Monday, February 27, 2012

Jobs Outside of the United States



I have been hearing on the radio and seeing on TV advertisements for job openings in China, so I have performed an Internet search and located the following link:


This site has access to jobs throughout the world not just for China.
If you are adventuresome and are willing to spend at least a year in another country, perhaps you will be able to find a job of your liking. Many of the jobs require specialized vocations, but may only require English language skills.  

If the search does not find a job listing for a specific country, it seems to display job listings that match the job titles you are seeking regardless of the country.  The site is replete with advertisements so use care in navigating throughout the site’s many pages.  

Please let me know if you find this link helpful by posting your comments here or emailing me at glynjordan@gmail.com.

          Thanks.   Glyn

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Acting and Interviewing


With the Academy Awards upon us, I am thinking about the qualities of actors who will win the Oscar. The movie and the role are key elements. Perhaps acting in a movie and interviewing for a job are similar.

In an interview, the organization, the interviewer, and the interviewee are like the elements in a movie. I am told that a successful actor spends great deal of time researching the role he/she is to play.  Meryl Street says that her days at Dartmouth where she competed with the male students helped her prepare for the role of Margaret Thatcher.

Much like an actor approaches his/her role in a motion picture, I suggest that you prepare for your job interview.  You should research the organization’s products, finances, and culture.  Further, you should become very familiar with the duties and required qualifications of the job you are seeking. 

Now, I think that you should assume the role of the ideal candidate for the job.  I am not suggesting that you be deceptive or not truthful, but that you exhibit by your actions why you are the best qualified person for the job.

As William Shakespeare wrote in As You Like It, “All the world’s a stage.”  Perhaps your job opportunity will be the stage for you to win an Oscar or a job.

Future interview stars, please share your thoughts with readers of this blog by posting your comments here or emailing me at glynjordan@gmail.com.

          Thanks.   Glyn

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Internet Job Search Strategies



When meeting clients seeking job counseling assistance at the North Dallas Shared Ministries, I use the following strategy to search the Internet for possible jobs for clients:

Using a computer connected to the Internet, enter:

www.google.com or http://www.yahoo.com or other search engines

In the search line enter:  jobs “city” “keyword 1” “keyword 2”
 Example:
jobs Dallas call center
Typical search results:













Dallas Customer Support/Call Center Operations Jobs, Dallas ...

dallas-jobs.jobfox.com/callcenter-customersupport/
With advanced job search tools, career and resume advice, and access to the best Dallas Customer Support/Call Center Operations Jobs, Jobfox is the fastest ...

www.hrccjobs.com - Dallas Contact Center

www.hrccjobs.com/locations_dallas.asp
Positions Currently Available If you are interested in our current positions, check out our Career Opportunities with a link to that page.

 

Dallas Texas Call Center Jobs

call-center.jobs.net/jobs/dallas,texas.aspx
Looking for Call Center Jobs in Dallas, Texas? See currently available Call Center job openings in Dallas, Texas on call-center.jobs.net . Browse the current ...

Call center, 300 jobs headed to Dallas - Dallas Business Journal

www.bizjournals.com/dallas/.../new-call-center-300-jobs-headed-to.h...
Jan 26, 2011 – A call center project is drawing $15 million in foreign investments and creating...

Customer Service & Call Center Jobs in Dallas | Job Listings on ...

jobs.oodle.com › USATXDallas Area
Customer Service & Call Center Jobs in Dallas posted on Oodle. Join millions of people using Marketplace on Facebook and Oodle to find unique job listings, ...

Call Center Jobs in Dallas, Texas, Careers, Employment ...

www.callcentercrossing.com/jobs/l-Dallas-TX-jobs.html
306 jobs – Search call center jobs in Dallas, Texas. Find Dallas, Texas call center jobs, careers, employment in Dallas, Texas on CallCenterCrossing.com job ...

Find Customer Service Jobs in Dallas, Texas. Dallas, Texas ...

jobs.monster.com › Customer ServiceTexas
Explore +1000 customer service jobs in Dallas, Texas and nearby. ... Seeking Outbound Call Center Representatives with Inside Sales or Recruiting Experience ...

This exercise will take a while, and many of the jobs found may not be appropriate for you; however, the results may provide a direction for your job search.

Please share your Internet job search strategies with readers of this blog by posting your comments here or emailing me at glynjordan@gmail.com.
           
