So much to do…so little time to Tweet!

When job search experts say that finding a new job is a full-time job in itself—they’re not kidding!

I’ve been at this for five weeks now and last week, I started to feel overwhelmed with all of the activities I’m supposed to be doing to find my new job.

Crossroads Career Network gives job searchers a step-by-step process of what we should be doing to find our new position:

Attitude: This involves accepting the loss of the previous position and accepting the opportunity of the new position to come. But how long is that suppose to take? A couple of days? A week? I took three days. Hey, it’s a tough economy—chop chop!

Aptitude: This is where you take the time to figure out what you want to do now and what you can do now by discovering your unique qualities. Like taking the Myers-Briggs to ascertain your personality type which can help you figure out what kind of career is suitable for you (I’m an ESTJ–except when I’m an ESFJ—go figure. Either way, still perfect for PR or marketing communications). It also involves taking inventory of your strengths and weaknesses; your accomplishments and credentials; all of which can prepare you for the interviewing process that comes later.

Altitude: Focusing on the marketplace. This involves doing research on companies in which you might want to work. I participated in a webinar on how to use a fantastic tool called Reference USA. I was amazed at the level of detail I could find out about a company right from the comfort of my own home because it can be accessed through my county library’s web page. This activity alone can take up half of my day!

Searching: Now, finally, we can actually start looking for job opportunities! Like many job searchers, I jumped ahead a little and started doing this after Attitude.

Oops, my bad.

Sorting: This is where the interviewing and evaluating of job offers begins. I’m happy to say that I started this process last week as I had a phone interview with one company and an in-person interview with another.

Keep in mind that all of this takes place in addition to all of the networking that we job searchers are supposed to be doing on a daily basis. That’s networking—with real people. I’ve heard some “experts” say that you should be making as many as a 100 contacts a week.  

100?! Every week?!

Plus, experts say you should be setting up coffee meetings or informational phone interviews with industry contacts you meet to turn those contacts into relationships. I try to do 2-3 of these a week.

PLUS, there’s all the job transition workshops to attend on any given week that Crossroads Career Network offers at various churches around town. I usually attend 2-3 of those every week.

Then I took on a volunteer position to sharpen my PR skills for a local Co-op that’s required my time over the last two weeks.

I set up a Twitter account but still haven’t “tweeted.”

I don’t have any time!

I still have to write a blog, answer emails, return phone calls, keep my LinkedIn profile updated…(sigh).

Many people have told me that I am doing the right things and that my new job will come to me faster than if I wasn’t doing all of these things.

I sure hope they’re right.

I have a Twitter account that needs my attention.

…And into the fire

So as I stated in my last post, I’m in job transition and looking for a new position in Public Relations (PR).

While I have more than 10 years of marketing, sales, and business development experience, I’ve never actually held a position with a PR title. I have, of course, performed many duties that include PR work like writing flyers, designing brochures, preparing PowerPoint presentations, planning events, etc. But I readily admit that I don’t know a thing about the PR scene here in the Atlanta area.

I’ve often told my friends, “Well, if you want a job in the (fill in the blank) industry, you have to go where the (fill in the blank) industry people hang out!” So I decided to take my own advice and find out exactly where those PR people hang out in the Atlanta area.

After perusing the Georgia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) website, I discovered that a luncheon was being held on February 18. What great timing! At the time, it was only a week away! Now, I don’t belong to PRSA so I wondered, would I even be allowed to attend? Then I started to panic as I realized that I wouldn’t know a single, solitary person there! Talk about jumping into the fire!

Ahhhhh!

OMG! Actually go? All by myself???!!!

Ahhhhh!

I felt a true panic attack coming on.

“Wait a minute. Calm down.” I told myself. This situation reminded me of the time in 2005 when I went out in Buckhead, all by myself, for a singles event at the old Tongue ‘N Groove. I was headed there for a Square Hatters (remember that group?) Salsa event. I was recently divorced, new to this side of town, and didn’t know anyone that could go with me.

I remember walking up the sidewalk to the club, as I got closer though, I could feel the center of my chest tighten, my breathing became shallow, and my steps got slower…and…slower. For the second time in my life I was having a small panic attack.

But then a question popped into my head: Why was I so afraid to walk into this club by myself?

After all, I’d been half-way around the world by myself the first time I went to Spain..? I travelled frequently around the country—unaccompanied—and never thought twice about it. How silly of me to be afraid to walk into this club alone!

So I got myself together and walked into that club with my head held high and the most amazing thing happened: I met a friend. Not just any friend. This person would invite me to her birthday party a few weeks later where I met her other friends. Those girls would become the core group of friends that I still hang out with today!

What would’ve happened if I’d turned around and left because I was too scared to go inside? Six years of wonderful memories would be gone down the drain.

So I bravely got my credit card out (after checking with the organizer to make sure it was ok that I crashed the party) and signed up to go to that PRSA luncheon. I walked into that building with my head held high determined to make 3-5 networking contacts.

I made six!

Many job seekers are afraid; afraid to get out and network with strangers, afraid to make cold-calls to companies, afraid to follow-up when an employer goes silent after an interview.

Dan Rather once said, “Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.” That’s what we job seekers must do—go on anyhow, or we’ll be stuck in the fire for a very, very long time.

Out of the frying pan…

Well, hello virtual world!

My name is Barbara Scurry and I’m out of the frying pan and into job transition.

Hi Barbara!

After the dreadful day of February 3, I spent a few days trying to decide, “what am I going to do now?” I knew the parts and pieces of my previous jobs that I liked doing, but I didn’t know what that job was called.  A networking contact pointed me in the direction of the website myskillsmyfuture.org where I discovered that what I want to do is called…Public Relations (PR)!

Duh!

However, job searching now is all about utilizing “social media” to help me stand out in the crowded field of PR candidates. Now I’m not the least bit afraid to use new technology. It’s not like I have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century: I send emails, search the web for travel destinations, buy cool stuff on Ebay, occasionally participate in online dating, and watch videos about scrapbooking techniques on YouTube…doesn’t that count?

Apparently not.

No, it’s all about using Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to get connected with people and get noticed. Now, I have no problem with LinkedIn. In fact, my profile is 110% complete (thanks to this blog) and I’m working on getting 500 first level contacts; but Facebook and Twitter?

Up until now I have absolutely refused to sign up for them. I mean, who cares if I “tweet” about something goofy my cat did? Who cares about what I ate for dinner? And why is it such a cool thing to be “poked?” I’ve always preferred good old-fashioned, face-to-face contact, or at the very least can’t you just call me on the phone and we can chat?

Clearly, I am in need of an attitude adjustment.

I attended a networking mixer for the local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) where I met Justin Rubner of Rubner Communications. He suggested that since I didn’t have a lot of current writing samples, I should start a blog about my experiences in finding a new position.

Now this idea intrigued me: I’ve always loved to write and I’ve always kept a journal; and people always say to write about something that you know—and job search I know (unfortunately). Plus, it’ll give me the platform to show off my writing skills to my future employer. Yes, I think I’ll try my hand at this ”blogging” thing.

Therefore, that’s what my posts will be about: my experiences, thoughts, and observations about being in job transition and trying to find a new position. So come along on this harrowing journey with me as I get tossed out of the frying pan and into networking meetings, job transition workshops, and starting my own Twitter account (oh my).