THE CAREER SECRETS™ NEWSLETTER
Revealing what's "working" for you…
FREE Career Management News and Ideas from Darrell W. Gurney, CPC, JCTC, RScP, For Working and Careers-Industry Professionals.
March 19, 2002. Copyright Hunter Arts Publishing.
Editor@CareerSecrets.com; http://www.CareerSecrets.com ; 1-877-5-RECRUIT
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Welcome from the Publisher
2. CareerTips
3. CareerNews
4. CareerThoughts
5. CareerCalendar
6. CareerHumor

<1>------------WELCOME FROM THE PUBLISHER-------------<>

Welcome to the New Year issue of our (way, way, WAY overdue) monthly newsletter. No unnecessary excuses. We had a major move of home and office over the last few months. Who knows…maybe you didn't even notice amid your own holiday and New Year buzz, but my apologies if your career went astray due to the delay. I'll do my best to get you back on track this month. And, since this IS the first issue of 2002, I'm going to keep in the quotes on beginnings and newness-maybe you need some refreshing inspiration by this point in the year. ;>)

A special welcome to new subscribers. Just a reminder: this is an opt-in only publication. Thank you for accepting the invitation to subscribe, whether from one of my live workshops, an article, a forwarded newsletter from a friend, or the opt-in box on either of our related sites (http://www.CareerSecrets.com and http://www.HeadHuntersRevealed.com). If this was forwarded to you by a friend, please feel free to opt-in at either of the above sites and join us!

Quick note: I believe the hiccups in our newsletter distribution system have been handled but, if you have missed any of the past issues, please click the link at the very bottom of this newsletter e-mail to take you to the AuthorsDen.com site where you can view earlier issues at your convenience.

May 2002 continue to offer you unforeseen riches, unimaginable opportunity, and unexpected joy. My personal mottos for this year: Embracing the New in 2002…and Nothing's Impossible for You in 2002!

Darrell W. Gurney, Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), Certified Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC), Licensed Spiritual Counselor (RScP)
Editor@CareerSecrets.com
Hunter Arts Publishing & A Permanent Success National Career Coaching & Search Partners
http://www.HeadHuntersRevealed.com

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You know...that a blank wall is an appalling thing to look at. The wall of a museum -- a canvas -- a piece of film -- or a guy sitting in front of a typewriter. Then, you start out to do something -- that vague thing called creation. The beginning strikes awe within you.
--Edward Steichen
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<2>-------------------CAREERTIPS----------------------<>

The following related questions were submitted to Editor@CareerSecrets.com. Hope you find them helpful.

We answer as many questions as possible but, if it's really important, remember our career coaching services.

QUESTION:
Mr. Career Meister,
Where is the best place to look to find a truly entry-level career opportunity? I recently
graduated with a Bachelors degree in Information Technology. I was also recently laid off due to job cuts of employees. I have searched and searched for a job or career opportunity for someone like me who doesn't have much experience or none at all to find a way to gain experience. Most of the want ads ask for 5 years experience in programming or networking. Please help me find a want ad for a networking or programming or software testing job that simply requires the degree.
Thanks for any help you can give,
Chad


Hi Chad,
Try temping to get in the door to entry-level things. With a lot of highly experienced people out there, you'll face a lot of competition when companies can get a lot for their money. Temping might just get you in so that you can prove your worth...and turn it into a permanent job down the road.


From a colleague in the field of professional resume writing:

CareerMeister,
I have a young man who is completing his BS in Business Management in May. He is attending a solid private college and has a current GPA of 3.2.

He has been an intern with the Better Business Bureau, worked summers as a telerecruiter for the American Red Cross and counselor at a day camp. He is presently a student assistant at his college's career services center.

He has personally dabbled in the stock market for relatives with a 6% average rate of return over three years.

Here is his issue: He has CP and walks with crutches. They certainly will not prevent him from pursuing jobs in his field - finance, banking, investment, etc. Because of the effect of cold weather on his knees (we are in Buffalo) and the hazards of walking on ice with (or without) crutches, he is planning to pursue jobs in North Carolina and Arizona.

He has visited both states briefly but doesn't have friends or relatives in residence. He is pretty gutsy and is eager for the adventure.

Question: Will employers in those states have an interest in an entry-level, recent-graduate from Buffalo? Is the job market active there in this field and if so, which cities? Is he better off getting good hands-on experience locally and then relocating in a year or two
(my suggestion)? Anyone know of any recruiters working those geographics who would work with him? Any appropriate web sites to use in our search?

