mpnThoughts

Yes, the unemployment figures across the nation are still awful; hell, the second quarter GDP numbers were even worse. So one would not be wrong to say that we are all, economically speaking, in deep doo-doo. Yet, you can see the effects of the stimulus money reaching down into community projects; repairs to the infrastructure like subway stops and National Guard buildings. Meanwhile, the job leads seem to be flowing in in increasing numbers. In fact, I sent around a whole bunch at the end of last week, some of them great opportunities, too. The level of activity of many MPNers is high; attendance at our meetings is down, in part because people are too busy with interviews to come. It’s one of those instances where you can’t quite put your finger on it, but it just feels like the pace has picked up. If you’re going to networking meetings all the time, you may be rubbing up against a lot of depressed people, but if you take the time to network one on one with the people in your space, at your level, I think you’ll find that each one has something going. Some are studying for new career opportunities; others are contracting or consulting in steady, if not full-time, slots; and still others are launching out in new directions with new products that could change the face of their respective industries. In short, it’s spring…and time for you to pluck one of those bright flowers in the garden of the job market today: Carpe diem!

As John Challenger, the noted CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the Chicago job-placement firm, said recently, “There are some places that are OK in this economy: healthcare, education, government…core consumer products.” Not to mention agriculture. Remember, the same people in the media who brought you upbeat news of rising markets and easy profits in securitized mortgages are the same ones who are slamming us with downbeat dirges on the worsening employment situation. Right now, as I read it, according to the latest official statistics, there are 3,225,300 jobs in Massachusetts. Many pockets of the U.S., especially the Midwest have been hit much harder in terms of unemployment. Also, Watson Wyatt recently reported that “Many companies are putting the drastic cuts behind them, and are now looking to make smaller cost-cutting changes moving forward.” Finally, the Human Capital Institute says that contract talent—contractors, consultants, temps, interim executives, etc.—now “comprises almost one-third of the U.S. workforce.” So cheer up; there are opportunities and options out there for you. Things could be worse! Besides, if you’re here at the MPN Soiree tonight, you’re on the right track. So enjoy!

Grrrrrr…there’s that old chestnut you get from clueless relatives and suspicious HR coordinators again. “Looking for a job, stupid” you’re tempted to reply. One of the silver linings of all the bad news about job losses from the ruins of the Bush economy is the fact that people will hopefully cut you a little slack now. But, hold on. If you can provide some concrete, constructive answers to this question to show how you have been developing your talent, learning new skills, and discovering new avenues and ventures, you have an opportunity to turn the question around and show just how good you are. Some of the things that MPNers have done in this regard include (1) going back to school to get another degree or certificate, for example, a course in HTML at Boston University or a certificate in Direct Marketing from the DMA; (2) immersing yourself in the literature/journals/blogs of your area of expertise and catching up on all those books, articles, studies, etc. that you always promised you’d read, but didn’t have the time; (3) writing an article or column for a trade publication, either printed or online; (4) publishing a blog, provided that you fulfill the four requirements of blog writing (see past post); (5) volunteering to help out an industry association — keeping in mind that whatever you do, you better do it well, because you will be judged by your peers, the very people who could help you find your next job — for example, writing their newsletter or recruiting speakers for panels and workshops or organizing a membership drive; (6) donating your time and skills to a non-profit, pro bono consulting group like Taproot which, provided it doesn’t take too much time for process/scheduling/project management requirements, can show potential employers that you can work in an advanced function or in a new media, for example, by writing the content for a website; (7) getting involved in a community project such as becoming a big brother for a young immigrant teen in a charter school or a big sister in a local school; pursuing a lifelong interest in a hobby, for instance, helping out at a local radio station devoted to jazz which in turn leads to a chance to try your hand at being a disc jokey; or (9) taking some time for a fast-disappearing experience in our culture, solitude, by going, as a couple of MPNers have done, to the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in the Berkshires for three or four days to really do some long overdue soul searching. In short, there’s no end to the number of things you can do to prepare yourself not only for that obnoxious question…but for the next stage of your career.

