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By Debra Wheatman

Job Seekers Making Lemonade Out Of Lemons|
…What do the FAA, Cisco, Merck & Co., HSBC, and NASA have in common?

Sadly they are all organizations that are currently experiencing the pain of mass layoffs. It might surprise you to know that even during the most vibrant years of the dot com era, large corporations frequently had layoffs due to restructurings and reorganizations. In case you’re interested in getting the actual numbers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has a section of their website dedicated to tracking mass layoff statistics.

While most recent economic trends are not as encouraging as they could be, you will be pleased to know that according to a survey conducted by Harris in Q1 of 2011, three out of five workers who were laid off last year have gotten new jobs. Whether you are concerned about layoff or simply want to make a career transition, these numbers should bring renewed optimism.

The glass is more than half full. So what is it about the folks who got jobs that may have made the difference?

•60% changed their career. If you find your current career path is limiting, re-invent yourself. Many candidates come to me in order to reposition their résumé so they can cast a wider net in the job market. By creating a résumé highlighting transferable skills, they have identified and secured new opportunities.

•One third of those surveyed relocated. If you haven’t thought about moving, it may be time to consider this option. Even if you live on one side of town and have to move to the other side of town, it may be worth the sacrifice depending upon your unique situation. You will have to weigh the pros and cons of course; to the extent that you can, relocating for a better position might further expand your sphere of opportunities for future growth and development.

•While 43% of those surveyed did take a pay cut, 23% actually got a pay increase. Losing your job to a layoff doesn’t necessarily mean you have to make less money, but being open to this possibility will give you more flexibility in the job market. What is it they say about one step back and two steps ahead? I have coached many people over the years that were laid off; they were happier in the long-term because it ultimately led to career advancement.

I think so much of how we approach a job search in a down economy has to do with attitude. I don’t deny that it can be a challenge to remain positive. Your proactive approach, focus on improving your personal brand, and doing all you can to present yourself to employers as a highly qualified candidate, will drive your ultimate success.

If you are unhappy in your current role, at risk for layoff, or have already left your most recent position, look at your situation as a challenge rather than a problem; you can rise to the occasion and be among the job winners. While making a career transition can be stressful, it might also be an opportunity to grow.

Lemonade anyone?

 Glassdoor.com is a career and workplace community offering a free inside look at jobs and companies with access to millions of job listings. Glassdoor enables employees, job seekers, employers and recruiters to simultaneously see – for the first time – unedited opinions about a company’s work environment along with details on salaries, company reviews, CEO approval ratings, job interview questions and reviews, and office photos as well as career advice.

By John Sumser

As an experiment, I recently asked 20 friends to write me a recommendation on LinkedIn. About 25% of the people I asked actually completed a recommendation. Even then, I didn’t really like everything that everyone said. I chose not to show all of them on my profile.

As a job hunter, having recommendations available online is a really valuable thing. Most employers do some level of online background checking. It usually amounts to a quick look at your Facebook page and LinkedIn profile. Having several recommendations visible when they look will instantly add to your credibility.

Here’s how to ask for and get the recommendations you want:

1.Always ask people who know you well enough to write a glowing recommendation. You’ll know who these folks are. Time on LinkedIn or some other social network is not good enough. Ask people who have worked with you and are familiar with you as a whole person.

2.The best way to get a nicely done recommendation is to write one first. This exchange happens routinely. Take a look at the recommendations on a few pages and compare those to the recommendations on the recommender’s page. This reciprocal back scratching is how recommendations have always worked.

3.If you’re asking someone who is busy, you might offer a sample of the kind of recommendation you’d like. Early in my career, I was surprised to discover that this was how the writing of recommendations worked. If someone really valued my contribution, they’d ask me for a sample that I liked and then edit it to their needs. Offer to write a suggested version.

4.LinkedIn has a great recommendation system. If you ask for help using the system, your reference will be able to add the task into regular workflow.

5.Expect that some (in my case, it was most) people are going to be too busy to help you out. As is the case in most aspects of job hunting, don’t take it personally. Just ask the next person.

6.If you don’t like the recommendation you get, ask for a rewrite. Really. Give the author suggestions. “When you call me a cowboy, I know what you mean, but I think others might not understand your humor. Could you say ‘independent thinker’ instead?”

7.Just because you get a recommendation doesn’t mean you have to publish it. Carefully consider the impact your recommendation will have on a prospective employer’s view of you.

8.Really work to personalize the note you send asking for the recommendation:

Hi Bob,
I hope you’re doing well. I’ll never forget the amazing time we had when we were working on the Acme proposal in Boston. I’m in the process of gathering references for my next job transition. I’m hoping that you’ll be willing to write one for me on LinkedIn. I’d be happy to offer suggested language, if you’d like.
John

9.Search for LinkedIn recommendation samples. If you can’t figure out what to say or what you want said about you, there is a treasure trove of useful boilerplate online. For a good giggle, visit the Endorser. It will automatically generate a reference letter for you.

10.Finally, the essence of a great recommendation is one sentence telling how you know the person followed by at least two or three sentences that tell a story. Stories make your recommendation memorable.

Your online profiles are the basis for managing your reputation. Carefully building a bank of references is the key to presenting a solid professional face to the job market.

Glassdoor.com is a career and workplace community offering a free inside look at jobs and companies with access to millions of job listings. Glassdoor enables employees, job seekers, employers and recruiters to simultaneously see – for the first time – unedited opinions about a company’s work environment along with details on salaries, company reviews, CEO approval ratings, job interview questions and reviews, and office photos as well as career advice.

Posted By Hank Stringer

One could easily take the downgrade, the downs of the market and the riots around the world and get pretty darned depressed. One cannot be challenged without obstacles to overcome whether it is a person, a company or a country. The road ahead offers plenty of bumps and how we react will affect our work, life and those around us.

So, can we find optimism in this mess we have gotten ourselves into? Sure we can.

Take a step back and look at the big picture. If interviewing for a position, understand that employers who are hiring want talent focused on the job at hand. That focus, along with a positive attitude requires understanding that the pendulum swings both ways and that over the long term, obstacles can and do become opportunity. Don’t be the naysayer constantly concerned, but rather, present yourself honestly as the person looking for the silver lining.

Seek solutions…everywhere. Looking for the silver lining in your work when others aren’t gives you the leg up on finding solutions. If you are not looking and are not open, you won’t find answers. There will be plenty of opportunity at work where teams will meet an obstacle and immediately state ‘we can’t’ when you, the person who says ‘we can,’ will start down the path of finding a solution. Being positive and optimistic at work (especially around weeks like we just went through) matter to co-workers and employers. Think about it and find ways to seek positive results.

Smile. Man, it can be hard smiling when the news is bad, negative and prevalent, so don’t listen. Life goes on and it is important that all of us find the things in life we need to smile about. We do have a lot to smile about, right? A good meal, a child’s innocent laugh or just a nice day is more than enough to find good in and smile about. A bit cliché, but stopping to smell the roses really is worth the effort and will bring a smile to anyone.
So, as an old timer used to say, “If it weren’t for bad, we wouldn’t know good”…

Looks like real good may be down the path, just around the corner and not as far away as some seem to think. Think about that, get positive and smile.

Glassdoor.com is a career and workplace community offering a free inside look at jobs and companies with access to millions of job listings. Glassdoor enables employees, job seekers, employers and recruiters to simultaneously see – for the first time – unedited opinions about a company’s work environment along with details on salaries, company reviews, CEO approval ratings, job interview questions and reviews, and office photos as well as career advice.