Andy Parkinson’s World

Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week. I’m pointing you to items about who’s finding work, networking, phone interviews, going permanent, and an argument against work/life balance.

From Career Builder: Six in Ten Workers Laid Off in Last Year Have Found New Jobs, According to CareerBuilder Survey
“Resilience is not only found among the Oceanic 815 survivors of “LOST” — who returned to TV last night after five seasons of battling hostile island dwellers, a mysterious smoke monster, and the bounds of space and time  — but in taking a look at CareerBuilder’s updated survey among more than U.S. workers, it’s also evident among many workers who have been laid off in the last 12 months.”

Wally’s Comment: This post is both hopeful and helpful. It’s hopeful because this is one bit of evidence that people are finding new jobs. And it’s helpful because there’s some data on who’s doing it and where.

From Anita Bruzzese: 5 Ways to Avoid Freaking Out About Networking
“If you’re looking for work, it may be time to step away from the computer. That’s because like many job seekers, you’re probably spending way too much time poring over job boards and sending resumes to cyber black holes that offer you little chance of finding a job. Instead, it’s time to get on the phone or go out to lunch. In other words, it’s time to network, still the best way to land a job.”

Wally’s Comment: Especially if you’re what Garrison Keillor calls a “shy person,” networking can be worse than the night terrors. This could be one of those situations where proper preparation drives out panic.

From US News and World Report: How to Ace the Phone Interview
“Phone interviews are not, however, the same as in-person interviews. So much human communication is non-verbal! You may need to acquire a few new skills to pull off a great job interview over the phone. To get you started, check out these phone interview do’s and don’ts.”

Wally’s Comment: There’s a tendency to believe that a phone interview is just an in-person interview without the commute. Nope. To succeed you need to master some different skills. Karen Burns offers a list of things you can do to make the ace the phone interview and get invited to an in-person one.

From the Wall Street Journal: Making a Temporary Stint Stick
“As the economy eases into recovery mode, more companies are temporarily filling holes in their work forces before making permanent hiring decisions these days. But with the right moves, a temporary employee can make that job permanent.”

Wally’s Comment: Companies appear to be easing back into hiring by going the temporary route first. If you’ve been hired on a temporary basis, here are some things you can do to get on the permanent payroll.

From HR Ringleader: Balance? Not For Me!
“Though to be clear, I revere work/life balance about as much as an atheist believes in God. So here’s my answer to, “How do I achieve “work/life balance?” I don’t. I have spent extensive time the past few years doing things to lay the foundation for what I’m doing now (writing/speaking). At the time, these things caused major scheduling conflicts. I did them anyway.”

Wally’s Comment: Too much of what’s written on work/life balance implies two things. First, that it’s possible. Second, that there are no trade-offs. Both are wrong. You may not adopt Jason Seiden’s approach, but I guarantee you that you’ll get some ideas from this post that will improve your life, even if it’s unbalanced.