Healthcare reform can change the world of work. Whether you’re for it or against it, healthcare is going to make a huge difference on employment. From a purely objective viewpoint, it is true that the cost of healthcare is a major burden to employers. If that burden were to go away more people could be put to work, and a variety of people (old, young, men, women, big, small, pregnant, etc.) would be able to find jobs.

More importantl, healthcare would no longer be a driving force in a job seeker’s employment decisions. You don’t know how many applicants I’ve spoken to who take a job because it offers healthcare benefits, not because the work itself is challenging. These are often the same people who job-hop, looking for the next best thing. Wouldn’t it be great for everyone if people applied for positions because of their genuine interest in the organization and the opportunities it provides?

Contract work will prevail. After recessions in years past, companies have first hired contract workers before hiring regular, full-time employees. It’s been predicted that contract work will be the way that many companies get work done…and they may never hire the contract employee. Many organizations are tired of dealing with waves of massive layoffs and would prefer to bring a contractor in for one or two years and let the contract run its course. Since most say the average job seeker won’t stay in a position for more than two years anyway, and if benefits aren’t be an issue, it is a win-win situation for most.

Some jobs are just not coming back. There’s not much to say about this other than the sad fact that most in this situation are either unaware or in denial of the fact that their jobs are obsolete. The government is offering significant grants for continuing education and training in new fields. Take advantage of it if you can!

The downturn affected all generations. It doesn’t matter if you just finished school or were preparing to retire, the recession has changed or will change your future. Gen Y’s ability to find work has not only been affected, but their earning potential in years to come is down significantly… and they’re not prepared for this kind of news. The Baby Boomers who were anxiously anticipating retirement are now pushing back their plans by five or ten years. Parents and kids are now finding themselves living together again under the same roof due to economic circumstances.

The upside to this is that people are becoming more resourceful and understanding the difference between “want” and “need”. Example: “Do I really need 400 channels?” or “Couldn’t I make that same dinner at home for half the price?” or “Instead of giving gifts this Christmas, let’s donate money to a charity”. In times of need we remind ourselves of what’s really important in life.

As I write my final post for the Girl’s Guide (sad, but true) I hope that I’ve left readers with some positive things to look forward to in the coming year. Certainly I’m not offering promises, but educated guesses with some wishful thinking sprinkled in there!

Has this year been terrible? Yes! Is it going to get better? I hope so. We’ve made it through this mess so far… and if it doesn’t get better, we’ll all be rioting in the streets! So as you begin to make your holiday plans and New Year’s resolutions for 2010, keep in mind that we’re all in this together – for better or worse.

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Abby is the Business and Employment Editor for Girls Guide. She is an HR/Recruiting Specialist for a local, woman-owned staffing agency in Clayton by day, and an active volunteer all over St. Louis by night. You can email her at abigail184 [at] gmail [dot]com, and follow her on Twitter.

Apparently I’m not alone in this sick, sad world. Many employers these days are dealing with presenteeism – a situation where employees show up to work despite an illness. According to a  recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, presenteeism costs employers $180 billion annually, while employee absenteeism only costs companies $118 billion per year…

Why does presenteeism cost employers so much? When an employee shows up sick to work, their productivity is down. To make matters worse, you also risk infecting your co-workers, who will either have to stay home or come into the office and “spread the love” even further. And no one wants that kind of love.

So why don’t people just stay home? Despite the fact that most employers offer paid “sick time,” many are afraid of what would happen if they didn’t come to work. Some fear that their work wouldn’t get done if they didn’t show up, or they don’t want to burden their already overworked co-workers. Others are afraid that they’ll lose their jobs completely if they don’t come to work.

But, in reality, if you have more than just the sniffles, you’re doing yourself, your co-workers and your company a disservice. The most common way to catch a cold or the flu is by touching something contaminated by someone else who’s infected. For example, a contaminated phone is more likely to get you sick than someone sneezing in your face.

