Gubmint Jobs

October 29, 1998 Have you considered working for the Federal or State Government?

Historically the largest employer in the country, the Federal Government is a labyrinthian system of hierarchical levels, sub-departments, and bureaucratic nonsense strewn from one coast to the other. Some people seek jobs there because they can pursue academic/professional interests, while others cling to government work because it takes more than gross incompetence (immoral behavior seems to be the current currency) for termination.

And it is also a gravy train billions of dollars long.

There are several sites worth looking at. One is http://www.fedworld.gov. Set up by the National Technical Information Service, it allows for online searches for jobs in over fifty government agencies. My favorite site is http://www.jobsfed.com which lists thousands of government vacancies. http://www.usajobs.opm.gov provides a thorough list of job openings, ranging from professional to summer internships. Another good site is http://www.fedjobs.com, which is a database (updated daily) of job vacancies.

Unfortunately, some websites focus more on how to extract large sums of money from their visitors, than on how to assist them in filling their needs. Visitors to a website don't typically start out as customers, you need to earn their trust. A good example of this mistake is at http://www2.ari.net/fedjobs. While there is some marginally useful information available here about filling out Gov't Application Forms (SF-171), the link to Federal Jobs doesn't lead to what you want, namely, job listings.

This typifies the general trend on the Web. It seems as though the Web is becoming one big advertising banner. Of course, this is the Net dilemma:

How do you get people (commonly dehumanized as Traffic, Visitors, or Impressions) to actually PAY for all this free stuff? So Internet Searchers are often left sifting through all the hyperbole & flashy, rotating ads in an occasionally fruitful attempt at gleaning useful information.

-Mark Poppen

Us Against Them

October 27, 1998 Too often the Job search feels like a battle between us, the Job Seekers, and them, the Hiring Managers. While the Interviewing process can be nerve racking for the Jobhunter, it is also tough on the Interviewer. From the Employer's perspective, hiring someone who doesn't perform well on the job is damaging to the health of the company, especially for a small business. One disgruntled employee can do a lot of damage, so employers jump through hoops to screen out everyone except the 'perfect candidate'. Plus, a mistaken hire sooner or later puts the company (and the hiring manager) back at square one - needing to fill a vacant position.

Hiring managers are people, too. They are desperate (sometimes!) to find someone who can competently do the Job at hand, and get along within the corporate culture. They are more likely to hire someone they trust than someone they don't know. There is nothing the Hiring Manager would like more than for you to convince them that you're the 'perfect employee'. Unfortunately, their position dictates high levels of skepticism. Having someone they know vouch for your character & ability is win/win for both of you.

Basically, The Job Interview is a test: The Employer is trying to find out if they can trust you with a portion of their business. And your real task during the Job search is to find out as much information about the particular person capable of hiring you, and to cultivate a relationship with them. One method is to join the professional associations relevant to your Job search. Some will offer student, or beginner's, memberships for free (or discounted rates).

Another way is to join a Usenet Newsgroup that posts information and running discussions about your field of interest. When a few people with hiring power become aware of your persistent interest and ability in their profession, you'll elevate yourself to another level beyond being just a resume in the pile. Fully 60% of jobs are filled through informal means, so your goal should be to get into the 'Word of Mouth' category. Decent sounding resumes are a dime a dozen, but personal references from someone the hiring manager knows and trusts are invaluable.

For example, it is worth checking out SHRM's (Society for Human Resource Managers) website at: http://www.shrm.org/ . Professional association websites are a great place to find contacts. These people can either hire you or know the people who can. Long term successful Job hunting is about building, and maintaining, these relationships. You will need to use them again.

-Mark Poppen

Networking

October 26, 1998

Employers, unless otherwise compelled, follow the rule 'like hires like'.

Everyone wants to surround themselves with people they can relate to, communicate with easily, and have a shared sense of right and wrong. This is discriminatory, but it represents the real world we live in. Employers are no different. They will follow the path of least resistance and hire people that they know, or at least can be vouched for by friends or colleagues.

Successful Job Hunting is almost always more about who you know, than what you know. Given this maxim, it follows that Networking is the most crucial element of your Job search. Some career counselors estimate that fully two-thirds of jobs are filled through grapevine sources (e.g. your uncle Leo's Saturday golf partner, or your best friend's cousin's roommate). If everyone is only six degrees of separation away from anyone else on the planet, surely your next Job is less than two degrees away.

While this information may be vaguely comforting, how does it help?

Take several hours and make a list of everyone you know. Include any acquaintances you can think of, not just all your relatives and friends. Someone that one of these people knows has the ability to either hire you put you in touch with someone who can offer you a position. They won't give you a job unless you:
1) Find Them, and
2) Ask Them for the Job.

Before running around begging people you scarcely know for a Job, practice informal interviewing. Use your friends and relatives as sounding boards, and tell them what kind of Job you want, and why. Describe the type of work you're looking for in detail, and have them quiz you on what skills you bring to their imaginary company. This practice will not only prepare you for the real, and sometimes agonizing, Job interviews to come, but it stirs the creative juices of the people you know who have connections that they didn't realize were relevant to your Job search.

There are thousands of beneficial Job hunting websites (and tens of thousands of lame ones). One that I like is at http://www.accessone.com/~curtr/jobsearchtips.htm This site has a very thorough section on different stages of the Job hunt, and how to successfully complete them without giving up hope.

There are thousands of beneficial Job hunting websites (and tens of thousands of lame ones). One that I like is at http://www.accessone.com~curtr/jobsearchtips.htm This site has a very thorough section on different stages of the Job hunt, and how to successfully complete them without giving up hope.

