Am I Depressed about My Job Search?

You've been laid off or lost your job for any number of reasons and the job search is not going well. Now what do you do?

The economy is down and the job pool has appeared to dry up. Most people feel helpless and out of control. These are just a couple of the first signs of the onset of job search depression. According to Webster's Dictionary, depression is "a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies" (www.merriam-webster.com) To understand job search depression further, we must first consider the causes. There are approximately 15 known causes, the most significant include: insignificance from the lack of replies, strain of managing personal finances, and unemployment embarrassment. "It is the crises that follow job loss that are more damaging than the loss itself," says study author Dr. Richard H. Price of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. (Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 2002;7:302-312)

Why should you worry about job search depression? You could be your own worst enemy. The negative thoughts and resulting procrastination can sabotage even the most effective job search. Have you ever thought "I can wait till tomorrow to follow up on that job, or I don't have time, maybe I will check on that lead next week?" You could be in the first stages.

How do you know if you are experiencing job search depression? As stated before, the initial symptoms are helplessness and loss of control. Other symptoms, as described by the University of Florida (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY100), include:

1. Sadness, depressed mood, crying over seemingly minor setbacks
2. Increased irritability, crankiness, difficulty being satisfied
3. More easily frustrated, gives up quickly after initial failures
4. Poor self-concept, low self-esteem, reluctance toward attempting endeavors
5. Loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities
6. Changes in appetite (decreased appetite most common) often signaled by rapid weight gain or loss.
7. Changes in sleep patterns (not enough or too much sleep)
8. Slowed, inhibited actions (slow, soft speech; slowed body movements).
9. Fatigue, loss of pep and energy
10. Poor concentration, attention and/or memory.
11. Thoughts or words about death or suicide.
12. Motivation loss
13. Wonder if a job will ever be found.

You must experience at least five of these symptoms continuously for at least a continuous 2 weeks, to be considered major depression. Job search depression is a real issue and the ability to recognize the symptoms is the first step in prevention.

Prevention of job search depression is a very important undertaking for any job seeker. As you probably know and have experienced, the trail to finding a job is like a high speed roller coaster with many peaks and valleys. The peaks are the high points where significant progress is being made and it makes us feel good and like something is being achieved. The valleys are low points, which consist of events that make us feel insignificant and let down, such as not getting the job after a good interview. As time goes by, the peaks and valleys become more prominent and more susceptible to job search depression. There are several steps to prevention.

1. Share your experience with others, with your friends and family, with a local support group, or online.
2. Educate yourself; read a book such as Listening to Depression.
3. Take a day or two to reset your mind.
4. Practice meditation and relaxation.
5. Visit a counselor; sometimes just one or two visits can make quite a difference.

Knowing yourself is the most important part of beating job search depression. You know what works best for you in keeping your spirits high and focused on the ultimate goal "A JOB." If you feel you're spinning out of control, then please seek professional help. Your health is important to you and your family, so do not take it lightly.

Finally, why should you worry about job search depression? You have more than yourself to think about. There are others in your life that are willing to help you. You are not alone. Take responsibility for your happiness and reward yourself for small successes along the job search path. Not only will this stave off depression, but it will allow continued focus and determination.

Good Job Hunting….

---

Guest Expert:

Joe Chandler is a Marketing Consultant with experience in education, customer service, and business and consumer electronics. Joe has over 20 years in corporate America and education, with an MBA-Marketing. He is a Navy Veteran trained in Nuclear Power Plant operation. His passions include: History, Politics, Football, Baseball, and Family. Check out his blog at http://thenukereport.blogspot.com and his profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/joewchandler.

20 Ways to Simplify Your Work Life

Posted on July 23rd, 2009 in Productivity By Sara

Image from http://www.rightattitudes.com/

We all get a little crazy on the job every now and then.  From moms at home to on-call response teams, there are ways to limit the craziness and typical work day sress.  Once you trade the temporary high of battle scars and constant adrenaline, you may find that you actually enjoy your job more than you realized.

1. Know what you're capable of.  If you're confident in your ability to do your job, even emergency meetings can't stress you out.
2. Don't repeat any gossip you hear.  If you can detach yourself from the gossip chain, you cut the majority of the drama out of your work days.
3. Create an enjoyable lunchtime ritual.  Listen to music, read a book, picnic on the grass, or just enjoy your leftovers.  Let your mind calm down and mark the day's halfway point.
4. Keep contact information easily accessible.  Any phone numbers that could be urgent should be kept close at hand in a single location.  Day planner, cell phone, Outlook contacts, or index card: do whatever works for you, but keep that information available to avoid turning routine calls into desk-tossing panics.
5. Clear your desk of anything that's not necessary, like stacks of catalogs, outdated correspondence, and yesterday's tea mug.  Keep a personal memento or two on your desk, but make sure the items add meaning to your life, like a family picture or an object that makes you smile or reflect.
6. Always have an update for your supervisor.  Always.  Even if it's something trivial, be ready to answer the "What's new around here?" or "What's going on in your department today?" question.  It's a great way to build trust.
7. Shorten your task list.  I like to keep two task lists, one for ongoing things that need to be handled at some point and one for what's on the docket today.
8. Be honest when you prioritize.  Do what's most important first, no matter how unappealing it may be.
9. Ask for help sooner rather than later.  No one likes getting IMs from the "I have a big presentation this afternoon and need some help" guy.  Don't be him.  Most people are willing to help, but deserve to have their schedules respected.
10. Volunteer your help before you can be commandeered.  Jump at tasks that interest you and excel at them.
11. Take the initiative to find useful tasks to fill extra time.  It takes about as much energy as trying to find new ways to waste time and it boosts your job security.
12. Drink water instead of coffee or soda all day to avoid energy spikes.
13. Use applications that are compatible across all computers you may work on.  You never know when you'll need to switch, so save yourself the stress of having to download new software for the crusty backup computer at the last minute.
14. Smile.  People are nicer to you and more patient when you smile.
15. Get supplies that fit your needs.  Quality supplies can cut down on injuries, save time, and slash your stress.  In many cases, it's worth a few extra dollars to get the tools you need to do your job instead of trying to fit your job to the tools at hand.
16. Cop to your mistakes.  Cover-ups are complicated and throw your integrity into question. Own up early and often and you'll find yourself apologizing a lot less in the long run.
17. Leave your personal life at the door when possible.  Instead of getting caught up in the battle for whose weekend was the coolest or who's running on the least sleep, smile a private smile and leave it at that.  (This is probably the one thing that has saved me the most drama, time, and stress.  "Smile and stay out of it" works every time. And it drives gossips crazy with curiosity.)
18. The recycle bin is hungry. Feed it.  If there's only a marginal chance you'll need a piece of paperwork, consider chucking it, especially if it's information that is available in any other format or place.
19. Spend some time each day on deadline-oriented tasks and some on high interest level tasks.  You get everything done while staying engaged with your job.  (Keep a tickler file for the interesting tasks to stay focused.)
20. Do your job.  Seriously.  Handle your responsibilities without complaint and be the person no one has to micromanage.  When you've got the trust of your team, it's amazing how much simpler your work life can become.

How To Kickstart Your Job Search

Original Post How To Kickstart Your Job Search

Sometimes the key to success is getting a good start.

This a guest post by Joey Trebif.

“You’re never beaten until you admit it.” - George S. Patton

Take the job search plunge now

You are on the ledge, inching forward one tiny step at a time.

It took a lot of courage to get up here, now you just need to step off.

You know that once you step off there is no turning back, but you hesitate yet again.

It’s a beautiful day, sunny and no clouds in the sky, a great day to be out here.

You finally find the courage to move to the end and you step off.

