Andrew Hudson’s “Five Things That Can Help Your Job Search”

Andrew Hudson is one of Denver’s well-known movers/shakers. Hudson know the PR market, and grew his famous “Andrew Hudson’s Jobs List” because of the jobs people sent him. Hudson then started his JobsGobble networking event to provide a venue for PR and Marketing types to find work.

Now, Hudson writes for Denver Jobs Examiner.  He has a recent article that job seekers should review to add more measures of success to their job search. Hudson starts by recognizing that successful job seekers share a focus:

Here are the five things that always come up:

1. A strong sense of self.
2. Professional job-seeking attitude.
3. Networking
4. Approach the job search with the discipline of a salesperson
5. Understand the economy of your community.

Later in the article, Hudson lists some of the many resources available to job seekers.

In Denver, there are many resources available to research our local economy.  Here are a few websites that can help:

The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce This is Colorado’s largest chamber of commerce.  However, there are dozens of local chambers representing local business communities throughout the state of Colorado.  An easy Google search can help you find a local chamber in your community.

The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation The economic development arm of the Denver Metro Chamber, the MDEC provides quarterly economic updates and a wealth of information on the state of Colorado’s economy.

Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.  This is the official state office promoting economic development.

The Denver Business Journal Without question, the number one regular source of business information in Colorado.  Subscribing to the DBJ is a great investment for any job seeker.  Your subscription also gets you the annual “Book of Lists,” an organized encyclopedia of the top companies in the Denver metro area.

Colorado Biz Magazine This is a monthly magazine that profiles local businesses, leaders and local economic trends.

Check out Hudson’s full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/x-1956-Denver-Jobs-Examiner~y2009m9d27-Five-Things-That-Can-Help-Your-Job-Search-NOW

Here are the five things that always come up:

1.) A strong sense of self.

Free Job Hunter’s Class this Friday

My CTRN buddy Scott Birkhead of the Most Placeable Candidate will be offering an interesting personal branding session for job seekers. Check it out!:

Becoming the Milkshake –

How Being LOUDLY Yourself Helps You Get Hired Faster.

Friday October 9: 1-2 p.m. – mid-town Denver

In a struggling economy, traditional job hunting skills are less and less effective. Can you adopt small-business direct-marketing skills and get hired faster? Yes!

In a famous marketing story from years ago, a restaurant wanted to increase the number of milkshakes it was selling…very profitable item, the milkshake.

It hired one group of marketers, who did classic marketing research, and spent a lot of money…but didn’t budge sales.Then it hired another, which was incredibly successful.

The difference between the two approaches to marketing a very simple product contains lessons that every job seeker should know and understand – if you want to beat a volatile, crowded market and get back to work.

In this 45 minute session, we cover:

• Assumptions and methods that could be killing your chances of landing work
  
• Why applying for every conceivable job may be the exact wrong thing to do (even if you are desperate for work)
  
• How to look beyond traditional approaches to discover what your ‘ideal client’ really wants to hear
  
• Easy marketing fixes to get noticed and get more interviews – NOW.
  

Date: Friday, Oct 9

Time: 1-2:30 pm

Place: Jobing.com Community Room

1391 Speer Blvd.,

Suite 850

Denver, CO 80204

Free parking code will be sent upon registration…

Cost: FREE, but you must register to attend because we have limited seating.

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Scott Birkhead is the President of Most Placeable Candidate. Scott has 15 years and 727 hires under his belt in corporate, for-fee and consulting recruiting roles.

As well, he’s spent the last 5 years learning basic buyer motivation and direct-marketing methods as a small business owner determined to build his own business.

For the last two years, he has combined recruiting and marketing experiences to offer job seekers low-cost training and coaching that allow them to beat the crowd and get back to work.

Memorial Day 2009

All gave some…
Some gave all.

I spent last Saturday with my kid’s scout unit helping put flags on the graves at Fort Logan National Cemetery. It was a reminder of those who have sacrificed for our country.