Things to Remember:

● Don’t be a Hero. If you have a cough,  a fever, or something that seems contagious – stay home.  Staying home for a day or two will speed up your recovery process. ***Note: hangovers do not count in this particular case***

● Work from home. If you feel up to doing so and your company allows you to, take work home and finish it there. Your co-workers will thank you for getting things done and for not spreading germs.

● Get a flu shot. Check with a doctor to be sure you’re a good candidate for a flu shot. For the right person, it could reduce your chance of illness during the cold and flu season.

● Take your sick time. According to the U. S. Department of Labor, 57% of companies offer paid sick leave. Find out how many days you get per year and whether or not they rollover to the next year OR if they have a “use it or lose it” policy.

Still singing, “Should I stay or should I go?” Be sure you have access to your boss or HR representative after working hours, either by phone or email. Contact them and see what they think you should do. In most cases, they will be happy that you are considerate enough to ask!

Abby is the Business and Employment Editor for Girls Guide. She is an HR/Recruiting Specialist for a local, woman-owned staffing agency in Clayton by day, and an active volunteer all over St. Louis by night. You can email her at abigail184 [at] gmail [dot]com, and follow her on Twitter.

1. Do some research. Find out what companies are attending and learn about them in advance. The more you know, the more you’re able to converse with the company rep.
2. Deliver key messages quickly. Recruiters don’t have a lot of time to spend one-on-one, so be prepared. When asked what kinds of positions you’re seeking, have a succinct answer. Be able to sum up your education and work experience in a few sentences. If you need to, practice your pitch with a stop watch… it should be 60 seconds or less!
3. Plan some questions. Always go into an interview (or a situation that could lead to an interview) with questions ready to go. Ask the recruiter about their experiences with the company, inquire about skill or qualities that the company is seeking, or ask about the hiring process.
4. Get the representative’s business card. If your conversation with the company representative goes well, get a card and follow up with a thank-you email. Even if they don’t remember you at first, extending such an effort makes a lasting impression.
5. Take advantage of the obvious. Some recruiters bring copies of current job postings, while other companies will have a newsletter at their booth. Find out as much as you can about the organization for future reference.
6. Dress appropriately. Dress like you are going on an interview for the job you are seeking. I saw a guy at the last fair wearing a Scarface t-shirt, headphones and tinted glasses. Not sure what job he was looking for, but he can rest assured I won’t be calling…
7. Be organized. Bring plenty of resumes with you. Keep them in a nice folder so you don’t stain or wrinkle them. Have some paper and make notes of each representative you meet.
8. Be Polite. Smile and shake hands when meeting a representative. You would be surprised at all of the seekers who walk by a representative’s booth, look at their information on the table and don’t acknowledge the person standing there! At the very least, smile and say, “Hello.” Use good manners!
9. Stay home if you are sick! If you wake up with a nasty cough or fever, stay home! Do not “spread the love” by going in public and shaking with your snotty hand. Gross!  All job fairs have a staff behind the event, so send them your resume and ask them to pass it along to any viable employers. And, if they can, collect the company rep’s business card.
10. Give recruiters time to respond. It never fails that after I return to the office after a job fair there are several voicemails from people I just met a few hours ago on my phone. Although their enthusiasm is great, I need time to check my email and other voice messages before contacting anyone about their resume. A response in two to three business days is a quick turn around time. Five to ten business days is average.

Hopefully none of you have made these “boo-boo’s” in the past, but feel free to pass these tips along to your friends and colleagues who are out there searching and may need some advice.

Abby is the Business and Jobs Editor for Girls Guide. She is an HR/Recruiting Specialist for a local, woman-owned staffing agency in Clayton by day, and an active volunteer all over St. Louis by night. You can email her at abigail184 [at] gmail [dot]com, and follow her on Twitter.

Susan, what exactly is your job title? Explain your duties and responsibilities at Schlafly.

My current job title is Head of Marketing.  This is really new, so I am also the event coordinator for our on-property events, a position I have held since 2005.  The main purpose of my position is to supervise the company’s communication with our customers, be it through traditional advertising, such as print and radio, or through more non-traditional means, such as our event program.