You drop quickly and look up at the brilliant blue sky before you hit.

Your journey ends and you plunge into the water, the pool water is not as cold as you thought and, now that you think about it, the diving board is not really that high.

If you haven’t…

If you are serious about your job search you need to take the plunge! Leaning towards the edge you may get a little wet but the fastest way to get a job is to be fully engaged in the process. If you’ve not started yet, visit the Job Marketing Toolkit page to get the basics on:

• Resumes
• Cover Letters
• Thank You Letters
• Interviews

If you have…

If you have started your job search, how do you focus? First, you need to have a plan to focus your search, set goals and track your progress.

• Job Search Checklist - This article from quintcareers.com provides an excellent guide for developing a plan of attack.The article has 5 parts with quite a few links, but the very first section (Part 1) focuses on planning and preparation with 10 or so points (understand the process, understand the jobs that interest you, creating your list and more).

• Job search planning – steps, tips and tricks - Keppie Careers offers this blog post which has a number of great tips, such as “Identify your 3%” (I don’t want to give this one away so read the post) and Identify companies. There are quite a few more, and all are worth the read. There are additional links at the bottom of the page for related posts.

• Create a Job Search Plan - A short article by Careeronestop.org provides 2 job hunting truths, namely that 1) job search takes time and 2) you need goals and a schedule. The blog provides some useful links (like a job hunting schedule, job web sites, finding potential employers and a few more (including resumes and networking).

• CareerAlley Website Tracking Template - This template, created by yours truly, is posted on a shared section of Google Docs. You don’t require any special software as this is a Google Docs spreadsheet. Use this to keep track of which sites you’ve visited, when you visited and any special comments. Once you load the document you will want to click File, Export, select .xls and then save the file to your local directory. Keeping track is an important part of the process.

• 5 Great Job Hunting Strategies that Will Get You Hired - This article, published on Zoomstart.com, provides a number of tips on cover letters, resumes and interviews as well as some other advice. Certainly worth a read as you build your Job Search Plan. There are also some key facts at the top of the article (like the infamous “90% of jobs are not advertised”).

Good luck with your job search.

About the author

Joey Trebif is a senior finance executive from the New York area who has extensive experience in job search and career advice. Joey blogs about career advice, job search advice and job search site reviews at CareerAlley and can be found on Twitter at @CareerAlley.

This article is part of the 3rd Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest. If you want Joey Trebif to win, share this article with your friends.

If you liked this article, you’ll also enjoy 9 Tips For Applying To Job Openings When You’re Feeling Desperate.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas on how to start your job search.

-- Jacob Share, Job Search Expert and Professional Blogging Consultant

Related posts

• What To Do When An Overqualified Friend Gets Laid Off (7)
• Want To Become An Executive? These Are The Traits You’ll Need (2)
• Twitter: Why So Many People Don’t Get It (15)
• Top 105 Beautiful Job Search Company Logos That Will Wow You (18)
• Success Story: How I Used Twitter and LinkedIn to Find a Job During the Recession (0)

5 Simple Ways to Effectively Manage Your Online Reputation

July 10, 2009 by Yofred Moik

Managing  your online reputation is becoming increasingly more important these days.  The relevance of the traditional paper résumé is fading and prospective employees are more than ever graded by their online reputation. You might also know someone who was fired or was never really considered to be a good job candidate because of his or her online persona.  So what do you have to do in order to maintain a healthy online reputation that impresses potential employers and not cause their repudiation?  How can you successfully manage an impressionable online reputation from both professional and user-generated content without curbing your web presence?

1. Take advantage of online reputation management services (ORM).

Use Google alerts. This is one of the easiest tools for tracking a particular topic, enabling anyone to stay up to date with a particular word or phrase.  You may want to know when your search phrase is activated in Google's search index.  This is an easy way to track down what people are saying about you or your company.  Of course, there are subscription-based services that also help to do this like Brandseye, but Google Alerts does it as effectively without posting any fees.  Take advantage of this free and powerful tool.