-Mark Poppen

Internships in Accounting

September 27, 1998

The Economic Policy Institute recently published a report indicating that worker's wages have not kept pace with inflation over the past ten years. Since 1989, our buying power (the difference between pay increases and price increases) has declined. If we are in a prolonged Economic Boom that is a paradise for workers, how is this possible?

The shortage of workers is severe in some areas, but not in others. While low skill, minimum wage jobs go begging for workers, you'll still have to compete for the decent paying jobs. So, while some of your friends may be getting comfortable for the relatively short time that they'll stay in their new job, you need to do something to set yourself apart from your contemporaries. Consider giving yourself a competitive advantage by learning on the job through an Internship.

Check out http://www.kpmgcampus.com. KPMG is one of the 'Big Five' Accounting firms, and uses Internships as one of their primary recruiting tools. They offered positions to over 90% of the 450 Interns that worked for them last year, and Interns were paid an average of 90 to 100% of the wage that comparable non-Interns earned. KPMG (and similar firms) screen their potential Interns very thoroughly. Their goal is to reduce potential employee problems (or attrition) as early as possible in the hiring process. Interns go through a one week training program, and attend conferences and staff meetings while completing their Internships.

What characteristics are they looking for in college students? A history of Academic Excellence combined with evidence of Interpersonal Skills. For business majors, they are recruiting 2nd semester Juniors that have successfully made the transition from Accounting Principles to Intermediate Accounting. Anecdotal evidence indicates that students who do well during their Junior year in applying the Principles of Accounting tend to excel in both their later academic studies and accounting careers.

-Mark Poppen

We Adapt

September 17, 1998

Over sixty-five percent of employees are satisfied with their jobs. Most of the people I know are definitely Not working at their dream job in their present incarnation as 'satisfied worker', so what gives with stats like these? I think it comes down to an important thing to remember about humans.

We are very adaptable creatures.

We make do, given our circumstances. Employees assess the nuances of our everyday work life, and figure out how to get to quitting time with the least amount of hassle possible. Drawn by the path of least resistance, we generally put forward enough mental and physical effort that will be stamped by our supervisor as 'acceptable'.

This is not to imply that today's workers are a lazy group, per se. Or that they take a minimalist approach to the whole concept of employment, work ethic, and quality of work product. Er, maybe I am implying that a little. The point is, workers will attempt to put the best face on the situation they're stuck in. Might as well have fun, since we're going to be here for the next eight hours.

Since you know you'll pretty much adapt to whatever your next job is, your primary concern as a Job hunter should be taking the time necessary to find a Job that best suits your inner desire. This is your Calling, your Vocation, even following your Bliss. How much time you can afford to use in your Job hunt is a function, generally, of money.

It would be great if everyone could figure out exactly what they wanted to do with their life, and that perfect dream jobs would manifest themselves at the proper place and time. Since this event has less than a fifty-fifty chance, accept the fact that your 'Calling' will probably keep calling through a number of Job and Career changes.

Try to find a working environment that suits your skills, temperament, and centers on ideas that touch your heart. But when crunch time comes, take the best package offered. You'll be moving on to something else before long, anyway. Shortly after graduating from college, I remember asking my Dad (just shy of his eightieth birthday), what I should do with my life. His reply? "I don't know, Son. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the rest of mine."

-Mark Poppen

Not Your Job Search

September 14, 1998

Job hunting, for most people, is not a pleasant experience.

You will face rejection, suffer disappointment, and feel pangs of anxiety. And those are the good days. Friends will remind you that adversity builds character, but you'll feel more like your character has been assassinated. So, take a step back from your frustrating position, and regain your perspective. A few simple reminders will help.

You are not your job.

This is a hard one to remember when everyone begins introductions with "Hi! I'm Joe Blow, Programming Analyst with HP." We tend to project our Identity as a function of our Job. Unemployment often feels like a loss of Identity. Respond to the question "And what do you do?" any way you like, but practice separating the two concepts, Job and Identity.

Most people work because they have to - no one else is going to pay their rent, buy their food, cover their car payment, or erase their credit card debt. If you're living from paycheck to paycheck, you'll tell prospective employers whatever you think they want to hear to get the job. You might even endorse Reaganomics as something other than voodoo Economics, if you see a smiling picture of Ronnie on your new (hopefully) employer's desk.

You are not your Job Search, either.

Job hunting is not a one-time prospect. Studies now guesstimate that, on average, you will hold eleven different positions in your productive worklife. I tend to be suspicious of studies that predict what will happen in the next twenty plus years or so. I mean, who's going to check on what some bureaucrat or policy analyst wrote over twenty years ago to see if they were right? By the time you can find out if long term prognosticators are accurate, they've retired to their mountain homes or Beach houses.

Personally, I've discovered that the average lifespan of any one job is about eighteen months. I realize this is not entirely scientific, but the bottom line conclusion remains the same: Learn Job hunting skills this time, for they will serve you well again. Like on the Job training, job hunting involves trial and failure. The old adage 'Live and Learn' is a recommendation, not a promise. You'll make tons of mistakes, and have the opportunity to learn from them each time.

Also, some of your failures in Job-hunting are simple mismatches between your abilities and the job requirements (or employer's bias). People generally surround themselves with like-minded people. The Good Old Boy network is a function of our embedded social relationships. Take heart - if you're willing to believe that you are employable, then some of your interviewers will believe it as well.

You will work again. And you will be unemployed again. Both events will occur many times in your life. Hopefully the next few times will come about more from your own choice than your employer's.

-Mark Poppen