, ask every single friend and family member and contact you have if they know anyone in (insert your field here). LA is a small city in many ways. Chances are someone you know can get your resume forwarded...

3) Don't ignore online ads - you should still submit your resume online for any jobs you are perfect for. Tailor your resume AND cover letter to each job to maximize your chances of being called in.

4) Don't take it personally if you aren't contacted for an interview, especially if it's from a blind online submission - they get hundreds or thousands of resumes and it's easy for a "perfect" one to fall through the cracks. I also know a few recruiters who are just slammed with resumes these days - hundreds for each job post. So don't get down or take it personally if you don't hear back. Just say "next" and keep going!

5) Don't rely on only posted jobs for job hunting. If you're in a specific industry, read the trades and use Google to find contacts at that company. i.e. if you want a marketing job at a studio, look up the heads of marketing online or in a directory and submit to them directly through email or mail. Hey, you might even pick up the phone and cold call - it can't hurt! When I worked for a production company years ago, we got calls every day by freelancers looking for their next gig. I bet those freelancers called 100 companies a day -- but I bet you those people got hired compared to others who just mailed or emailed resumes out...

6) Use your college alumni database and network. I got a job interview when I first moved out here because I blindly mailed out hundreds of resumes - but one of the interviewers called me in because we had gone to the same college (and I didn't even know it - ah, it's a numbers game)! Use all your resources. Many colleges give you online access to databases of their alumni. You can also search university alumni on facebook and myspace - where I discovered a former classmate does casting at WB and another does A&R at a major label - who knew! I also had a friend who used her USC alumni book to contact a lawyer who had also gone to the same graduate film school program as she did - and there was no job open at his small firm - but she convinced him to hire her to do legal work - so never underestimate the power of persuasion, especially the female kind ;)

7) Follow-up. Artists do this with me all the time. If you email someone you personally know or have worked with and don't hear back, email that personal contact again. Always be polite and professional, i.e. "Have you had a chance to review my resume" goes a lot further than "Why haven't you gotten back to me?" I also forward the original email and include a new email note at the top so they can see I've emailed them before. If after 3-4 attempts you haven't heard back, it's probably a good idea not to go overboard but some people are just BUSY and that's why they aren't responding. Don't assume it's because they are ignoring you....

8) Don't rely on email alone. If you know someone and they haven't responded, either send them another email "hey it's me, just checking in again" or pick up the phone! I don't know about you but on a busy day I can get 100 or more emails and sometimes emails just slip through the cracks, especially if someone is busy or traveling, etc. But I only receive a handful of a calls a day, by comparison, and sometimes I even answer my own phone ;)

9) Keep a positive attitude. Yes, I've heard it's rough out there - but I also have had many friends get hired recently. Sure, some of them are in more of tech fields but believe me, your negative attitude will come across in an email or cover letter - or on the phone and in person. STAY POSITIVE no matter what. Go for a walk, bike ride, run, or hit the gym or yoga if you need to get out any negative energy. Go for a hike. Kick boxing. Anything!

10) Use all your resources. If I were looking for a job, I would be looking through all my friend's contacts on linked in - and emailing friends saying, "Hey, I notice you have a friend at XYZ company, can you forward this cover letter and resume to them"? Don't expect anyone will do the work for you and offer up all their contacts. It's your job to find out who you want to connect with and THEN ask for the hook up!

11) If it's been a long time and you feel like you aren't getting anywhere, consider a) going back to school to learn a new skill - from nursing to accounting or teaching - any field that is more in demand than what you're doing now b) starting your own business and/or blog about your industry - lots of companies may have downsized but they still may need someone to do X job and may just outsource to you to save $$ - contact your old company's clients and see if they will hire you directly c) move to a cheaper place / area / city / state and/or cut out any unnecessary items to cut down on your monthly expenses. I'm amazed at people who are "broke" but they still manage to pay for their Blackberry each month...I'm just saying...

Hope that helps!

Got any other tips to share?