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Writer and editor Randy Woods shows you how to promote your strengths and find your dream job in a changing marketplace.
November 20, 2009
Posted by Randy Woods
If you're looking for a job, odds are you don't have much of a budget for creating flashy promotional materials. But that doesn't mean you have to look unprofessional at your next networking event. Desktop publishing firm Quark is giving job seekers another option to impress hiring managers with a new online service that allows individuals or small businesses to custom-design printed materials, such as cards, brochures and flyers, using hundreds of templates created by professional designers. Called Quark Promote, the service lets you add whatever text you want to...
November 16, 2009
Posted by Randy Woods
A glance at the weather report shows that for the rest of this week, there's an 80 percent chance of monsoon and a slight chance of Biblical flood. But that's no excuse to stay home and scan Craigslist again. Since we all know that a job search must go on through rain, snow, sleet and gloom of night, here is a short list of networking and job fair activities to keep you dry while you're tracking down job leads. TUES., NOV. 17 NurseWeek Career Fair - Calling all nurses: Find...
November 14, 2009
Posted by Randy Woods
The more I immerse myself in the job-search world, the more I start believing in karma, or at least the kind of nonreligious, Western style of cause-and-effect karma. Treat other people with compassion and respect and, chances are, good things will happen to you--often when you least expect it. This kind of pop-culture "My Name is Earl" karmic philosophy is the basis for most networking events. You get out into the market, make friends, offer support where you can and then hope some of that good will eventually bounce back...
November 11, 2009
Posted by Randy Woods
Today we take our annual break in our busy schedules to honor the service of our country's roughly 2.7 million active and reserve military personnel. But this year, Veterans Day has been made even more poignant in the wake of the attack at Ft. Hood last week. What really struck me about this horrific incident was that the 13 people killed and 29 injured were just waiting in line to receive medical processing before their redeployment. These men and women who are trained to face injury and death on the...
November 9, 2009
Posted by Randy Woods
Twenty years ago today, the Berlin Wall fell, an event that shocked the world not only for its remarkable speed but also for the nonviolence that surrounded it. The most concrete symbol of the Iron Curtain, which most people expected to remain in place for many more generations, was breached in an exuberant few days and a hail of impromptu pickaxe swings. In honor of this historic event, I urge Hire Ground readers to follow in the example of the "Peaceful Revolution" of 1989 and take your career into your...
November 7, 2009
Posted by Randy Woods
While perusing my usual list of job-search and networking events around the Puget Sound region this week, I couldn't help but notice that, with the exception of Lesa Keller's Job Seeker Club, nearly all of the organizers hold regular job-search meetings in Seattle. Of course, considering Seattle's population density, it makes sense to base your operations there. But with the growth of tech businesses in the Bellevue area, it seemed strange that there were so few places for job seekers to meet on the other side of Lake Washington. Andrew...
November 4, 2009
Posted by Randy Woods
Hey, did you know that November is Career Development Month? That's OK, neither did I. But you can bet that the nearly 135,000 unemployed people in the Seattle area have not just career development but also survival on their minds right now. For the lucky rest of us with employment, this is no time to get complacent--or panicky--about career choices. In a shaky economy, there is a tendency to avoid adding to the instability by asking for promotions and pay raises. Most just drop the whole idea of looking for...
November 1, 2009
Posted by Randy Woods
Have we all enjoyed our extra hour this morning? The end of Daylight Saving time means the days of 4 p.m. sunsets are fast approaching. Instead of using today's time change to scarf down your remaining Halloween candy, perhaps it would be better to spend that hour registering for this week's career planning events around the region. Here are some suggestions to kick off your November job search efforts. Bellevue College's Power Workshops - The college's Center for Career Connections sponsors a series of free workshops on career and job-search...
October 30, 2009
Posted by Randy Woods
It's now been more than two days since Boeing's momentous announcement that the second 787 line will fly south to North Charleston, S.C., instead of Everett. Last time I looked out the window, the sky had not fallen and lights were still on in Seattle. Yet the vitriol still seems to be raining down in torrents. Not to make light of how our struggling employment market lost a chance to secure 3,800 jobs over the next seven years, but judging by the angry responses I've read by many in the...
October 27, 2009
Posted by Randy Woods
After sending out countless resumes, squirming through interviews and slowly building up your network, it's tempting for job seekers to fantasize about cutting out the "middleman"--about walking right up to the CEO, offering a firm handshake and talking about how you, alone, are the answer to their staffing needs. That's madness, right? Surely, only in a Hollywood movie could you approach the top decision maker without going through the proper "gatekeeper" channels. Nonsense, says career psychology expert Paul Anderson of ProLango Consulting. Those executives who appear to be the most...