I schedule all of the brewery’s advertising, choose what will be in the ad (event or specific beer style), communicate the schedule and deadlines to the design team, and make sure that all ads have been submitted on time.  There is also quite a bit of invoicing work, but I will spare you the details on that!  I also work with our communications person, who deals with the website, our newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, etc., to make sure we are sending a consistent message about our beer and our company philosophy.  Also, for the time being, I plan and execute all of the brewery’s big on-property events, like the Stout and Oyster Festival and HOP in the City.  Because our Private Events Coordinator deals with so many members of the public (and I held this position for several years), I also supervise this position as well.  As my position is fairly new, I am sure there are many other facets of this job for me to explore!

That’s a lot of responsibility. How does one get a job like yours at Schlafly? Was there a distinct career path or did it just fall in your lap?

To be honest, my tenure at Schlafly Beer did sort of fall in my lap. When I graduated from college, I was not really all that enthusiastic about leaving the restaurant industry and getting an office job. I have a Bachelors in International Management, but the thought of getting a position in a large, corporate, multi-national organization did not seem right for me. At the time, I was working at the now defunct Firehouse on Olive as a server. When Firehouse went out of business, I begged and pleaded for a serving position at the Schlafly Tap Room. After harassing enough people, I was hired as a food runner and server. After doing that for about a year, the brewery needed someone to run their private party program. I expressed my interest and was given the job.

At first, this was a part-time situation, but as the program grew, it became a full-time, salaried position. I held this position for several years, until I decided to leave. I was contemplating a Masters and wanted to get out of the 50 hour a week thing for a while to decide what I was going to do. I took a job serving at Blueberry Hill, but really never did much about the Masters, as I still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up!  Eventually, Dan Kopman, VP of Schlafly Beer, convinced me to come back to run our events, as the program was getting to big for the restaurant managers to execute on their own. I have been doing this for the last few years, until the middle of this year, when we decided to restructure and expand our advertising and marketing functions. I have no background in Marketing, and actually I am disturbed that I have a title with the word marketing in it, but since I have worked here for so long and understand the culture of the operation, my boss and I felt this would be a good move for us.

As a woman, what are some of the challenges you face in your job? How do you overcome these obstacles?

This is a tough question. I have never felt I was treated differently at Schlafly Beer because of my sex. The brewing industry is very male-dominated. There are very few female brewers and business operators in the industry. While there are more women joining the industry every day, the ratio is nowhere near 50-50. I have noticed huge spikes in the number of women coming to our beer festivals. When I first started working events in the early 2000’s as private party manager, there were very few women at our beer festivals. Over the last few years, I have noticed a huge spike in female interest for craft beer, and these days, the beer tasting events are probably almost 40% female. I think this can be attributed to an overall rise in interest in craft beer, as well as Schlafly Beer not marketing a lifestyle to its consumers. There are no Schlafly girls and we do not prescribe to the sports marketing formula, which is so prevalent in the brewing industry. While we currently have no women working in the brewery proper (we have in the past), there are many women who work in different functions of the company from sales to accounting to design.

What has been your favorite event thus far with Schlafly? What’s been the worst? Any good stories worth sharing on either side?

Ahh…the never ending love-hate relationship between the event coordinator and the event.  Each of our events has its own personality and list of pros and cons. I think my favorite would have to be the Stout and Oyster Festival.  While this event is terrifyingly busy, we do fly in 9-12 oyster shuckers every year. Over the years, these people have become great friends and I look forward to seeing them each year.  This is the only event where our guests are in the trenches with us working the event, and this is how you get to really know people. It is a four- day- long party, with 8-12 hours of back-breaking work each day, but at the end of Saturday night, it is totally worth it and a little fun (most of the fun being on Saturday night!). I think the worst event was the HOP in the City when it really exploded. I have a picture of people waiting to use the porta-potties that makes me cringe every time I see it. There was a line from our parking lot all the way to Olive, about half a block, with several twists and turns. Luckily, we were able to get an emergency potty delivery, but the damage had been done. The vibe of an event changes when people have to wait a long time for the restroom.

