Career Connections

"Parachute" author still has good advice

Did you read the article on MSN Careers? The "What Color is your Parachute" author still works the grapevine.  Great advice given and the need to listen has never been more necessary,  1 in 1470 resumes reaches the person that needs to see it,  Job hunting is an activity that everyone thinks they can do and not many do it well.  We at Career Connections can't stress enough you have to know what you want to do and go after that... "I'm open to anything" does NOT make you a good candidate.  It makes you look unfocused.

Networking is not a dirty word!

Our topic for the 5 o'clock Career Network this week is networking- what is it, how do you do it, and why is it so misunderstood? The session will be held at the economic development offices at 111 Franklin Rd (The Franklin Plaza building) on the third floor. All are welcome, it should be another great opportunity to learn how to sharpen your job search skills and network with others who are trying to change their situations! Thanks to Stuart Mease and the Roanoke City Economic Development department who are trying to help people in our area reach their goals!

Networking

At our 5 o'clock career network meeting this week (5/14) we are discussing networking and how it is misunderstood. I thought that I would post a question from Stuart's list that dealt with the subject.

How are you connected local to key decision makers?

A recent study revealed that 92% of people in Roanoke are natives of Virginia. Therefore, it is important to know as many people in the community as possible.

Roanoke is a wonderful place. It is possible to actually know people here! Most of us either know a decision maker, or know someone who does. Networking is not using people for your own ends, as is often thought. It is developing relationships that are valuable for everyone involved. Reaching out to a decision maker may help you, but it might also help them!

Job seekers questions

Stuart Mease recently sent me a list of questions that job seekers should have in mind during a job search, but rarely consider. These are questions that are truisms in the employment industry, but that most people who come to us for help in their search really don't consider until they are brought to their attention. They are really informative, so I thought I would share them-check back and I will post them all. Thanks Stuart!

1. Do you have a billable skill set that is in demand and that organizations can make a return on their investment in your skill set and time?

Typically, the primary reason a person hires you is because you have a skill set and time from which the organization can make money . They are looking for a return on their investment. Therefore, what is your billable skill you can sell to prospective employers?

Employers hire people to make them money or save them money. It is your job to show them how your abilities will do that!

The 5 o'clock career network

We are working with Stuart Mease with Roanoke City Economic Development to offer some free advice to those who are in a job search. On Monday's starting May 7th we will be meeting at the Economic Development offices at 111 Franklin Plaza in downtown Roanoke for approximately an hour every week to offer some useful information for anyone trying to network and improve their work situation. Please contact us if you have questions, we hope to see you there.

Interviewing

We often see people in a job search who don't really appreciate the importance of an interview. I know this sounds strange, but people will have an interview scheduled, then not show up! Sometimes, they oversleep, or they aren't prepared, or they really don't think it's the right job. GO ANYWAY. The reality is that you may or may not get or take the job, but it's good practice. If you present yourself well, it is a good contact. By the way, this is a town where people know other people and will tell them that you stood them up. Nothing is as annoying as just not showing up.

Where is your opportunity?

There was some great information in the Roanoke Times this weekend. It said 33.9% of all open positions are filled by internal transfers or promotions, 12.3% of all external hires are off of specific job boards, and 26.5 % are filled by referrals. The source was CareerXroads.  It points out that approximately 60 % of people are hired by referral/networking and 12% are off a job board. Where is your better job search opportunity? 

Why is no-one hiring me?

You have heard is there are “no good jobs” in the area.  Yet, the Roanoke Times (3-23-07) quotes a recent survey that 28% of the companies in the area are going to be hiring.  New retail is coming, new businesses are starting and the local economy is growing. You put your resume online, read the papers and send out resumes, but they aren’t beating down your door. Where are all these jobs?  How do you reach these companies, this movement?  You have to know who you are and what you want and then get out and talk to the people that can help you get there. You need to develop your own network and put it to work for you. The online sites combined only filled 10% of jobs nationally and the newspapers another 10%. Don’t feel bad if it’s not working for you, it’s not working for anyone else either- but find a different method.

Roanoke Employment-Wasteland or Garden?

We are starting this blog to give some insight to those in Roanoke who feel that that there are "no jobs in Roanoke that pay over $30,000". From the viewpoint of an industry insider, you may be surprised at the number and salary range of positions that are out there. Most of the "good jobs" in Roanoke are accessible only through the oldest means, networking! We are hoping that this will give us a way to pass on some useful information and start a conversation about the employemnt realities in Roanoke, VA.