Considering the American Jobs Act

I've been thinking about the American Jobs Act. I've been trying to decide whether it’s a good plan or not. President Obama was impassioned when he presented it. There are some good ideas in the act. But I wonder about their implementation.


One idea that I thought was good was wage insurance for the long term unemployed working volunteer or temporary jobs, and for people getting job training. These are all good ways to transition into a new career or to update skills. I think what stops a lot of people from doing these things is financial pressure. Having some money coming in would ease the pressure. My concern though is whether or not this assistance will be available to anyone who desires it. What if someone's unemployment benefits have already run out? What if someone was ineligible for unemployment? Can they take advantage of this wage insurance?


Another good idea was to help long term unemployed persons start their own businesses. Some of them may have wanted to start a business but financial concerns stopped them. Knowing that they can get help may encourage them to pursue their goal. Again, I have the same questions about implementation. Will all long term unemployed persons be eligible for this assistance?


If you read the act, you will find a section which talks about how it would help women. There are statistics for the women who support their families. I'm all for anything that helps women. But let's not forget women without minor children or single women who are childless. There are enough government programs which ignore the needs of this segment of society. There's no need for another one.


These are only a few of the concerns I have for the American Jobs Act. I'm not sure how good a plan it is but it is the best one available. And something needs to be done to address the stubbornly high unemployment rate. So it is my hope that Congress passes it.




What do you think of the American Jobs Act? Will it create more jobs? Is there a better alternative?

Book review of "Content Rules"

Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business


Authors: Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman
John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ  2011


Content Rules is a how-to book for creating interesting online media content.  Online media includes blogs, websites, podcasts, videos, webinars, ebooks, and the like.  The first section of the book gives the "what" of content creation.  The next section deals with the how-to or "the rules".  The last section gives case studies of successful and engaging content creators.


The book was written for online publishers.  An online publisher can be anyone.  The target audience is primarily organizations such as businesses, non-profit organizations, etc.  However, individuals will also find Content Rules helpful.

MEET THE AUTHORS
The authors are Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman.  Ann Handley is the Chief Content Officer for MarketingProfs, which has a readership of 365,000.  Handley is considered a thought leader in the field of online publishing.  She writes extensively about online business, marketing, and life in general.


C.C. Chapman is a media creator, entrepreneur, and online marketing expert.  He founded Digital Dads, a site where a dad can be a guy.


REVIEW
When I started reading this book I was getting a lot of advice about building an online presence.  Some folks said it was important to have a blog to show commitment and expertise.  Others said build a website.  Still others said it was important to have a good Linkedin profile.  I was feeling overwhelmed and confused by all the advice.  Content Rules with its commonsense approach helped me sort through all the chatter.


Handly and Chapman advise focusing on one thing and doing it well.  Their reasoning is that a person or organization can't do everything.  They also advised developing a blog and using it as a hub for your online outreach.  I took the authors' advice and developed this blog.  They are correct; a blog works quite well as an online hub.


As for developing content, Handley and Chapman advocate using a human voice as opposed to a corporate voice.  A human voice is more conversational and uses accessible language.  A corporate voice is distant.  It uses industry jargon and "corporate speak" (i.e. drill down, leverage, monetize).


The best part of the book was the last section.  It has case studies of different types of organizations who built content by the principles of Content Rules.


Overall, if you're looking for a good, well written book on developing online content then Content Rules is for you.  I give it two thumbs up.

Review of Facebook's BranchOut app

Image by Royalty Free/Corbis

The June jobs report came out last week and the news was not good.  Only 18,000 new jobs were added.  Unemployment is at 9.2%.  What that means is that job seekers must use every tool they can in their search.  Facebook's BranchOut app is one of those tools



BranchOut Tree

EASE OF USE

I found BranchOut fairly easy to use.  It took the basic data (picture, company, education, contact info) from my personal profile.  I was able to fill in the rest of the profile from my resume.  I just cut and pasted the data in the appropriate sections.  If you want to use a different picture you can just upload a new one.  It would be good if you could take data from a Linkedin profile but it seems access has been blocked.

What I didn't like were the requirements to complete the profile.  After I entered all the pertinent data I had to "like" the fanpage, answer a survey, then give an endorsement (this one isn't so bad).  I think these are shameless promotional tactics.  I felt like I was being shilled.

POSSIBLE BENEFITS

Some of the benefits I see are:

1. More online exposure thus making it easier for recruiters to find you.
2. Job listings are from Indeed.com.  I think the listings are better quality.  They're more likely to be legitimate and current.