2. Control the message by participating in social media sites.

Once you start tracking certain phrases that have appeared in Google's index pages, you may find certain information that you would rather not have appear in the search results.  Social media sites are optimized to be retrieved and viewed by search engines, so participating in them is a simple way to boost your online visibility.  By being an active member and emphasizing key phrases onto the six mainstream social media sites (Flickr, YouTube, Digg, Twitter, Facebook, and Wikipedia), search engines will generate valuable positive pages that are traced to your name.  These key phrases can be anything that you want to be linked with your name, perhaps your company name or an award you won.

3. Think twice when deciding to use your real name as your username.

An easy way to avoid potential employers searching your name and finding objectionable content is to simply be smart when choosing your username.  For sites where your words and opinions may be used against you, like some of the gawker or debate sites, sticking to a made-up online username or alias may be the difference in getting a job or not.  Occasionally, perform spot checks with Google to make sure your "clean" name doesn't reference your online mask.

Another approach is to always use your full name whenever possible, maximizing your online presence.  By doing this, however, every sentence you write on the internet becomes much more accountable to your reputation.  If you plan to use this method, you should have the ability to resist the occasional urge to participate in the juvenile flame wars. Of course, silly things can still be said, but just think twice before posting content that others may view as objectionable. Although this approach may strip down some of your wilder and carefree behavior that the online environment tends to nurture, it's always a good approach to take care of what you say as much online as you do in real life.

4. Don't let your social networking sites hibernate.

Stay active.  Many people make the ironic mistake of joining a social networking site and not stay connected.  A stagnated profile can quickly backfire if you don't keep up to date with messages, request, and stay active.  A rusty profile can effectively stifle your chances of improving your online reputation.  Keep your followers engaged; stay in the minds of your clients, bosses, and employees by not just participating in social networking, but being proactive in the site activities.

5. "Drown out" any bad content with good ones.

"Drown out" the negative content by creating positive ones and having Google pick them.  You can accomplish this by creating subdomains and active blogs.  Google especially likes to pick up sub-domains under their property (such as Google Video).   Thus, signing up for these may push any hurtful content further down on their results list, effectively reducing its visibility.

Managing a personal blog is also a very effective way, though self-arranged, to boost positive online reputation.  A well maintained blog can regularly draw job offers, you'll be surprised.  The higher it indexes on Google's search results page, the more free exposure you get. Maximizing the appearances of positive online references can help you get there.

Yofred an industrial and interaction design major that likes to keep up to date with contemporary technology and media trends.  He enjoy staying connected with the always-changing "wired" culture and is obsessively willing to participate in and interpret the new ideas that emerge from the internet.

Does your resume fail?

from getpickd by Adam

image from Bart Clays

Welcome to the getpickd blog! We'll be launching our new online resume service on June 23 at getpickd.com, but in the meantime, be sure to follow our blog for updates, resume ideas, and interview tips. You can also follow us on Twitter @getpickd.

For quite some time, my colleagues, friends and family have been asking me to review their resumes. After years of hiring numerous young professionals for a non-profit in Washington DC, I've reviewed countless resumes. I can say, without hesitation, most resumes are simply not up to par. Beyond being fraught with grammatical errors, most resumes do a poor job emphasizing the uniqueness of the candidate. In addition, they visually fail to stand out from the crowd. Here are a few specific reasons why the average resume fails:

The average resume contains spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors. This one seems obvious, but honestly, over 90% of resumes have at least one serious spelling, grammatical and/or formatting error. Most have multiple errors. The last job opening I supervised had close to a thousand applicants. We probably spent an average of one minute looking at each resume; those with errors were immediately eliminated.

The average resume is poorly designed. The average resume looks no better than the average Word document (many look even worse). This is a tough one, because most people don't have access to or experience with more advanced design software. However, a professionally designed resume will catch the eye of potential employers and really helps you stand out from the crowd.

