The Times Are Changing ... Are you?

By Alicia Pozsony According to Amy Lundgren of Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul, Minnesota, “December is perhaps the most challenging and the oddest of all months for job seekers. Not only do you deal with the distractions in your own life, including holiday preparations on an ever-shrinking budget, but you have to deal with the distractions in the lives of employers as well. “You really shouldn’t drop your job search just because you think it won’t be fruitful. You can’t afford to lose that much time. In a search that lasts four or five months, skipping December is like adding 20 percent to your period of unemployment.” Therefore, remember the motivation strategies Lundgren offers: “People still need to get hired in December. Some companies would like to start the new year with their new employees in place, while others can’t wait until after the holidays to hire; and yet other companies are always hiring. “To keep your momentum going and stick to...

This month I found myself asking myself “What do jobseekers need?” Allright ... A job. Okay, okay, we all know that all too well! So what kind of things can you do to stand out? Use a landline, make sure your resume matches the job description, make sure you are using the right keywords, demonstrate how you can make them more profitable, follow up without a typo, all the usual things that can be found on any google search, bing result, or career coach list. Well, maybe, just maybe, instead you need to fit in to land a job. But don’t take it personal. How many of us are professionals who have a good bit of experience under our belts? We have degrees, certificates, recent education, and experience in a specialized skill set, or two. We have 10 years, 20 years, 30 years experience. We are dependable professional and dedicated. We made our last employer more profitable. We added productivity. We did all that. Stand out if you must, but I am thinking another approach might work. If s...

By Alicia Pozsony, Editor in Chief, Mercer County PSG Monthly Newsletter I recently picked up a printout of The Seven Phases of Job Loss, which I found in the PSG room. I recall liking that chart ever since I first entered the room and thought about becoming a member. When I first saw the chart, I thought I’d experience all of the phases once and eventually get hired. I never imagined I’d be out of work as long as I have been. As some of you may know, I’m still unemployed. I seem to be taking a different course from the one I originally planned--five years married and 20 years as a professional; it shouldn't be too hard to take the usual A-to-B route of landing a job. And for someone who’s been a professional for 20 years, it wasn’t easy to change my course of action. Maybe this is something you can relate to. Shock. Denial. Anger. Depression. Acceptance. Explore options. Develop plans. I never thought I’d be going through these phases multiple times during my unemployment period. ...

●●● By Alicia Pozsony, Newsletter Editor Mercer County PSG I hate rejection letters. You know the ones I am talking about: “…we have decided to continue our search…”,”…although you have impeccable qualifications and recommendations, we are sorry to inform you…”. I still get them nearly every day, despite the numerous resume revisions and workshops I have attended. It’d be easy for me to fall prey to depression and just give up. Perhaps instead of being focused on how many rejections we received in one day, we should focus instead on the fact that we are that much closer to getting the job that is right for us. Remember to apply the following: To find a job in tough times, focus on these To-Dos: • Hone Your Skills • Get Yourself Up to Date • Reinvent yourself • Market Yourself • Make yourself a brand • Perform business networking in person and online • Research • Read the job posting carefully • Give yourself a break Use job listings to fit your skills to the ...

“April Showers Bring May Flowers” By Alicia Pozsony, Editor PSG Newsletter … a quote often heard this time of year. It’s exactly what I think of when I observe the activity of the Trenton PSG members both individually and as a group. Think of the showers as the things we cannot control that tend to make us uncomfortable and sometimes leave us feeling down. The flowers are the changes we help each other make from the direct contact, workshops and sharing of our own personal experiences with other PSG members. Recently, I was fortunate enough to see myself in a different light after having a conversation with another PSG member, perhaps a light similar to that of an interviewer of a prospective job. I hope we will all help each other to keep growing from the support our peers here at 26 Yard Avenue. Life sometimes drops things on us that sometimes feel like that of a rainstorm, only to be followed by the flowers of our next success and accomplishment. Do not let the daily ebb and fl...

“Too Nice Out to Job Search? By Alicia Pozsony, Editor PSG Newsletter Someone said to me recently, “It’s too nice out to job search”. I agreed, but the more I thought about it, the more I contradicted myself. Throughout the week that followed, I quickly discovered that the places I visited and people I encountered were all good opportunities to network. I recalled one specific action that is key when networking: Help someone else so that they might remember you and repay the favor. You never know who you are going to meet. So this summer when you are out and about, doing more activities, visiting outdoor places, festivals, carnivals and gatherings of friends and family, be aware of how you can be of help to those around you – where appropriate, offer advice, see if they are accepting of it, and welcome their paybacks to you later. Always have your business card handy. Networking is the best way to land your next job , so even when the weather is cooperating and the sun ...

Today I posted this.