3. BranchOut lists the companies from your friends profiles so you may discover that you have an inside connection.

BRANCHOUT OR LINKEDIN: THAT IS THE QUESTION

Well...If you're already on Facebook then I don't think it's much of a problem to maintain a BranchOut profile.  If you're not then I'm not sure how much benefit it would be to have a BranchOut profile.  Seems there are new networking sites popping up every day.  If you're not careful you could spend more time updating profiles than looking for jobs.  That's not helpful.


What has been your experience with BranchOut?


Do you have a BranchOut and a Linkedin profile?

Resigned from Examiner.com

partial screen shot of Examiner.com website

Hello everybody and happy weekend.  Just wanted to write and let you know I have resigned from Examiner.com.  Between job searching and working temp gigs I don't have the time to maintain two writing platforms.


I'm not sorry I took the opportunity.  I think my writing has improved and I learned a lot about job searching.  I think that experience has given me the confidence to start this blog.  There are other benefits I've gained. 

• I had a source of writing samples. 
• I've gained more experience in "writing tight".  I was limited to 300 words per article.  That means I had to get to the point and not meander around.
• I was inspired to learn about writing for the Internet and providing good content.

Well, that's all for now.  Enjoy your weekend.  See you Monday.

Monster has networking app on Facebook

Hello and Happy Independence Day weekend!  I learned on Twitter that Monster has a professional networking app.  Its called Beknown.  I did a preliminary check of the app and it looks interesting.  I'm going to sign-up and check it out.  I'll write a review of it next week.  In the meantime, here is a link to the article which appeared on Mashable.com.  "Employment Site Monster Starting a Network on Facebook"

My writing project is nearly complete so on Tuesday July 5 I'll be back to writing original posts.  Until then enjoy your holiday.

Identifying good recruiters from not so good ones

Please click on picture for attribution information

Friday's post was about two types of recruiters and how they work.  Today's post is how to distinguish good recruiters from bad ones.  This is another article from Brad Remillard of Impact Hiring Solutions.  I hope its helpful. 

"What's the difference between "good to great" recruiters and bad recruiters?"

Which type is your recruiter?

So... you've found a recruiter and sent in your resume.  You're sure you'll get an interview.  You're qualified for the job.  Anyday now the phone will ring.  Anyday now.  Anyday....


So what's going on?  Why does it seem like the recruiter has dropped of the face of the earth?  Perhaps it has something to do with type of recruiter you're working with.  Didn't know there were different types?  Well there are.  Two types in fact.


Brad Remillard of Impact Hiring Solutions explains that there are contingent and retained recruiters.  What's the difference?  How does that affect you as a jobseeker?  Click on the link and be informed.  I sure was.  "Two Types Of Recruiters - Retained and Contingent"

Enjoy the weekend.  See you Monday.


Note:  click on photo for attribution information.

Resume part of blog site updated

Per the recommendations of the recruiter I talked with last week, I have updated the resume portions.  Your feedback is appreciated.  Thanks.

Working with staffing agencies

Picture from www.freestockphotography.com

Long term unemployment sometimes equals the need for a "survival" job.  A survival job is one that pays the bills while you look for the job you really want.  Many times such jobs don't use all the skills that you have.  They're not dream jobs.  But its honest work that will keep you going.


Staffing agencies sometimes provide survival jobs.  I've signed up with a couple of staffing agencies.  I've had a couple of assignments as a receptionist.  The last time I worked as a receptionist  I was in college.  That was my summer job.  For me being a receptionist is a survival job but it is honest work.  I was happy to get it.

Here is a link to an article about working with staffing agencies. (The truth about temporary staffing services) I'm following the author's (Nicole King) suggestions; particularly the one about taking short term assignments.  I think you'll find the information helpful.

Do job searchers need a vision?

And the LORD answered me:

“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.

Hababkkuk 2:2

Well...yes.  Job searchers need to have a goal, a plan, something that inspires them.  A vision is what will enable you to keep going during difficult times.  It will also give some direction to your job searching.

A vision should be something that you can articulate when asked.  A few weeks ago I was at a networking event.  Someone asked me where I wanted to be in five years.  I thought I had the answer to that question until I was pressed for more details.  To my dismay I couldn't give any.  So I've been working on my vision since then.  I've been so caught up in short term survival that I've forgotten about long term goals.