No doubt! Speaking of crappy situations, has the economy affected how you help run things at Schlafly?

One thing to say about the bad economy is that people still drink, sometimes more. While the business has not been affected greatly by the economy, it has definitely affected our employees in their private life and our neighbors.  Schlafly Beer has always been a conservative company in terms of expansion and spending. At this time, we are trying to expand our business in a responsible manner, to not put ourselves in a position where we have to lay people off.

What are some of Schlafly’s values that you take to heart in your job?

There are two values that Schlafly Beer prescribes to that I take to heart. The first one is community service.  We do our best to help out as many organizations as possible. We donate to silent auctions, fundraisers and other charity events.  While we generally do not have enough cash flow to donate cash, we donate VIP Tour and Tasting vouchers for silent auctions and beer when it is appropriate and legal. There is a strong sense of responsibility to the environment. We renew our St. Louis Public Radio and KDHX underwriting contracts religiously each year.

The other value would be to not tell our consumers what they should drink. The whole theme of our advertising is to tell people about a beer style (i.e. where it originated, what the ingredients are, sometimes a fun fact about it, etc.) but we do not try to tell people what drinking our beer says about them and who they are. Because what kind of beer (or wine or liquor or juice) you drink has nothing to do with who you are, it is just what you like to drink. Nothing more, nothing less.

What do you like to drink? And what’s your favorite Schlafly beer?

My favorite alcoholic drink is Bourbon and cola, preferably Maker’s Mark. My favorite nonalcoholic drink is chocolate soy milk. My favorite Schlafly Beer is Pale Ale because it has a balance between malt and hops.

With such a demanding job, how do you manage a social life outside of Schlafly? Or is there a life outside of Schlafly?

It can be difficult to maintain a healthy social life. My boyfriend works for the company as well, which can lead to lots of off time talking (or complaining!) about work and hanging out with co-workers. You spend so much time with your co-workers, many of whom may have the same weird schedule that you do, it can be easy to fall in a rut.  Instead of calling a non-Schlafly friend to go out for a drink, it is just easier to see what the person sitting next to you is doing. That being said, I still manage to maintain quite a few non-Schlafly friends around town.

I had the great pleasure of working directly with Susan to plan the LOT festival this past August. I knew that she did quite a bit for their event planning and marketing, but had NO idea that she was such an integral part of the business. Snaps to Susan Haberer and the entire Schlafly team!

Abby is the Business and Jobs Editor for Girls Guide. She is an HR/Recruiting Specialist for a local, woman-owned staffing agency in Clayton by day, and an active volunteer all over St. Louis by night. You can email her at abigail184 [at] gmail [dot]com, and follow her on Twitter.

**Note: the descriptions and explanations are very broad! Please refer to the links within to obtain more specific information on each service.

Staffing Agencies (otherwise known as Employment Agencies or Temp Agencies) are outside firms who are hired by a company to fill a specific position.  The client company pays the agency to find them candidates for their opening. The ultimate goal of a staffing agency is to find the “perfect fit” for their client and to help job seekers find work.

Things to consider if you decide to work with an agency:

• Some agencies staff only temporary work, while others do a combination of contract (i.e., “temporary) and direct-hire placement. If you are asked to sign a contract with an agency, be sure to understand the terms of the agreement so you aren’t trapped in a job for an extended period of time.
• Staffing agencies come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. OK, maybe not shapes and colors, but there are MANY different types and sizes of agencies, so do your research before diving in.
• Most agencies will not charge job seekers a fee for their services. If a staffing agency asks you for your credit card information to secure a position, it’s not a legitimate offer!
• Some agencies will require you to set up an appointment with their staff and complete a variety of interviews and testing before considering you for their positions. This process can take anywhere from 2-3 hours, depending on the type of position you are seeking.
• It is not OK for a job seeker to drop their search in an agency’s lap or to expect any guarantee for employment. Most agencies will suggest that you continue to look on your own and register at several agencies while registered at their company.