I'm seeing him Monday and want some hard facts to give then.

As always, thanks for the help and advice.

Frank


Hi Frank,
Here's my two cents. As you said, the CP is not an issue with what he wants to do. Also, being a green grad with no particular experience is not an issue. He's just going to be facing the same job market right now in Buffalo as he will in NC or Arizona. Since you say he's a gutsy, adventurous type, I'd advise him to get positioned geographically where he wants to be...and then go do the same thing he'd have to do anywhere to get a job. In this market, I would recommend, however, that he pursue a back-door job search method -- to separate himself from the pack.

I faced a similar situation 15 years ago (sans the CP) when, after working for a year in London and freezing my bum off, I made the FIRST choice of where I wanted to live when coming back to the US based on climate...and then jumped into the job market fray. So, I chose sunny So Cal, having never been here before, and chose a career coaching firm that trained me in the back-door job search methods I refer to above (and now teach). Using these methods, within 3 months, with only Finance and International Business
degrees to my credit, and a 7 month internship with the (then) Big-6 accounting firm of Arthur Young in London, I met personally with 7 CFOs of the top entertainment studios in their offices...and ended up going to work for MGM/United Artists in their International Theatrical Distribution Accounting department. So, if your client is gutsy, he can do the same thing. And, not necessarily due to a sympathy vote, but by using this
method, he just might get a hell of a lot of respect when he shows up in the decision maker's office on crutches!

I'd recommend that in designing his resume you include a section called "Indicators of Potential" which, for those entry-level people without much business world experience to tout, you can show the transferable skills or just gumption of this young guy who has what sounds like a lot of good (albeit irrelevant) work activity to his credit.

Hope this helps!

Darrell W. Gurney, CPC, JCTC, RScP
Need a Career Coach? http://www.thomasleonard.com/teleclass/coachref/crsdetail.lasso?-search&-database=tl.crs&-layout=lasso&op=eq&id.contact=28776
or e-mail CareerMeister@CareerSecrets.com
http://www.HeadHuntersRevealed.com

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"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."
--T. S. Eliot
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<3>--------------------CAREERNEWS---------------------<>

Results from a recent (post 9/11) online survey of Netshare.com members (compliments of Kathy Simmons at http://www.Netshare.com):

1. How concerned are you in general?
36.5%--Very
47.2%--Somewhat
12.0%--Mildly
4.3%--Not that much
0.0%--No Response

2. How safe are you in your job?
9.3%--Very
17.1%--Think I am ok
12.5%--Not sure
13.9%--Less than confident
37.3%--Very concerned
9.9%--No response

3. A year ago, if you had lost your job, in most industries finding a new one was "relatively easy". In today's climate, how much has this changed?
77.3%--Significantly
19.7%--Somewhat
2.1%--Little
0.5%--Not at all
0.3%--No Response

4. In light of current conditions, how do you feel now about considering a job change?
58.4%--Not an issue
23.5%--Has to be the perfect opportunity
7.2%--Will stay where I am
10.9%--No Response

5. Which ONE of the following concerns you the most?
27.7%--The economy
56.5%--Your job or finding a new one
3.5%--The stock market
9.9%--Periodic attacks by terrorists
1.6%--A prolonged war on terrorism
0.8%--No Response

6. How much has the decline in the stock market impacted you?
20.0%--Severely
41.9%--Quite a bit
24.3%--Mildly
10.9%--Minimally
2.1%--Not at all
0.8%--No Response

7. To what extent has the market decline affected your retirement planning?
15.5%--Not relevant at this time
16.3%--Hardly at all
24.8%--Somewhat
23.2%--Enough to change my retirement plans
20.0%--Significantly enough to delay my retirement
0.3%--No Response

8. What is your best guess as to when the economy will turn around?
21.3%--Within 6 months
42.7%--One year
24.0%--18 months
9.1%--2 years
1.6%--3 years or longer
1.3%--No Response

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"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and
absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
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<4>--------------------CAREERTHOUGHTS-----------------<>

Alright, at the risk of seeming self-serving, I'm going to include an article contributed by one of my recent clients. If there was a pill people could take to throw themselves into a job search the way Kim did, I'd buy every one of them for my clients. Today, it's a whole lot about the personal connections/contacts you make…because even headhunters are pretty dry for positions to fill. Therefore, best if, in addition to putting your hat in those rings, you can operate as YOUR OWN headhunter. Kim, a former 6-figure CIO, laid all pretense aside in just being willing to get out there and connect with anyone. What she found out was that, though having spent 15 years as an MIS professional, she is really a BORN networker. She's now capitalizing on gifts she never knew she had.

