PRAISE FOR THIS DYNAMIC BOOK! "BRAVO! A SUREFIRE AID!....you are at the crossroads...windows of opportunity are brief...William Barnson has written a comprehensive, timely, user friendly vehicle to help us meet the challenges and ride the bumps, in a very turbulent time. I recommend this valuable guide to anyone seeking an edge in obtaining new employment or preparing for a career change." - Milton C. Clegg, DDS, MA Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (ret) Former Chief, U.S. Navy Dental Corps "If you're interested in landing a job, the first thing you should read is 'Bounce Back Like A Champion.' It is literally everything you need to know in order to increase your chances for success, from finding the job openings right for you, to exactly how your resume should be crafted. When he says 'step-by-step,' he's not kidding" - Sharlene Wells Hawkes President/CEO, Remember My Service Former ESPN Reporter and Miss America -1985 "A simple, yet effective presentation in securing a job in today's challenging economy. The step by step approach, with practical examples, addresses all of the key components required for successful job search. 'Bounce Back Like a Champion' will be an asset for any reader." - Donna Broadhead Human Resources Department Mission Foods Corporation "WOW! This is a perfect read for all! No matter if you are changing careers, just out of school (college or high school) or if you are getting back into the workforce after time off, this book will take you through each vital step from planning, searching, effective resumes and closing the deal! This is a definite must read guideline on the path to success!" - Patti McMullan Career Specialist Emerald Ridge High School Puyallup, Washington
Bounce Back Like A Champion
The Dynamic Step-by-step System Used by the U.S. Military Transition Program For Getting a New Civilian Job FastBy WILLIAM BARNSONAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2010 William Barnson
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4520-2430-1Contents
PREFACE..............................................................ixINTRODUCTION.........................................................xi Check Out The Current Employment Picture............................1 Evaluate Your Knowledge, Skills and Abilities.......................2 Decide Which Direction You Want to Take.............................3 Job vs. Career......................................................4 The Paradigm Shift - `Think Outside of the Box'.....................5 The Hot Jobs and Markets............................................9 Internet - Seek and Ye Shall Find...................................13 Network Everywhere - Social Media...................................14 The Resume as a Marketing Tool......................................15 Target the Job Requirements.........................................17 Resume Format.......................................................18 Writing Your Resume Step-By-Step....................................18 Write a Great Cover Letter..........................................25 Book the Interview..................................................27 Sell Yourself Like a Pro............................................28 Follow Up with a Thank You..........................................30 Plan Your Work, and Work Your Plan..................................33 Start Your Own Business.............................................35 Buy a Business/Franchise............................................38A. Skills Inventory..................................................41B. Resume Action Verbs...............................................45C. Employment Websites...............................................47D. Sample Resumes....................................................53ABOUT THE AUTHOR.....................................................71
Chapter One
STEP NO. 1 PLAN FOR THE FUTURE Check Out The Current Employment Picture
With today's highly competitive job market, it is critical that you carefully plan your job search. Employment in a free enterprise society is based on supply and demand, therefore the need for workers will fluctuate by industry and economic conditions. Historically, companies have sought out the least expensive source of labor that has the intelligence to handle the complexity required to manufacture the goods or deliver the service required and sometimes that has resulted in outsourcing to other countries. This trend has been observed for decades and has been accelerating as the world's communication and transportation costs shrink.
Outsourcing has been both a boon and a bust, depending on your perspective. For example, shortly after World War II, several American manufacturers shifted their low-tech production requirements to Japanese companies in order to save money. Initially, these products were very low quality and the phrase, "cheap Japanese junk' plagued the reputation of those particular American companies. Fortunately, an Iowa-born Quality Control Engineer by the name of Dr. W. Edwards Deming brought his teachings on quality management to Japan's top executives and engineers and became the driving force behind that country's phenomenal growth in improved technology and economic growth. Soon, Japanese companies began outsourcing some of their lower tech manufacturing to other countries in order to increase their net profit. Outsourcing may have worked for Japanese companies, but in recent years too many American companies have rushed into outsourcing too many jobs to China, India and other third-world countries and leaving American employment gutted in many career fields.
Projecting the employment future is a challenge. There has been a real paradigm shift in the business world in recent years. Emerging technology has devastated many companies and forced them into bankruptcy unless they were able to immediately reinvent themselves. Examples of this tragedy can be found in the auto industry's shift to high-mileage/hybrid/electric vehicles, the video shift from Beta-to-VHS-to-DVD/BluRay, the replacement of incandescent light bulbs by fluorescent bulbs, the retail business shift from stores to Internet sales and the communication shift from FAX/pager/land phones to cell phones, texting and Internet dialing. Today, the U.S. Postal Service is in serious trouble because of the advent of email and even Microsoft is getting concerned over the shift away from PC processing to iPhone and so-called 'cloud' applications that run online instead of in Windows. As you can see, picking a winning career is critical. Take the time to do your homework. Research the labor market and investigate the current trends in your field/s of interest.