Headhunters (otherwise known as Executive Search Firms) will work directly with candidates on a job search, either by contacting candidates to fill a specific position or through contacting employers on their candidate’s behalf. Their role is similiar to an agent… kind of like Jerry Maguire or Ari Gold.

Things to consider if you decide to work with a headhunter:

• Most headhunters choose whom they want to represent. Their services are usually reserved for C-level executives and professional positions (i.e., CIO’s, Physicians and Attorneys).
• Almost all headhunters charge for their services. Usually it is a flat fee or a percentage of your salary once hired. If the headhunter is successful the hiring company will usually pay for the service, but check first with the individual headhunter who wants to represent you.
• All headhunters are recruiters. Not all recruiters are headhunters. Just because someone tells you that they work as a recruiter does not mean that they are in business to “shop you around” to different companies for employment.

Career Coaches offer insight into the workplace and help those who are “lost in space” with their job search. Career coaches offer assistance with anything from figuring out the seeker’s skills/qualifications, targeting companies for the job seeker, creating the seeker’s resume and cover letter, interview preparation and negotiating job offers.

Some things to consider if you decide to work with a Career Coach:

• Career coaches are paid for their services by a job seeker, and their fees can vary greatly so be sure to find out the cost upfront. Some offer a guarantee while others expect to be compensated whether or not you find your dream job.
• Review the career coach’s credentials to see if they are qualified to assist you with your search. Many top-level career coaches are licensed professionals or PhD’s who have been specifically trained to be a life coach. Ask for referrals and testimonials to be sure this person has a track record of success.
• Career coaches are much more hands-on than the average staffing agency or executive search firm. Their job isn’t necessarily to find you a job; rather it is to help you make sense of the world of work and serve as a knowledgeable support system during your search.

Where you are in your job search, what kinds of positions you are seeking, and overall expectations will determine whose help you should enlist in your job search (if any at all!).  Most of these services differ in price, time invested, overall goals; therefore, no you shouldn’t expect these to be a “one size fits all” solution for your search. The one thing that all of these service providers would agree upon? At the end of the day it is your responsibility to find a job, so outsourcing your needs will only get you so far!

If you would like a referral for any of these services, please contact me!

Abby Schwarz is the Business and Employment Editor for Girls Guide. She is an HR/Recruiting Specialist for a local, woman-owned staffing agency in Clayton by day, and an active volunteer all over St. Louis by night. You can email her at abigail184 [at] gmail [dot]com, and follow her on Twitter.

Like most Americans I have some looming credit card debt that needs to be addressed. It’s on a 0% interest credit card and I’m doing my best to pay it off in big installments, but it’s hard when your income decreases significantly. In the efforts to cut back and put more money towards my debt I have done my best to reduce my spending, but one can only eat so many macaroni and hot dog meals before wondering, “Is there anything else I can do to earn money?”

So after some deliberation and piece of humble pie, I decided to do what many Americans are doing to get by: get a second job. It’s not glamorous and it’s not a fun way to spend my evenings/weekends, but it’s an extra few Benji’s on a regular basis. Actually, it’s really not that bad since I’m doing fundraising for a local non-profit on a part-time basis. A little phone solicitation never hurt anyone…

As I’ve mentioned before, finding a job is not about doing “just anything”. Before accepting this part-time job, I did the following:

Picked something that works around my schedule - The hours I spend at my second job work perfectly with my schedule – 5:30-9 pm on weekdays and 10-2 on Saturdays, and I do not plan on working more than 15 hours a week. I know that if  I over-do it the first few weeks, burnout is likely!

Double checked with both bosses - When interviewing for the second job I made sure the manager knew that my full-time job was priority #1, and that he understood. Once receiving the offer for the second job I made sure my boss at my full-time job was OK with it before accepting. As long as I show up fresh-faced and eager to work every day at the office my boss was cool with me working part-time elsewhere.