I Never Knew Job Hunting Could Be This Fun
By Kim Pease

It was November 2001, I just moved to Los Angeles, California, and I didn't know anybody. The world was and still is, to a certain degree, filled with fear. The economy is in recession and people are feeling uncertain about their futures. Millions of people are out of work, so consequently the job market is saturated. I have been unemployed since July 2001, having been fortunate enough to "take the summer off" and move to LA. After taking the month of November to settle into my new environment, I set out on my
journey to find a job. What an environment to start a new chapter of my life in, huh?

Being a self-sufficient type A personality, I purchased a book to get some ideas about creating my resume. I haven't had to use a resume in over fifteen years, so I wanted it to look fresh and updated. After a little research and given the current market, I realized that in addition to a "crisp, new resume," I might need a little help. So I decided that on this job-hunting quest, I was going to hire a career coach. Where do I go to find one? Are there specific job coaches for specific industries? How much do they cost? Which one has the best credentials? Are they genuine, sincere people who are truly interested in what's best for me?

I found a long list of certifications in the back of the resume book. In addition, there is a longer list of businesses and individuals, sorted by state, who have those certifications behind their names. The first call I placed was to Darrell Gurney, CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) located in Los Angeles. I recall the conversation well, because I remember feeling awkward about asking for help in finding a job.

After meeting Darrell in his home office for the first time, I knew I'd found my coach. Darrell is personable yet professional, positive and direct, and exudes energy that matches my own. I made the token phone calls and interviews to other coaches and businesses, but Darrell seemed to have an excitement about his work and his life that I instantly related to. We quickly agreed on ground rules and expectations and we were off. I didn't know it then, but I was in store for the most exciting, fun and awakening two months!

We went through a few weeks virtually dissecting my personality traits. Re-evaluating my strengths and weaknesses and seeking out my "key success factors." Darrell continually talked to me about "owning my strengths." It's easy to sit down and talk about yourself and describe your strengths, but once identified, do you really own who you are? Most of the process was fun and a few times it was tedious. But out of it, I'm a better person, I have yet another perspective, and I've met more people in eight weeks than I ever thought possible.

In addition to writing letters and sending out resumes and business cards, Darrell's philosophy is to obtain referrals from colleagues, friends and acquaintances and use those connections to network and get in front of people. I also used the business agenda in the newspaper as a resource and attended meetings to local organizations.

On an average, I met with two people a day for either breakfast or lunch. I explained to people that I had just moved to Los Angeles, I was seeking my next career position and I wanted to investigate different industries. I followed up with thank you letters, phone calls and emails. It was very inspiring to me because I realized two things. First, I was meeting some incredible people, who have incredible stories to tell of their lives and
business situations. Second, I realized that I was creating my story and everyday I shared adventures with people and they shared with me. I was having fun and I was learning my way around LA pretty quickly. I realized that November of 2002, I would tell a story of what I'd accomplished in the past year. To the wonderful people I've met, I thank them all for contributing to my life story. I found people very giving of their time, willing to share their experiences and genuinely interested.

Through networking, I found not one, but two exciting ventures! First, I am one of four partners and the VP of Sales for Setec Security Technologies. We provide security for companies' critical information assets, computer systems and communications to prevent espionage or malicious attacks from hackers. I am also an Associate Director for Sunrider International, who manufactures and distributes herbal food, beverages and household products. I have had an exciting, interesting and rewarding two months. I have an ever-expanding list of contacts and even made some friends.

Darrell very quickly became my career partner. Through his direction and support, I tapped into a different perspective of "job hunting." A task that eventually turned into a treasure hunt, of sorts. He is not only my career coach, but today I call him my friend.

Darrell, thank you for contributing to my start here in LA.

THANK YOU KIM FOR EXEMPLIFYING FOR EVERYONE THAT IT'S NOT WHO YOU KNOW, IT'S WHO YOU TALK TO!

Darrell W. Gurney, Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), Certified Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC), and Licensed Spiritual Counselor (RScP), is Principal of A Permanent Success National Career/Search Partners and author of "Headhunters Revealed! Career Secrets for Choosing and Using Professional Recruiters" ($14.95, Softcover), available online at http://www.HeadhuntersRevealed.com or by calling 1-877-4-HEADHUNT. "Headhunters Revealed!" received the 2001 Clarion Award for Best Book by the Association for Women in Communications (http://www.womcom.org), was reviewed in Publishers Weekly and the American Library Association's Booklist, and has been featured in nationally syndicated career columnist Joyce Lain Kennedy's "Careers Now."

