A Great Idea from Jason Alba

If you are more than a few months into your job search you have probably grown your network to such an extent that keeping everyone up to date on your progress is daunting and time consuming. This may be especially true if you are working with networking groups such as Experience Unlimited.

It is very easy to lose contact with people. Most of us just don't have the time to write personalized emails and mass emails may not project the image that we desire. When people don't hear from us for a while they may assume we have found a job or just don't need their help. The last thing that we want is to have our network drop us off their radar.

Today Jason Alba, the author of "You're on LinkedIn...Now What!", gave a speech to 200 plus people at Experience Unlimited in Lafayette, Ca. Among the many great ideas that Jason imparted was the concept of creating a newsletter to keep all of your friends, family and former colleagues up to date with the status of your job search.

I eagerly embraced this idea and produced my first newsletter this evening and directed it to many in my network. I was amazed by the immediate response that this newsletter received. Not only were the comments positive but I actually had one reader offer to disseminate it to his class, possibly driving business to my company, Kiwi Computer Coaching.

Jason Alba recommended that the newsletter be kept short and that it include the following material:

• Companies where you have applied/interviewed
• Positions for which you have applied/interviewed
• 3 - 5 target companies
  
• Ask your contacts if they know anyone at these companies

Designing a newsletter allows you to explore your creative side. Using tools such as Microsoft Publisher or the ArcSoft Print Creations makes formatting a breeze. Once you have the newsletter designed you can quickly edit it the next time you want to update your contacts.

Job Search Tip #1 - Resume Preparation

In these uncertain economic times it is wise to prepare for the worst. Perhaps your current employer has already let you go or has indicated that layoffs are imminent. Take the time now to look at your past career and document your accomplishments.

OK, you say, how can I possibly remember everything I've done in my career? I've spent the past 25 years working for one company and I've never written a resume before. Where do I start?

One way to nail down the highlights of your career is to talk about it. Reach out to people that you worked with, colleagues, former managers and former clients. The more people you can talk with the more you are likely to remember. Have these people ask you questions or just reminisce about past projects on which you collaborated. If possible bring someone with you to record all of those memories.

But, you say, I've lost contact with all the people I worked with in the past. If you can't or don't want to find your former colleagues you can also use this process. Work with a friend or family member and have them ask questions about your career. The more probing the better. Ask a third person to record your accomplishments as you remember them.

What kind of questions should your colleagues and friends ask? Try some of these:

• What was the company like when you first joined? How big? How old were you? What was your role?
  
• Who was your best/worst manager? Why? What was your role at the time?
  
• How has your career grown over the years? What positions have you held? Is there a clear progression or have you tried a number of different things?
  
• What events stand out in your memory? What were the issues? What did you do to address the issues? What were the results?
• What role/tasks did you most/least enjoy? Why?
  

Quick Tip #1 - Organizing your desktop

Do you store all of your important documents on your computer desktop? Is your screen cluttered with icons representing these files? Perhaps you find that it takes you ages to find a particular file even though it is right in front of you.

Well you're in luck. There is a really simple way to organize your desktop files that will make them easier to find.

Take a look at the file icons on your desktop and see if they fall into a number of categories; photos, newsletters, school homework, etc. Start with the category that has the most icons (for our example we use the category Photos) and create a folder of that name on your desktop. You can then move all of your photo files into the Photos folder.

1. Close or minimize all of the programs you are running.
   
2. Move your cursor to a blank space on your desktop. Click the right mouse button to access the desktop menu.
   
3. Click on New. A sub-menu will open.
   
4. Click on Folder. The menu will close. You will see a folder icon labeled New Folder on your desktop.
5. Move your cursor over the New Folder icon and click the right button to access the icon menu.
   
6. Click on Rename.
   
7. You can now type over the file name. Change the name of the file folder to Photos.
8. Now we will move all of your photo files into your Photos folder. Move your cursor to a photo file. Click on the right mouse button and hold it down while you drag the cursor onto your Photos folder. Release the mouse button. Your file will disappear from your desktop.
   
9. You can check that your files were correctly moved by placing your cursor on the Photos folder and clicking the right mouse button twice. The folder will open to show it's contents.

Repeat this process for each of your categories and you will be amazed how much room you now have on your desktop.

Moving in a new direction

Being laid off from BGI may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I had not planned a career change but it seems that one has been forced upon me by the current economic climate.

Today, I finally did it. My success team at the job search networking group, Experience Unlimited in Lafayette, Ca has been prodding me for months to start my own business. Today I ordered my business cards, posted an ad on Craigslist and set up this blog. Small steps, I know, but after a year of fruitless hunting for another software QA Analyst position I have taken this, for me, giant step.

Training has always been part of my life. As a QA I was often asked to create teaching materials and conduct user training for new applications that my team developed. I have been a short track speed-skating coach for over 5 years with students ranging in age from 5 to 70 years.

Lately, I have taken on a number of clients from Experience Unlimited. I have provided support for a variety of PC software programs, assisted clients developing resumes and cover letters and helped clients set up their profile on LinkedIn and FaceBook.

I have given advice and provided physical assistance to client's interested in organizing their home offices; another one of my passions.

Now that I have taken this great leap I suppose that I need to start planning my next steps. Wish me luck!