Many people ask, should I do a blog? Will it help my search? Will it demonstrate my New Media savvy? Sometimes we come up with some useful job-search criteria at our weekly meetings (despite the best efforts of the Admin Guy!). We did so at our last meeting in terms of the characteristics you should have before you start a blog. They are: 1) Be an expert in your field or, at least, be able to blog in depth about your area of expertise; 2) Be a good writer. If you don’t like to write, if you struggle to get out a paragraph that sings even a little bit, you may not be cut out for blogging; 3) Be a self-promoter, or to put it in a little nicer way, be perfectly comfortable treating all subjects that come your way in an unselfconscious and enthusiastic way. In addition, an MPNer had another criteria worth adding to the list: 4) Be authentic. If your blog doesn’t really reflect you or your true values or what you believe in… if you don’t quite feel genuine doing it, don’t! We might also add that a blog isn’t a blog if you don’t do it regularly. So next time someone says to you, “Why don’t you do a blog?”, and you decided not to, just choose one of the above. But if you feel qualified on all four counts, go for it! And send us your link!

MarketingSherpa had a graphic in their most recent newsletter showing what marketing departments had in mind for handling the downturn. And just this week they began a two-part series on ways to deal with budget cutters.  If you don’t receive their newsletter, you should. It’s timely, very readable, and focuses on the future, i.e. Internet marketing. As they noted, “The crush of a recessionary economy is pushing marketing departments to reevaluate their spending plans. Expect travel, vendor contracts and staff to take the biggest hits.” At the same time, virtual training, including web conferencing solutions, are sure to be in big demand. Remember, while the bad news about the recession is making headlines, there are people out there quietly making money in their own niches. Take heart, put on your thinking cap, and keep a sharp eye out for opportunities.

At last week’s MPN Soiree we saw a decided increase in attendance, about 40%. (“It’s the economy stupid”, as Bill Clinton famously said in 1992.) Which is what we all know, unless you have been on a media holiday for the past six months. The question is what are you doing about it? We’ve published a first draft of a paper on “Strategies for Surviving the Recession”. Nothing too earth shattering in it, yet taken together, all of the strategies comprise most of the things any job seeker in MPN should be doing anyways including networking as if there were no tomorrow; revising your household finances to fit the present family income; looking for part-time work; weighing the merits of a contract position far more carefully; knowing the contract recruiters in your field; “sharpening your saw”, as Stephen J. Covey, would say, by reading, taking courses to upgrade your skills, staying in shape, etc.; and, of course, attending job seekers groups like MPN. One of the strategies we did not include in this draft is the issue of the time value of money or, more accurately, the present value of money. To put it prosaically: a bird in the hand… In other words, are you going to hold out for your full value, with the notion that a full-value job may not come along for six more months, or will you take something that is slightly less than you deserve (or were making in your last position) today? Don’t kid yourself: every employer with any sense is taking a hard look at salaries and how they can keep them down. This is clearly not a time for salary inflation; so do your math well as you set your value on the job market. An overblown sense of your dollar worth is just as damaging as an undervalued one.

If getting a new job is 50% or 75% or more about networking, then any help you can get in that department is worth it, right? Consider one of the best books (at least in this writer’s experience) on networking, Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty by Harvey MacKay. The book is jammed with ideas on how best to build a network; not just to pass your business card around a meeting and move; not just to grab or grin; but to really dig in. As he says, “Building a network is about paying attention to what people want.” At the same time, what do you do if you are the shy and retiring type? If it seems strange or difficult to go up to someone and start talking with them at an event like the MPN Soiree that is coming up on November 12^th, here’s a tip from MacKay that’s well worth the money: “For a shy person or for someone who worries about running out of things to say, there is no better resource than the Sunday edition of the New York Times.” It’s a summary of the week’s events, the movie reviews alone will provide you with something intelligent to say about one of the topics that many people pay attention to, and there are always one of two articles on topics you’d never find anywhere else. Did you know that there is a small but growing movement to having weddings on farms? Or that there is a new book out about the letters between two of the foremost poets of the 20^th c., Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Bishop? Minor details to many, but intriguing stories that when referred to in just the right way can be conversation builders with other people. The Sunday Times may be written in Moscow, as one of my favorite conservative friends claims, but it still offers an invaluable source for conversation topics with friends and, more importantly, soon to be members of your network. Read it.