Two stories in the old Rocky Mountain News capture some of the details about those who gave all and are buried at Fort Logan:

• Silent eulogies whispered in stone
• Wake for an Indian warrior

Thanks to them for their service.

Wake for an Indian warrior

Get the skills for the job you want. Now!

The City & County of Denver’s Office of Economic Development will be holding two job search workshops on Friday.

THE SKILLS CLINIC
FRIDAY, MARCH 27
8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m

WORKSHOPS:
1-on-1 resume review • conducting a better interview • surviving a layoff: taking advantage of job fairs and networking • making your money work • apprenticeships 101 • getting in on green jobs • the how-tos of customer service • re-entering the workforce • and many more!

TWO LOCATIONS:

• Mi Casa Resource Center
  360 Acoma St, Denver
• Colorado Community College System – Lowry,
  Lowry Conference Center, 1061 Akron Way, Denver

DETAILS:
Denver County residents are encouraged to pre-register on ConnectingColorado.com. Space is limited – classes are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring a hard copy of your resume for resume critiques. Free parking is available, plus bus routes to both locations. More info at www.milehigh.com, download the Skills Clinic flyer or call (720) 913-1999.

Job Fair Calendar updated

More Colorado job fairs are popping up, most recently the 1st Annual Sustainability Career Fair on March 19, 2009. This new event is sponsored by the University of Colorado at Denver Career Center in conjunction with the Denver’s Office of Economic Development. Registration is limited and must be completed on-line at www.careers.cudenver.edu. The fair will run from 1:30PM to 4:00PM at the Colorado Convention Center.

Readers can find a full list of all the known job fairs at the bottom of the column on the right.

Related Link: How to Work a Job Fair from Workforce Colorado.

Tips: The Denver List

If you want to work for “Denver”, you have lots of choices. Here is a list of the top 35 best places to work named Denver:

• City & County of Denver
• Denver Academy
• Denver Art Museum
• Denver Athletic Club
• Denver Botanic Gardens
• Denver Center Theatre Company
• Denver Children’s Home
• Denver Coliseum
• Denver Convention Center & Visitor’s Bureau
• Denver District Attorney’s Office
• Denver Dumb Friends League
• Denver Foundation
• Denver Health Medical Center
• Denver Housing Authority
• Denver Marathon
• Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
• Denver Mint
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science
• Denver Newspaper Agency
• Denver Performing Arts Complex
• Denver Philharmonic Orchestra
• Denver Public Library
• Denver Public Schools
• Denver Regional Council of Governments
• Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD)
• Denver Rescue Mission
• Denver Seminary
• Denver Urban League
• Denver Water Dept.
• Denver Zoo
• Downtown Denver Arts Festival
• Downtown Denver Partnership
• University of Colorado at Denver
• University of Denver
• USS Denver (LPD-9)

Sadly, we can’t list the Denver Dry Goods Company, the Denver Bears, or the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad.

Corporate Life: This MUST be Boulder

This request appeared today on the e-mail list for Boulder, Colorado HR folks.

Hi!

We allow employees to bring their dogs to work. This worked great when only a couple of employees wanted to do this. Now the number is growing.

We are wondering if there are any other local companies who allow dogs to come into the workplace. If so, have you instituted dog policies?

If you do have a dog policy, would you be willing to share it with me?

Sincerely,

Stephanie

I’ve been working in the “People’s Republic of Boulder” for over 10 years, and I’ve seen the doggie-at-work thing many, many times. I’ve actually had people accept a job because of it.

Can anyone help out Stephanie?

UPDATE 14-FEB: Check out the thread by Mike M on The Furry Receptionist

Job Fair Calendar updated

The Job Fair vendors are starting to leak their event calendars for 2008, so I’ve been able to update the Career Fair block. It looks like we’ll know more even after the first of the year.

Tip: First Steps in your Colorado Job Search

This week, two people whom I have hired at previous employers have pinged me with a request for help in starting their job search. Both got caught in a layoff, and I don’t have a current requisition that matches their skills. Here’s the advice I’ve shared with them.