There is a wealth of information available online from the U.S. Dept. of Labor at www.doleta.gov/jobseekers and www.bls.gov/emp/ and at your local public library. Interview people currently employed in the types of jobs you want. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Authority.
Evaluate Your Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Many military personnel enter the civilian job market from combat career fields and must find a new civilian career that requires similar Knowledge = attained thru formal training and accrued wisdom, Skills = expertise attained through instruction and experience, and Abilities = aptitude to perform a task (KSA's). In order to have a successful military organization, it is critical that all members of the team have the requisite KSA's to accomplish the mission. The same is true in the civilian world. Today's job market is very tough. In order to successfully compete, you have to have almost all of the exact (KSA's required by the employer. Gone are the days when having 75% of the required KSA's was sufficient and the employer was willing to train you in the other 25%. Time is money and employers cannot afford to take the time to bring you up to speed. 'Entry level' jobs are getting very scarce and frequently are only found in the fast food, retail sales, military and labor-intensive fields. The apprenticeship programs of trade unions and the U.S. Dept. of Labor's Employment & Training Administration (http://oa.doleta.gov/) have shrunk dramatically. If you are looking for a job in the same employment field in which you currently have experience, you will have a distinct advantage over someone who is cross-training into a new career. However, there are many KSA's that are easily transferable from one career to another. Military personnel routinely showcase their Leadership, Communications and Training KSA's that they have used in combat roles that can be just as effective in a civilian job.
Decide Which Direction You Want to Take
Before you begin your job search plan, you will need to inventory your KSA's. Your skills fall under three basic categories; (1) Adaptive (self-management), (2) Transferable (functional) and, (3) Job-related. Complete the skills checklist at the end of this book and use that list when matching your skills with requirements listed in job announcements and again when writing your resume.
Prior to the current economic melt-down, the employment placement rate in the military's Transition Assistance Program (TAP) averaged 80%! The other 20% retired, went back to school or just faded away into society. Today's placement rate is much, much lower and nationwide for every job vacancy there are at least six applicants.
Employers can now demand that candidates have superior credentials and can easily find top-notch people to hire.
Armed with a wealth of information on the current and possible future potential of the career field/s that interest you, now you are ready choose which direction to go. Plan wisely.
Job vs. Career
A Job has often been referred to as an acronym = Just Over Broke! Most people never took the time to adequately research what would be the best career field for them when they first entered the ranks of the employed. Consequently, they grabbed the first job they could find and got 'stuck' in that career. Half the people out there hate their job and wished they could call in sick and stay home! That's really sad. The reality of today is that you will most likely have to work until you are close to age 70 before you can retire, and some people will have to work until they die! Life can be pretty miserable if you are not happy in your job and it can be especially bad if you are living paycheck-to-paycheck with the continual worry that you might get laid off.
The military counsels their separating personnel to seek out a lifetime civilian career field that matches their interests and at least some of their skills, then research the requirements to qualify in that career and determine if it would be feasible to pursue that endeavor. If it looks like a 'go,' they run the numbers to see if the person will first have to work in a 'job' while they are preparing for a career. The rewards of a lifetime career are huge! If you are working in a secure, growing career and becoming more proficient each day, you will gain confidence in yourself and become a 'professional' with skills that will make you very valuable to employers. Instead of having a constant fear of losing your job and facing a prolonged period of unemployment, you can take comfort in knowing that your credentials will assure you a high level of job security.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are more than 30,000 formal job titles in American industry. We have become a very specialized nation and the 'jack-of-all-trades, and master-of-none' person has been replaced by people who are expected to do one thing and do it well. The key to job security is how much demand there is for that one thing that you do. A secure career is a field of labor that is in high demand. The higher the demand, the more security you have. However, there could be a risk that new technology could suddenly make your career obsolete, so carefully investigate that possible risk before you invest a lot of time and money to qualify for your career.
Chapter Two
STEP NO. 2 LAUNCH YOUR JOB SEARCH The Paradigm Shift - 'Think Outside of the Box'
In 'the good old days,' if you lost your job, you could quickly get another one by writing a resume of your lifetime employment and mailing it to a handful of prospective employers. Unfortunately, the good old days are gone and you now have to be very creative in your job search strategy. Today, a 'total employment history' resume is usually an overload of information that will exceed the recruiter's review time and interest. You now will have to follow the military approach and aggressively identify and target your objective.
The current job market has been hit hard by the combination of labor outplacement to other countries, the collapse of major financial institutions, corruption in commerce and government and changes in technology. Many jobs that previously were securely main stream have virtually disappeared overnight and won't be returning! Unfortunately, a lot of these careers required extensive formal or on-the-job training that no longer applies and is now obsolete. With this realization in mind, it is imperative that you explore other careers that require similar training and skills. This would enable you to cross over into a related career field or start training in a totally unrelated new career that required your former education as a pre-requisite.