My next Examiner article is going to be about job searching and career vision.  I plan to publish it tomorrow.  Until then, here's something to think about:  What is your career vision?  Where do you want to be in five years?

Lessons in job hunting

Photo from depositphotos.com

Like many people my job search has not been going as well as I liked.  But yesterday I was blessed to meet with a recruiter at an employment agency.  She gave me some honest feedback about the state of the job market and what I needed to do to be competitive.  Here's what I learned.


1.  The job market in the Washington, DC metropolitan area is good  compared to the rest of the country but very competitive.


2.  There's a sense of uncertainty among employers.  They're concerned about national and local leadership and how that will affect the economy.  So they're taking "baby steps" when it comes to increasing staff.


3.  Potential employers Do Not like functional resumes or hybrid resumes.  I've been using a chrono-functional resume.  Maybe that's why I've had such a poor response.


4.  Potential employers are being very picky when it comes to appearance.  They want a polished, conservative look.  I recently dyed my hair burgundy.  I liked the way it looked  I didn't think it was too far out but apparently it is in this market.  I now have to dye my hair again to a more natural color.

I'm curious.  What are other recruiters seeing?  Your comments are welcome.

New Direction

This is the last part of my bio.  If you haven't read the whole thing yet you can click on the "About Me" tab.  My next post will be on Monday, June 6.  Have a great weekend.

(Photo courtesy of Stockvault)

Sometimes in life there are situations where no matter how much work and effort you put in them the situation just doesn't turn out well. The last church was in decline. I and some of the members of the congregation attempted to redevelop the church. We were unsuccessful and the church closed in December of 2009. Since that time I have left the United Methodist Church. I am now seeking full time in a faith-based non-profit that provides social or educational services. I would like the non-profit to have the goal of moving the clients to self sufficiency.

Frankly, the closing of a church is a painful experience. Even though I did not achieve the results I wanted much good came out of the situation. While at Pikesville, I and some of the parishioners formed a family outreach ministry. The ministry eventually became a 501(c)3 organization. Through this non-profit we provided food, clothing, opportunities for fellowship, and referrals to needy families.

 

 

Again, to my surprise I found that I really enjoyed the work. The clients were well treated and welcomed into the church. This resulted in some of them gaining stability in their lives and self-sufficiency. That's the kind of work I want to do. Work that improves people's lives and helps them be productive members of society.

 

 

While I've been looking for full time work I have been volunteering and working short-term, temporary jobs to gain new experience and skills. I am the Facebook fanpage administrator for Columbia Bands of Columbia, MD. I write for Examiner.com on issues of job searching and unemployment. I recently starting working with the Empowering Minds Foundation which provides educational enrichment and tutoring services.

U-Turn (Part 2 of my bio)

I was an IT professional for a goodly amount of time and did quite well. I advanced from being a computer programmer to a database programmer, then to a database analyst, then systems analyst. I finally reached the level of senior systems analyst and team leader for systems development projects.

While I was working my IT career God was steadily calling me to ministry. You may wonder what a call from God sounds like. In my case I heard it through other people. For example, I was giving a presentation at a university. After the presentation was finished one of the audience members came and asked me if I was a minister. She said something something about my manner and bearing made her think that I was. I other cases I would go into churches that I had never been and people would think that I was a minister. In one church I was even asked to give a greeting. Still in other cases I would be shopping in a grocery store and elderly people who I never met would ask me for assistance. There were other people around but they would pick me out. Finally, I often experienced people who I'd never met compelled to give me their life stories.

I tried to ignore God's call. I tried to dismiss these incidents but God is very persistent. So I enrolled in Wesley Theological Seminary and began work on a Master of Divinity degree. I graduated from Wesley and began the next phase of my professional life; that of a United Methodist pastor. My last pastorate was with a small, multicultural, congregation in Pikesville, MD.

After graduating from Rutgers University with a BA in English, I began my professional life with a small consulting firm in the Washington, DC area. My job was a data analyst. I reviewed different types of documents such as grant proposals, government funding applications, progress reports, etc. for completeness and accuracy of data. If data was missing, or if there were any questions about the documents I made contact with the senders for clarification. I also did some data entry.

The job was alright but after a few months I began to feel restless. I did not think there were a lot of opportunities for advancement. So I enrolled in a local community college and took some computer programming courses. To my surprise I was quite good at programming and had an aptitude for it. The company I was working for won some new projects which had openings for computer programmers. I applied for one of the positions and got it. Thus I began my career in IT.