Networking slowdown

Part of my job search is falling by the side as I try to earn more money with part-time work. I may be shooting myself in the foot with this decision, but I'm leaving the Success Team I started through CPC Job Connections, mainly because I don't have time to attend this networking team because of my part-time jobs. I won't go into the details of the work, but as you've read here before, I'm busy with many part-time jobs as a way to bring some much-needed cash into the house.

I talked about it with the team members a week ago, and it was a decision I didn't make lightly. I recently had to leave The Public Press because of these same time commitments, and I fear that any other volunteer work I do may have to cease for awhile so I can concentrate on making some money and still look for full-time work. The reality of now having such full-time work is beginning to really hit, and I need to do what I can.

I guess it's a decision all unemployed must eventually face: Start working and do the job search and other related things, such as networking and volunteering, as secondary parts of the job search.

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Taking a break

We went to a great movie Friday night, "Slumdog Millionaire." It's a great film that is kind of a fairytale. It doesn't have much to do with finding a job, but it's a great story that in a way shows how to continue chasing what you want in life, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

I haven't been to a movie in months, partly because we have a 4-year-old daughter and it's difficult to get out of the house for a date. But also because I've been busy with the job search. I remember months ago at a Job Connections meeting where one unemployed guy noted that after months of constantly looking for a job, he treated himself to part of an afternoon off from job hunting to go to a movie. It was a great escape and a good break, he said. Looking for full-time work can be a 40-hour week or more, and breaks like this are necessary.

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Success Team success

Finally, the Success Team I started a few months ago in Concord (since moved to Pleasant Hill) has succeeded by having one of its members leave the group and get a job. The Success Team is part of the CPC Job Connections networking group I've mentioned before.

I won't mention her name, but I hope she returns for a Monday morning meeting sometime soon to tell the group what worked best in landing the job. When she first joined the group, she wasn't sure which direction she wanted her career to go. She had a few paths to check into, and I'd like to think that our group helped her a little in figuring out which path to take.

That's one of the great things about this kind of group: You work hard together to help everyone in it find a new job. The upside is they leave the group because they've found a job. The downside is they leave. The goal is to get a member to leave the group.

Podcast resume

My job search now includes a podcast! I was at the CPC Job Connections weekly meeting on Saturday morning, where Ian Griffin of Executive Communications was giving a speech about how to do a podcast to aid in a job search. At the end he picked a name out of a hat to interview someone about their job skills, and my name was chosen.

Listen to the podcast here at his Web site. Or go to:
http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2008/11/15/interview-arron-crowe-job-seeker-blogger/

It was a lot of fun and why I someday see this as a way to promote myself, it seems like it would be a lot more useful as a way to get out the word about a hobby or something you want to tell the world about. Maybe I'll do some news or feature stories, AKA Studs Terkel, and put those on a podcast. While the learning curve doesn't look to steep, it does look like it will take some time and a small investment for software, equipment and a server.

Rewriting the resume

Writing a successful resume is one of the most difficult parts of the job search. For the past few weeks I've been focusing on rewriting my resume after discovering that it was geared more toward newspapers and less toward other areas where I want to work, such as the Internet. I don't know why it took me months to figure this out, but with the help of someone during an informational interview, I learned that my old resume wasn't going to get me a job. I'm trying new things and expect the next one to do more.

There are tons of Web pages about how to write resumes, and plenty of people are willing to do it for a price, or even for free, and I could even add some power words to spice it up and attract some more looks.

One trick is to put words from the job description, such as the common "communication skills" in the resume so that when a computer scans it for keywords, those will pop out and move it up the pile. I like to take the approach of having as many people look at it as possible, getting their feedback, and using what I think is best. On Thursday, for example, I'm going to EastBay Works to have my resume reviewed by a professional for free. I've also given it to my Success Team at Job Connections for their input, which has been the most valuable so far, and changed things around. Another idea is to give it to a potential employer, probably during an informational interview, and see what they think and if it's what they're looking for in a potential employee.

Once I get it completed, probably by the end of the week, I'll post it in a blog and see what the readers think.