ENTRY LEVEL JOBS -
If you are a teenager and just entering the job market, you will need to carefully analyze your future plans to ensure you can get on track for a stable career. If you just drift from job to job throughout your life, you will always be in a crisis mode that gets worse as you get older. The key to a stable, lifetime career is education. If you don't have sufficient money for more education, there are many ways to obtain more training. Consider the following:
1. Apprenticeships
The U.S. Department of Labor - Employment and Training Administration has a nationwide Registered Apprenticeship program that is sponsored and operated on a local voluntary basis by individual employers, employer associations, or partnerships between employers and labor unions. To view apprenticeship programs offered in different states, go to http:// oa.doleta.gov/ and click on Search Program Sponsors Database. Also do an Internet search for apprenticeships in your area. When you are accepted into an apprenticeship program, the employer will immediately put you on the payroll at an entry level scale and begin your on-the-job training program. This will be a structured training program that will often require your attendance at an evening class at a local community college. The length of the apprenticeship will vary with the complexity of the course. As you progress through the training, you will receive regularly scheduled pay raises that will culminate at the 'journeyman' level when you finish the program. When you graduate, there is no guarantee the sponsor will hire you as a regular employee, but they usually do!
2. U.S. Military
Today's military services offer training in a multitude of different careers. Many of these jobs are also found in the civilian sector. Each branch of service has their own training program and in some cases they have joint service training in common skills such as helicopter pilot. The rapid ascension of military technology requires highly skilled personnel. In order to keep up with the explosion of knowledge, most military branches have fostered programs to help their people obtain college credentials. Since all military members are subject to periodic duty assignment transfers, these programs are world-wide and you continue to accumulate credits wherever you are located. The Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) also provides classes on Air Force bases that will lead to an Associates Degree. For information on the Army program, go to www. eArmyU.com. For the Navy program, go to www. navycollege.navy.mil/. For the Air Force program, go to www.au.af.mil/au/ccaf/. The G.I. Bill provides financial assistance for college after you have left military service. It can be used for up to 15 years and unused benefits can be transferred to your spouse or children. More information is available at www.gibill.va.gov.
3. Retail Sales
Historically, newspaper routes, fast food and store clerk jobs have been the primary entry level for many people first entering the job market while still attending high school. The job market has been especially hard on 16-19 year olds and proportionately more young people have lost their jobs during this current recession than the entire country lost during the Great Depression! With unemployment at an all-time high, many of these jobs are now being filled by adults of all ages. As the economy improves, most of these adults will move up the employment ladder and vacate these entry level jobs. If you want to apply for one of these jobs, the protocol is to prepare a simple resume and go in person to the business and fill out an application form. You should be well-groomed and dressed in a clean and neat attire. Cover up your tattoos and remove facial jewelry. Females should wear only one pair of small earrings. Have a happy disposition and smile a lot.
CHANGING CAREERS -
If you have found yourself in a dead end employment field, now is the time to make the switch to a new career. The federal government has great websites for exploring the skills required in different occupations. The main site is the U.S. Department of Labor O*NET OnLine at http://online.onetcenter.org/ Another site is www.usajobs.com where you can compare duties with eligibility. Also check out www.dol.gov, www.acinet.org, www.onestopcoach.org, www.aarp.org, and www. jobprofiles.org.
EDUCATION ASSISTANCE -
The sooner you start down the road to a new career, the quicker you will be back among the employed. Many states have educational assistance programs to help people who have been displaced from their employment by changes in technology or plant closures. This information can be found on your state employment services website. There are also many scholarships available that will help you pay for training. Contact your local community colleges to find out about financial assistance for short courses that will qualify you quick entry into a new career. If you are a military veteran, the state employment service and the colleges will have a separate point-of-contact to assist you. Last of all, you can apply for Pell grants and student loans at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
The Hot Jobs and Markets
HEALTH CARE -
The vast majority of the healthcare in America is provided by the private sector and is VERY expensive. Indeed, the cost in 1998 was $4,178 per capita x 270,248,000 people = a total of $1,129,096,144,000. When you write that in words, it is, '1 quadrillion, 129 trillion, 96 million, 144 thousand dollars' !!!
In March 2010, our government passed a new universal health care program that will create a huge demand for more healthcare workers! More than 31 million people who have not had coverage will now be entitled to healthcare through a vast expansion of Medicaid - the federal-and-state health care program for the poor.
This will dramatically increase the need for medical professionals at all levels. With the aging of America, there is also an escalating need for more nursing home workers. The entry level in the nursing field is the CNA = Certified Nurse Assistant. CNA's provide basic care for patients such as feeding patients, preparing food trays, bathing patients, measuring and recording vital signs, making beds, etc. Qualification for CNA requires formal training that usually includes about 100 hours of clinical practice and 50 hours of classroom instruction.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Bounce Back Like A Championby WILLIAM BARNSON Copyright © 2010 by William Barnson. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