The average resume fails to sell your assets. Most importantly, the average resume fails to sell the candidate's assets and unique qualities. Unfortunately, people are generally bad at marketing themselves and overly concerned with modesty when it comes to their resumes. Modesty is great, but your resume is a brochure of your professional life. It's a time to be proud and sell yourself!

If you're struggling with finding a job, there's a good chance your resume is preventing you from even getting your foot in the door. Get connected with getpickd and let us help you shine!

Adam Sterling is the founder of getpickd

Anatomy Of A Winning ‘Elevator Pitch’

From Anatomy Of A Winning ‘Elevator Pitch’

I was once told that if I can’t explain my company and what it does in a sentence or two at most, then I have no idea what the company does. Ever since then I have tried to fit most of my ideas and soon to be start-up into a sentence and that task is not so easy. Maybe it’s not so easy because I always feel the need to explain in complete detail, thinking that will help the other party understand better and want to work with me. But really, most people that matter and could help grow your business rarely have the time to listen to your “detailed explanation”. They will rather hear a succinct description A.K.A. elevator pitch.

The term ‘elevator pitch’ has been coined with respect to the expected duration of the presentation. An elevator ride is usually short (bar power failures) and lasts about 60 seconds averagely. So the challenge here is can you win over a potential investor in 60 seconds? Many entrepreneurs and investors actually believe an elevator pitch could do more than a complete business plan that even includes the financials. I once watched a YouTube video a while back where a VC explained that he received about 100 new business plans every day, each plan averaging 45 pages. He went on to say he barely ever reads a complete plan, that most times the names on the team sheet, their experience and executive summary is enough to decide whether to keep the plan or toss it. He finished by saying over 60% of the deals he decided to fund was because of what he gathered from the first few minutes he spent with the entrepreneurs. First impressions could make or break your dreams!

There are two bits to a winning ‘Elevator Pitch’: Planning and Delivery. Both are completely important and must be treated as such. An elevator pitch is different from when you have to sit down face to face with investors where you have excel sheets to back you up and a number of PowerPoint slides. In this case it’s just you, so you must commit what you need to say to memory; you only have a minute after all.

Planning: This is the point where you sit down and think about what your company is, what problems it solves and then summarize well until it fits into a 50 second time frame. Everyone loves a product that solves problems so make sure you emphasize that when you are planning what to say. Here are a few pointers to help you plan.

• Be concise. They only have so much time to listen to you, so put your best foot forward and tell the other party right of the bat what you do. Research in detail what the problem is and how your product solves it. Have you personally faced the problem yourself? And is that what inspired you to come up with the product? No need for pleasantries beyond “Hi Mr. X, my name is Y and I have this product…”
• Prepare for Questions you could be asked and have a business plan plus financial in hand. The person you are pitching might have a bit more time and want to find out in more detail about a thing or two, so be prepared for questions so you don’t look stupid and get caught off guard. Remember to also have a copy of your complete plan in case he/she asks for it.
• What is unique about your product and what makes it different from others? Make sure to research your competition and have valid points about what makes you better than them. Never say you have no competition, there is always competition. It might not be close competition, but there’s always competition.
• If the product has launched and is doing well, make sure to point this out. Tell the other party that the company is already starting to make its mark but with the large market for it and how well it is being received, you are looking to expand.
• If you have already built a successful start-up in the past, include this in your pitch. It shows that you have experience and know what it takes to succeed in business, making you even more investment-worthy.