Found something that I would be good at - As an admitted Appleebee’s alumni, I suck at waiting tables. Same goes for my stint at Bath & Body Works, so retail was out, too. And I don’t like to clean my own house, let alone someone else’s. But I’m generally good at calling people on behalf of a non-profit and asking for money. I’ve done it before for free – might as well get paid for it!

Remind myself that I don’t “need” this job - Luckily I was looking for a job to supplement my income, so if it becomes too much I can quit. Unfortunately, not everyone has this luxury right now and I’m grateful not to have to “need” this second job. Somehow knowing that I don’t “have” to be there gets me through the 12-hour days during the week.

Wish me luck! Guess this really means that I’m earning that “Working Girl” title here at GGG! Hopefully the craptacular state of the economy improves soon so more of the unemployed will find full-time employment and those who are working their butt’s off at second or third jobs can finally feel some relief. Email me if you have any questions about obtaining part-time work…happy to help!

Abby Schwarz is the Business and Jobs contributor for Girls Guide. She is an HR/Recruiting Specialist for a local, woman-owned staffing agency in Clayton by day, and an active volunteer all over St. Louis by night. You can email her at abigail184 [at] gmail [dot]com, and follow her on Twitter.

Good news for Missouri: the percentage of volunteers from 16-18 year-olds actually increased. This is one of the highest state percentages in the country. Experts are hoping that this trend continues, as research also indicates that those who start volunteering early on are more likely to volunteer into adulthood.

Bad news for Missouri: the 19-25 age group declined in volunteerism, from 27% to 19% And volunteerism for the 25+ age group was only so-so at 30%.

Not to get all preachy here, but it’s sad to think that even in better times less than one-third of the young population volunteers their time. Why do I care? Because there are many positive aspects to volunteerism, besides the “warm fuzzies”. The unemployed and underemployed could benefit greatly from volunteering there time for many reasons. Here’s just a few off the top of my head

Volunteering gets you out off of your butt and out of the house - For many of the unemployed, sitting at your computer and desperately looking for jobs gets depressing pretty quickly. Try leaving the house and focusing your energy on something besides CareerBuilder one to two days a week. Volunteering also puts your current situation into perspective.

Volunteering can teach you new skills/offer new work experience - I often hear from applicants who want to try switching careers but don’t have any work experience in their desired field. Volunteer with a group where you can gain hands-on experience and learn from people who are experts in a specific area of work. These are often opportunities you wouldn’t be privy to at your current job because employees are often pigeonholed in their roles.

Volunteering looks good on a resume - From an employer’s perspective who would you rather hire: the person who spends their free time watching “Dancing with the Stars” or the person who particpated in a dance marathon to raise money for a local charity? Those who regularly volunteer are perceived as “go-getters” and that gets employers interested in hearing more about the person behind the resume.

Volunteers interview better for “real” jobs - Those who volunteer generally interview better for jobs than those who sit at home and freak out about finding a job. Volunteering gives people a sense of self-worth/purpose and it shows in their overall demeanor during an interview.

Volunteering can lead to full-time employment - At my company, where we heavily encourage volunteerism, we have heard several success stories from applicants who landed a job either directly at the place where they volunteered OR through a connection they met while volunteering. Again, it beats sitting and home and waiting for a recruiter to call you back.

I’m not suggesting that young people quit their current jobs to devote 40-60 hours per week to as many non-profits as possible. My hope is that more young people dedicate five hours per month to a cause close to their heart. Whether it be animals, kids, the environment, or historical buildings, it would be great for St. Louis if more young people dedicated a small amount of time to their community.

If you are unsure about which St. Louis non-profits are right for you I would ask friends who volunteer, do some internet research and contact a few organizations that seem like a “fit” and see what their current volunteer needs entail. To find organizations that match your interests you can visit the website VolunteerMatch.org, or you can also attend the annual Connect With happy hour on Oct. 7 to meet some St. Louis non-profits face-to-face.

Happy Volunteering! Email me with your volunteer experiences and I will share them with the GGG community!