If you are a Careers Industry professional with a Web site, check out our Affiliate Program at: http://www.HeadHuntersRevealed.com/educate.html for a 20% commission on every book sold from your site's sent traffic. Help a career-minded individual…and buy yourself lunch.

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DO YOU HAVE A RELATED ARTICLE TO CONTRIBUTE?
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I invite submission of articles related to careers, job search, the workplace, and similar topics. If your article is used in our monthly newsletter and/or on the Web site, you will be given full credit for your contribution. Please send articles to Editor@CareerSecrets.com with ARTICLE CONTRIBUTION in the subject line. It is understood that any contributed articles have the author's permission to be reprinted and no additional release will be needed.

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"Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line we have drawn for it. Beyond the pairs of opposites of which the world consists, other, new insights begin."
--Hermann Hesse
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<5>----------------CAREERCALENDAR---------------------<>

Darrell Gurney, CPC, JCTC, RScP will be a guest at the following upcoming events:

The Learning Annex will host Darrell for the topic "How to Ma$ter the Hidden Job Market", an evening of discussion on both recruiting and career coaching tools which allow the uncovering of the jobs you never hear about. Dates are March 19 (tonight), April 15 (Tax day), May 14, and June 17 in Los Angeles (and once a month for the remainder of the year). 6:30-9:30pm. Cost is $34 for members and $44 for non-members. You and your friends can sign up at http://www.learningannex.com AND SAVE $5 by registering online.

Darrell will be interviewed live on the web Wednesday morning, March 20 (tomorrow!), from 10-11am PST on John Hall's "Career Strategies" located at http://www.Talk2K.com.
You can tune in via your computer, call into the show at (877)482-5525, and find the show archived there ad infinitum.

On April 18, The Career Masters Institute Annual Conference in San Diego (http://www.cminstitute.com) will host Darrell on a panel discussion entitled "The Ever-Evolving World of Recruitment", where he will discuss with career author Martin Yate ("Knock 'em Dead" books), Dave Theobald (CEO, Netshare), and others just how resume writers and career coaches can build stronger alliances with recruiters.

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"The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail."
--Napoleon Hill
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<6>-----------------CAREERHUMOR-----------------------<>

From our Professions file, we pull from the lives of court reporters. These are from a book called "Disorder in the Court" and are the things people actually said in court, taken down and now published by court reporters who had the torment of actually staying calm while these exchanges were taking place. Some of these are excellent, and don't miss the last one.

Q: Are you sexually active?
A: No, I just lie there.

Q: What is your date of birth?
A: July fifteenth.
Q: What year?
A: Every year.

Q: What gear were you in at the moment of impact?
A: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.

Q: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
A: Yes.
Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
A: I forget.
Q: You forget. Can you give us an example of something you've forgotten?

Q: How old is your son, the one living with you?
A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.
Q: How long has he lived with you?
A: Forty-five years.

Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke up that morning?
A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
Q: And why did that upset you?
A: My name is Susan.

Q: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo or the occult?
A: We both do.
Q: Voodoo?
A: We do.
Q: You do?
A: Yes, voodoo.

Q: Now Doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know anything about it until the next morning?

Q: The youngest son, the twenty-year old, how old is he?

Q: Were you present when your picture was taken?

Q: So the date of conception [of the baby] was August 8th?
A: Yes.
Q: And what were you doing at that time?

Q: She had three children, right?
A: Yes.
Q: How many were boys?
A: None.
Q: Were there any girls?

Q: How was your first marriage terminated?
A: By death.
Q: And by whose death was it terminated?

Q: Can you describe the individual?
A: He was about medium height and had a beard.
Q: Was this a male, or a female?

Q: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
A: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?
A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.

Q: All your responses must be oral, ok? What school did you go to?
A: Oral.

Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
A: The autopsy started around 8.30 PM.
Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?
A: No he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.

Q: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?

Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.
Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
A: No.
Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
Q: But the patient could still have been alive, nevertheless?
A: Yes it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere.


E-mail your CareerHumor and/or CareerQuotes to Editor@CareerSecrets.com.

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Hunter Arts Publishing, Darrell W. Gurney, Certified Personnel Consultant, Certified Job & Career Transition Coach, Licensed Spiritual Counselor, Author, Publisher, Speaker
P.O. Box 66578
Los Angeles, CA 90066
http://www.HunterArts.com with free online career tips, resources, and excerpts.
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Editor@CareerSecrets.com