Delivery. This bit deals with how you physically pitch the potential investor. Have you ever heard that investors don’t invest in ideas? Well now you’ve heard it, they invest in people. So how you carry yourself and your persona does count for a lot. Here are a few things to remember:

• Be confident. Nothing is more attractive and comforting than confidence. If you don’t look like you are completely sure about your business, why would anybody want to invest their hard earned cash in it?
• Be Personable. This also has to do with the fact that investors invest in people. If they are unable to connect with you, they won’t want to work with you. You don’t have to act like a clown to make the guy laugh but you do have to make the person interested. If you must come up with hooks in your pitch or general discussion, then by all means, please do.
• Leave a calling card. It doesn’t have to be an actual card, it could be your business plan, you setting up a meeting e.t.c. just anything to make sure you will be able to reconnect after that day. It’s one thing to leave a lasting impression and another for them to be able to reach you after you might have successfully won them over.

Low-Tech Ways To Twitter From A Cell Phone

Low-Tech Ways To Twitter From A Cell Phone: "

Twitter – the most popular micro-blogging platform available today. I’m a proud member of Twitter and I tweet on an almost hourly basis. My twitter profile contains tweets of all variants such as “at home, chilling”, “doing some work in the office” and “in town having lunch…”. In fact, it was this last tweet which I made yesterday that inspired me to write this article.

You see, I didn’t tweet from a PC, nor am I the owner of a high-tech iPhone. I am what you could call a “low-tech tweeter”. I own a Samsung Tocco Lite mobile phone which cost me just under 130 Euros – pretty average if I do say so myself. When you dismiss the touch screen, all the other features are basic and it’s a little slow with carrying out tasks. There is no Wi-Fi and no 3G. Yet, I still tweet while on the move with photos, links and status updates. I would like to demonstrate a few low-tech ways to Twitter from a cell phone.

Firstly, let me say that to tweet from the top deck of a bus, the beach or a mountain all you need is a mobile phone such as the ancient artifact seen here on the right. Twitter supports SMS tweets. All you have to do is log into your Twitter account and select ‘Settings’ up in the top right-hand corner of you screen. From the list of tabs that appear, select ‘Devices’ and enter your cell phone number. Then, verify your phone by texting the code that appears on your screen to the Twitter phone number beside it. Also, save this number as this is the number you’ll send your tweets to via SMS. If you live in the US, UK or other major territories then you can toggle whether or not you want to receive tweets from other people to your phone by sending ‘ON’ or ‘OFF’ to that number.

This is all well and good if you’re a basic tweeter but many of us like a little more interactivity. A previous review of mine here on MakeUseOf holds the answer – Snaptu. In summary, Snaptu is an application for basic cell phones that uses GPRS to get you the weather, film reviews, news, sports updates, allows you to use Facebook and more to the point in this case, Twitter.

The Twitter function is highly detailed and better than what you’d expect for a basic cell phone app. You can tweet till the cows come home by selecting ‘Update Status’, scroll down through hundreds of tweets, reply to tweets, follow links in tweets and view people’s profiles. More information on that little gem in my original review here.

But hey, what about pictures? Well, I tried several applications and I can safely say that for basic cell phones they just don’t make the cut so e-mail is your best option. I actually think this is better than using applications which require you to start them up and take the picture using their bad camera function. With e-mail, you simply snap and send when you wish. I suggest using TwitPic, which Mark recently reviewed. Go to their site and create an account using your Twitter ID.

Then, click ‘Settings’ and use the options there to set up your e-mail function. You’ll be given a unique e-mail address to which you can send your snaps. A sample one might be JoeBloggs.4528@twitpic.com. Also, when you’re sending the e-mail from your phone, use the subject line as your tweet. As you can see from the picture I tweeted above, my subject line was “My train is here! Yay!”. Needless to say, this will also appear in a link and message on your Twitter profile.

You can use the above methods of low-tech tweeting on basically any cell phone that is post-2005. Once it has a camera and GPRS or EDGE, you should be fine. One tip I will give is to watch out for GPRS charges. They can be costly on some networks. My carrier has a cap of 99c per day and many others the world over offer similar packages. Just phone your network to enquire.

So, how do YOU tweet? Are you old-school or high-tech?

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too.