Abby Schwarz is the Business and Jobs contributor for Girls Guide. She is an HR/Recruiting Specialist for a local, woman-owned staffing agency in Clayton by day, and an active volunteer all over St. Louis by night. You can email her at abigail184 [at] gmail [dot]com, and follow her on Twitter.

Besides the evil thoughts that start to brew in the back of my mind (think mustache twirling and a sinister “Mwahhhahahaha”), “I’ll do anything…I just need to be working” is definitely not something a recruiter wants to hear.

There are a few reasons why this attitude doesn’t get a recruiter or hiring manager excited. First of all, it shows no savvy in your search. Yes, I understand that you need to work and make money, but doing what, exactly? Also, it makes you sound desperate. Just like in the dating world, you want to come across as open, but you don’t want to be willing to settle for anything that comes along. Finally, it makes recruiters nervous because many of the candidates who say they’ll do “anything” think that they are qualified for everything- and those candidates are the worst.

What can a job seeker do to avoid the “I’ll do anything” rut?

Think: What do you want to do when you grow up? Although many adults still can’t answer this, you should get focused in your search. Here are some basic questions you should be able to answer when talking to people about your job search:

• What kinds of positions are you seeking? In what industry?
• Have you seen/heard about a job opportunity in this area recently?
• Do you meet the education/experience requirements for these kinds of jobs?
• What is the appropriate salary range for these kinds of jobs?
• Which companies in town would be an ideal employer for your area of work?

Being able to answer these questions entails researching career guides, job descriptions and up-to-date publications (see below for a list of suggestions). It’s time consuming with little instant gratification (vs. sitting in front of a computer screen and clicking “Apply Here”), but it’s the foundation of a job search. Until you know what it is you want to do next, how would a recruiter or hiring manager be able to assist you?

Create the right resume(s). Now that you know the qualifications and experience necessary for the positions you’re seeking, it’s up to you to create a resume that highlights everything that you’ve done that applies to a specific type of job. It doesn’t hurt to have several different versions, featuring different strengths/skills! One size does not fit all!

The easiest way to make your resume stand out to a recruiter is to mirror the qualifications/requirements listed on the job description. No need to completely re-create the wheel. Be “Captain Obvious” and show the recruiter that you have, in fact, completed many of these tasks in your last few jobs.

Reach out to the right people. Now that you know what direction you’re headed, it’s time to reach out and develop a quality network that applies to your specific search.

• Contact friends, former co-workers and family to see if they know anyone in your desired field. Set up informational interviews. 
• If you see a job opportunity listed that seems to be a fit for your skills and experience, send in your resume. And ask people you know if they have an “in” at that company. 
• Search LinkedIn or Twitter or people in your desired field OR that work at a company that sounds like a match and add them to your network. Develop an ongoing relationship with these contacts. 
• Send your resume to the HR contact at some of your top companies with a note- “I know you don’t have any current openings in my area but I would greatly appreciate it if you kept my information on file for future opportunities”.

When you reach out to people in your network, be sure to send impeccable versions of your resume (no spelling, format or grammar mistakes), mind your manners and follow-up with your contacts when you finally do land a job.  

These are concepts that apply to anything from ditch digging to selling Mary Kay…the rules still apply! In the current job market, candidates who know what they’re looking for and seem to be well informed are the ones who are most likely to make it to the top of the resume pile, while the “will do anything” folks are often left behind. Does this guarantee a position? Absolutely not! This is one of the toughest job markets in a decade. But at least you’re headed towards a goal, rather than wandering around aimlessly, applying for anything and everything.

Some ideas for research jobs/careers:

“Discover the Work You Were Born to Do”

“Does Your Career Fit Your Personality?”

“Evaluate Your Career Fitness”

US News Career Page

St. Louis Business Journal’s Book of Lists

Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Guide and Occupational Handbook

Abby Schwarz is the Business and Jobs contributor for Girls Guide. She is an HR/Recruiting Specialist for a local, woman-owned staffing agency in Clayton by day, and an active volunteer all over St. Louis by night. You can email her at abigail184 [at] gmail [dot]com, and follow her on Twitter.