Thanks.   Glyn

Monday, February 20, 2012

The Artist and Innovative Technology



My wife and I saw the movie The ArtistAs you may know this is a throw-back silent movie in black and white.  Probably few of you have ever seen such a movie; however, I think this medium is appropriate for the major themes of the movie.

My purpose is not to review the movie, but to draw some parallels with the transition from silent movies to talkies with the introduction of digital computers, television, the Internet and even the iPhone4.

As a salesman for IBM, I consider myself as a change maker because I was selling computer systems which replaced manual record keeping systems. Frequently, we justified the cost of computers with displacement of personnel.  What happened to the displaced? Many attended computer training and became involved in systems conversions and operation.

In the movie, a star of silent movies was replaced by a star of sound movies.  What happened to this silent movie star is the thrust of The Artist.

I am thinking that if you are a job seeker with experience in an occupation that is being phased-out or drastically changed, you are facing the same situation as The Artist’s star.  Perhaps someone will help you deal with this new environment and support you in your transition. Many organizations will train new employees – IBM trained me to be a systems engineer and salesman. 

The message is that pride or despair will not rescue you. In fact these emotions will be a detriment.  I suggest that you ask for help, be open to new technologies, and strive for a positive attitude. 

Please post your comment here or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com.

          Thanks.    

          Glyn

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Payroll Tax Cut and Jobless Benefits?



It appears likely that the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits will be extended through 2012.  I am wondering if this is good or bad.

I had a client seeking assistance in finding employment who had rejected a job because the pay offered was less than he was receiving from his unemployment check. If a person can earn more money doing nothing than actually working for a pay check, why would the person take a job?

I am concerned because much of the funds used to cover the tax cut and unemployment benefit payments are added directly to our ever growing budget deficit.

I recognize the importance of unemployment pay as a safety net for those who lose their jobs because of no fault of their own.  Further, there are individuals that have tried everything, including the suggestions in my blog, and are still unsuccessful in finding a job.  Nevertheless, how long should these payments continue?  Are they a type of annuity?

What is your opinion about extending unemployment benefits and reducing payroll taxes?  If you have received unemployment benefits, have the payments assisted you in becoming reemployed or have they deferred your job search?

For readers residing outside the United States, are unemployment benefits provided by your country?

Please post your comment here or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com.
         
Thanks.   Glyn

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Getting Jobs and Clichés?


The sermon given by my pastor at church last Sunday was titled “I am getting by.”  His point was that just getting by is not enough! This sermon got me thinking about clichés in general and clichés as related to finding jobs in particular.

The Merriam-Webster definitions shown on my iPhone for cliché are a trite phase or expression - also the idea expressed by it; a hackneyed theme characterization, or situation; or something that has become overly familiar or commonplace.

I am going with the second definition as a characterization or a situation. Further, I divide clichés into three groups:  positive, neutral, and negative.

Here are some examples of clichés related to employment and job searches:

Positive:
          Everything is going my way!
          I had a good day!
          Things are looking up!
          Look on the bright side!
          I have a plan!
          If the world gives you lemons – make lemonade!
          Happy days are here again!
          Success is around the corner!
           Let’s roll!
           Nothing ventured - Nothing Gained - (Missie)
         
Neutral:
          I am getting by.
          I am holding my own.
          Things have got to get better – They can’t get worse!
          Same song – second verse
          Keep on keeping on!
          Never say die!
          That is just what I expected!

         
Negative:
          I am waiting for the other shoe to drop!
          Everything I do turns to ____!
          Cheer-up things could get worse
          Why bother?
          I seem to always do the wrong thing!

So what are the take a ways?  As I stated in a previous blog, a positive attitude is one of the keys to happiness. I am suggesting that you focus on the positive clichés and avoid thinking in the negatives.

The Labor Department has a statistics that counts discouraged workers. 

According to Wikipedia, a discouraged worker is a person of legal employment age who is not actively seeking employment or who does not find employment after long-term unemployment. This is usually because an individual has given up looking or has had no success in finding a job, hence the term "discouraged" who have stopped look for jobs. 

I urge you all to avoid this category by remaining positive and remaining active in pursuit of employment using effective job seeking strategies such as those contained in my blogs!

Further, I request that you help me expand this list of clichés by either posting them to this blog or emailing them to me at glynjordan@gmail.com.  I will post your emailed clichés as comments to this blog, but I will not include your name.

         
Thanks.   Glyn