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Sorry to hear about your change. I’m happy to do what I can to help. Here are a few suggested steps to accelerating your job search (you may have done some of these already). This isn’t meant to be an exclusive list, but a few ideas of things to do to get started:

1. Update your resume.
2. Start networking – let everyone know you’re looking. My last three jobs have come through networking. It does work.
3. Create, amplify or build up your LinkedIn network <www.linkedin.com>.
   • Put your resume into your profile. List all the companies you’ve worked for (this makes is easier to find collegues). Make sure you have some keywords in your summary.
   • Use the Find Colleagues tool to locate people you know, and send out a customized invitation to them.
   • Change your profile address from http://www.linkedin.com/pub/odd numeric string to something more reachable like http://www.linkedin.com/in/yourname. The first name+lastname style is standard.
   • Make sure your profile says you’re interested in new jobs.
   • Get recommendations! We recruiters look for those.
   • Make sure your e-mail address from your current company’s is in your preferences. Once you leave, you can’t add it.
4. Sign up for a job aggregator like Indeed <www.indeed.com>. An aggregator is a search engine for jobs. You can set up and save key word searches, and every night Indeed will e-mail you a list of openings that match. Indeed spiders HotJobs, Monster, CareerBuilder, Jobing and a bunch of other job boards. There are a bunch of other aggregators out there, but not all are good. I recommend avoiding Jobster (long story).
5. Get on the jobs mailing list for the Rocky Mountain Internet Users Group <www.rmiug.org>.
6. Check out your local user’s groups. Most disciplines have them – groups like CTRN, BAHRA, RMIUG, APICS, SWE, ASTD and BWA, among others.
7. Take advantage of all the outplacement help that your employer is giving you. The average participation in these programs is usually around 50%.
8. Stay current – read a few blogs to keep up. Industry blogs are good, as is that NotJobs blog. That guy’s Tips section is pretty good, if I do say so myself.
9. Work. Be prepared to devote some serious time to your job search.

How Not to Get A Job: Skip a Career Fair

A Career Fair is an ancient and honorable way to find a job. If you want to increase your chances of finding work, go to a Fair.

One service I intend to provide with this blog is an up-to-date list of Colorado Career Fairs. See my calendar in the lower part of the right-hand column. Any assistance, corrections or changes can be sent to notjobs -AT- bettingers.org.

Did you know that Career Fairs pre-date HR departments? In fact, after networking, the Career Fair (a.k.a. Job Fair, Hiring Fair or Employment Fair) is the oldest form of recruitment activity. Job Fairs started in the late Middle Ages as events called “Mop Fairs”. After the the Black Death ravaged Europe, the manor system suffered from a severe labor shortage. Employers needing to find workers would attend a Mop Fair held in the market town in their area. Some towns have been holding Mop Fairs for over 700 years.

Workers looking for a position would gather around the village green or market square. Since the mostly illiterate population had no way of printing a resume (this was also pre-Gutenberg), candidates would carry an item indicating their trade, or wear an item in their hat. A shepherd had wool, a cook had a spoon, a gardener had flowers, and a carter had a leather whip. The unskilled would carry a mop, indicating their willingness to clean up. The number of unskilled laborers gave the fairs their name.

Hiring was simple: Employers (often a steward, butler or chamberlain) walked around the square, looking for a particular sign in the hands of a likely candidate. The two would talk about the work and the benefits (generally, meals and housing, but stout castle walls could provide added life insurance and job security). After coming to an agreement, the employer gave the worker a few pence to seal the deal (a hiring bonus). The candidate would hide the sign of his or her job and don a bunch of colored ribbons to show they were off the market. Vendors of food and drink lined the edge of the square, ready to provide sustenance to the newly employed.

Today, some English villages still have a Mop Fair, but the emphasis is on rides, food and drink and not on employment. But the idea that candidate and company can gather together in one place is still working. Now, just as in 1351, if you want to find work you should go to the Fair.

For more, see: Wikipedia on Mop Fairs