I’ve worked quite a few jobs over my lifetime. I’ve tossed newspapers on porches, deep fried french fries at a fast food joint, installed above ground pools, poured concrete, pastored, worked at a chain big box stores and even done some office work. I didn’t go to school for any of those jobs. And I am not “called” into any of those careers. But being flexible in life has helped me be flexible in work as well. I have been able to get work whenever I have needed to.
However, the last few years it has been a bit tougher due to our current economic woes as a country. Finding jobs has gotten harder and more depressing than ever. Is there any dignity in applying and getting rejected for 30, 40, 50 jobs?
I wanted to share with you a few ways I was able to get employment in two states (Michigan and North Carolina) where the unemployment rate is over 11%. These aren’t steps or bullet points, but they are in order of priority:
- Get an agent. Stop filling out applications. Go to a staffing agency. Get off the internet and go in. Where the same clothes you expect to work in (professional = office/clerical, business casual = labor). This step is more important than updating your resume. My last job I was placed in, turned out to be a permanent job. I soon discovered over 150 people had applied for that job. Most of the emails looked exactly the same and their fancy resume attachments were never even opened. You need something that will help you stand out, and nothing helps you stand out more than an advocate.
- Brush up on your computer skills. Most people these days can muddle their way through Microsoft Office basics. But if you want a good office job making more than $12/hr you’ll need to know how to wrap text off the top of your head.
- Be Reliable. Now most of you probably feel you are reliable and trustworthy, however your agent doesn’t know you from the other people who have come in that day. So show up to your appointments on time. Be honest with your new agent (sometimes they ask a lot of questions that you might think are meaningless, but to them there is a point). They might ask you to work a few temporary 1 day jobs at first. Take them. Don’t try to weigh whether it is worth your time or not. I used to do that, but not taking a job doesn’t pay bills and it makes you look like you don’t have a good work ethic (even though you know you do). I worked as a gift wrapper in Wal-Mart for minimum wage before Christmas. Was it worth my time? No. Was it worth the gas it cost me to get there? No. But did I work hard and get good reviews? Yes and that opened me up for better jobs down the road.
- Be Productive. Still get up and get dressed. Whether or not you have paid work that day, do something productive. Educate yourself, clean the house, exercise. Do something other then watch t.v. or “search” for things on the internet. Don’t give up.
Now those might be simple points to you. You might have heard them before on a morning news show or read them on another blog. But these things have been a huge help for me.
Trust me, after applying at so many places and not even getting a call back, one can get depressed. I would walk into Lowe’s to buy something for the house and start to size myself up to other unshaved, shabby looking workers thinking “how can they hire them and not even give me a chance.” Listen, that is not a good place to be. Go in and get an agent.
One last note. Not all staffing agencies are created equal. There are staffing firms that are mainly labor; that may or may not be what you are looking for. Others mainly stay in the office and administration avenue. So go to several. The agencies constantly have businesses calling them for people. Also, most agencies have a rep who travels around to local businesses continuing to put be an advocate for you.
Here are some links to agencies I have used before:
