Blog Post: Finding Employment in Difficult Times

Please join Jobing.com and Heckers Development Group, LTD (a career transition firm) on Friday, January 16 th from 10 AM – 2 PM at the Jobing.com Community Spirit Room, 1391 Speer Blvd., Suite 850 Denver, CO 80204, for a free class (for white-collar workers such as management, professional, technical, project leaders, etc.) on Finding Employment in Difficult Times.  We will cover networking, putting together a selling résumé, interviewing, and finding the hidden jobs.  Class is free, but registration is required.  Send name, cell phone number (in case of emergency) and current or last title with “REGISTER” in the subject line to info@heckersdevgroup.com.  Please DO NOT send registrations to any other email address.  Please DO NOT use the “blog author contact form,” as these will not get you necessary information.

In these difficult times there is still employment available.  Keep in mind that Denver still has less than 6% unemployment, which means that 94% of people are working.  While some are “underemployed,” most people still have their usual jobs.  This may not be much consolation to you, but it should be.  It means that there are still jobs out there to be had.  Here are a few tips to obtain one of them.

Remember that it is an employers’ marketplace, not yours.  Be respectful to employers.  Follow all application directions. Do not “paper” résumés.  Send personalized and individualized cover letters.  If you receive a rejection letter, don’t send a rude letter back.  Be polite at all times.

This especially applies to younger folks.  A job is a privilege, not a right or an entitlement.  The employer is not your mom or dad, and they don’t have to “give” you anything at all.  You must earn it, just like the rest of us had to.  If you go into an employer with an entitlement attitude, you will not get a job.

Buy a suit.  I have a hard time believing how some folks dress for job fairs and interviews.  I don’t care how young you are, purchase a suit to interview in.  Women — wear nylons, closed toed shoes, and a skirt-suit, not a pantsuit (studies show that both men and women prefer candidates who are attired in a nice dress or skirt suit over a pantsuit, Hillary notwithstanding).  Get a very professional haircut.  Men, wear a conservative suit, dry-cleaner pressed shirt, conservative tie, high shine leather shoes.  One ring per hand maximum.  Wear a watch.  Conservative haircut.  No piercings or tattoos where they can be seen.  If you want to be considered a professional, you have to look like one.

I know that some younger folks are going to tell me that piercings and tattoos should be OK.  Too bad, get over it.  The fact is that piercings and tattoos are not appreciated in the business world, even by other younger folks.  Again, this is an employer’s marketplace.

And forget the “style” of a scraggly beard, partially shaved.  This is not professional.  Either have a well-trimmed actual beard, or shave.

Have a professional résumé.  Make sure your résumé tells your story in a professional manner.  Don’t try to make the résumé a printed application form.  You don’t have to include everything you’ve ever done.  Use a large enough font to be easily read, lots of white space, and impact/power words.

Don’t interrupt in the interview.  I’m consistently surprised and irritated at how many (especially younger) people constantly interrupt the interviewer during an interview.  Be quiet!  Interrupting is very rude, and can cost you the job.

Don’t be evasive in the interview.  Please actually answer the questions the interviewer asks you rather than the question you think you want to answer.  It tends to work better.

Rehearse your interview answers.  There are standard questions that you’ll be asked.  They are “Tell me about yourself?”, “What are your strengths?”, and “What are your weaknesses?”  Rehearse these answers. To know what the correct answers are, join us at our free workshop on Friday, January 16 th at the Jobing.com Community Room.

Realize that almost all good jobs in Denver are found by networking.  In the “Resources” section of our website, www.heckersdevgroup.com, there is an extensive list of networking resources, some of them at no charge to attendees (accessing this site is completely without charge, but some of the networking groups charge for attending).  Please feel free to browse through, and drop me an email if you have any questions on any of these groups.

Polish your networking skills.  Practice your “elevator speech,” and other networking skills.

Find all the info you can find.  Go to the “Leads” section of The Denver Business Journal and look for free classes, groups and networking meetings.

Finally, please join Jobing.com and Heckers Development Group, LTD (a career transition firm) on Friday, January 16 th from 10 AM – 2 PM at the Jobing.com Community Spirit Room, 1391 Speer Blvd., Suite 850 Denver, CO 80204, for a free class (for white-collar workers such as management, professional, technical, project leaders, etc.) on Finding Employment in Difficult Times.  We will cover networking, putting together a selling résumé, interviewing, and finding the hidden jobs.  Class is free, but registration is required.  Send name, cell phone number (in case of emergency) and current or last title with “REGISTER” in the subject line to info@heckersdevgroup.com.  Please DO NOT send registrations to any other email address.  Please DO NOT use the “blog author contact form,” as these will not get you necessary information.

John Heckers, MA, CPC , BCPC is a transition coach in Cherry Creek.  He welcomes your emails at jheckers@heckersdevgroup.com.  Please send registrations ONLY to info@heckersdevgroup.com!  You may also reach John at 720.581.4301 .  Please see above to register for our free job search intensive class on 1/16 at Jobing.com. Please register at the correct email and only by email.  Only call if you have questions about employment or need further information.