The Desert – Winds Of Change

The Job Search Jungle is back in the desert!

Greetings from Las Vegas! The hot winds are high and bringing good news!

Its nearly 100 degrees outside today in the desert with high wind warnings but it’s even hotter and windier inside Fordyce Forum 2010 at the M Resort.

Hot topics presented here by leaders in the recruiting industry have an across the board consensus that hiring is continuing to grow across all segments. The winds of change signal that the candidate market is beginning to narrow again. Top candidates are getting multiple offers and employers are making counteroffers to key personnel upon resignation.

The forecast is good for job seekers and employers alike. Polish up your resume, enriching it with appropriate key words so employers will be able to find you as they add back jobs they eliminated last year and enhance their benefits to compete for the best talent.

Use the power of the winds and ride them to success as we kick off the summer of 2010!

Carolyn Thompson

Tags: conference, economy, employers, hot topics, Job Search, Las Vegas, offers, recruiting, resume, summer, Thinking Positive

The Bear – Coming out of Hibernation

Many people across the country have been between jobs for longer than they, or anyone else, thought they would be.  It can be discouraging, demoralizing, and even devastating to your personal well being such as foreclosure, ruined credit, etc…We’ve all seen it on the news and in the blogs.

What we don’t see is how people can recover from something like that.  Many companies have released their hiring freezes this spring and have come out of the economic hibernation. So consider these ideas if you’re looking, or thinking about a new job, to make those sleepy companies wake up and notice you!

First, dust yourself off and get focused.  You CAN find a job if you put your full effort into that search and don’t wait for it to miraculously find you. Make sure your resume is an accurate reflection of your skills and abilities and what you want to do, not just what you’ve done.

Second, create a list of companies that have a need for someone with your skills and experience.   These techniques are discussed in detail in my book TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB. Search the internet for companies in your geographic area who hire people with your industry experience and certifications.  Using CareerBuilder, Monster and other websites like LinkedIn to research your former employers’ competition can give you lots of information.

Third, reach out to people who work at those companies directly.  Don’t wait for HR to post a position.  80% of jobs are obtained through networking.  You can contact people by phone or send them a resume and cover letter via the USPS.  Priority Mail gets noticed, and the envelopes and labels are free at usps.com.

Fourth, get out of your comfort zone and network. Know your 2 sentence “TV GUIDE” pitch.  Quickly conveying who you are and what you want to do projects confidence and makes it easier for people to refer you to employers hiring your skill set.  If you have a target list of companies, make sure you get to events they are sponsoring that will be full of their employees for you to meet.

Fifth, use the Internet to get yourself out there so people can find you.  Post your resume on CareerBuilder, Monster, and other job search websites where it is free to post your resume.  Also, use LinkedIn to connect with former co-workers AFTER you have a fully updated profile that includes your status as looking for a new career in XYZ field.  As you invite people to link with you, they will see your update and may have a need for someone at their new company with your experience, but you have to make them aware of your desire for a new job to get that referral!  Many consulting assignments are obtained this way.

It’s easy to complain about not having a job, or the job you want for that matter, but it’s also easy to do something about it.  You can’t wait for other people to do things for you, only you can control your activity level.  Get up and out there!

Carolyn Thompson

Tags: consulting, economy, job post, Job Search, networking, resume

The Old Dog – New Tips (Tricks)

Old dogs CAN learn new tricks! Every day, we are challenged with new issues which are opportunities to learn something about ourselves. 

As a seasoned recruiter who has trained thousands of people, I had a meeting today about time management purely because I felt like things were slipping through the cracks and I needed to grab hold before everything collapsed around me. (It’s not just me, right?)

Whether you are a job seeker planning your personal marketing strategy, a business person trying to gain market share, or an executive recruiter looking to capitalize on the resurgence in the hiring market, remember these tips when planning your day:

1. You need to plan!  Fail to plan, plan to fail! As a member of the Pinnacle Society (www.pinnaclesociety.org”) we discuss our business strategies for success openly and the number one indicator of success is your ability to plan!

     o   Where will you call and why?

     o   What do you have that is of interest or need for someone?

     o   Who should you contact or ask for and why?

          §  Find names on linkedIn

     o   What’s in it for them?

     o   Don’t forget to ask for referrals!

2. Block out your activities in one or two hour chunks.

     o   Your calls will sound fresher if you are remain interested and are not bored with your subject matter.

     o   Work all the angles you need to work each day, not one per day.  For example, if you are a recruiter that works job orders and makes marketing calls, do some of each every day.  You’ll find you’ll cover a lot more ground with renewed enthusiasm if you get to the end of the first page of calls and can check that off your list and move onto your next one.

     o   Only plan 75% of your time. 

          §  You need to be flexible to deal with interruptions and the results of your hard work!

3. Think outside the box!

     o   In my office we look for CPA’s every day.  Sometimes, looking for the names of CPA firms turns up candidates we didn’t find doing a search for “CPA”. 

     o   If you are looking for a job, don’t just search for job titles; create a list of target companies and research them for related positions they may be advertising.  If they have ads for positions in and around your field, they would likely have a job for you somewhere, sometime…you just need to find out who reviews the resumes for that department and mail them a copy of yours via priority mail.  They will get it!

4. As a business person looking to expand your client base as the economy begins to recover, start with your clients from the past three years before trying to earn someone’s trust you’ve never worked with before. 

     o   A check in call is a powerful thing.  Find out how they are doing and how your services may be of assistance in their economic recovery.

Even if you aren’t an old dog, it is never too early to pick up on what the slightly wizened canines have to offer! Visit my website www.carolynthompson.net for webinars on these topics!

Carolyn Thompson

Tags: business strategy, candidate search, check in call, clients, economy, executive recruiter, executive recruiters, flexibility, follow up, hiring, Job Search, job seekers, job titles, lnkedin, mail, marketing calls, new tricks, recruiter, searching, success, time management

The Seasons – Wet and Dry

Season’s Greetings from the Jungle!

This week I did two interviews about holiday job search, which got me thinking about the seasons of the jungle. Follow the links to see more.

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/top-picks/holiday-jobs/#clip243570 
http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/04/news/economy/job_seasons/index.htm

A little research turned up that the jungle has two distinct seasons; wet and dry. During a dry season, the days are hot and sunny, the vegetation becomes sparser, and watering holes dry up forcing animals to look elsewhere. Conversely, during a wet season, the air quality improves, freshwater quality improves, and vegetation grows significantly. The wet season is also referred to as “green season.”   

Today, I got a call from one of my long time coaching clients who has been working two part time jobs to make ends meet since her husband’s death a few years ago. She has gone back to college to complete her degree and worked very hard to obtain the necessary computer skills to compete in today’s job market.  She has an excellent background in customer service, community project management and has been working diligently to network and expand her personal sphere of influence. Exactly the right things to get that competitive advantage in your job search!

For the past year, she’s been on many interviews and has been passed over for countless positions she was well qualified for; moving from one dried up water source to the next, not because she couldn’t do the job, but because she has over 20 years work experience in total, and was considered overqualified.  Many of the jobs she applied for required a bachelors or “equivalent” experience, and she lost out time and again to recent college grads with less life experience than she had, but she kept plugging away through her dry season. 

TODAY, I got the call I’ve been waiting for. She got a job offer!  In the salary range she was targeting! With benefits!  I was so proud of her! Her comment to me was that once someone else showed they believed in her, she began to believe in herself.

She was the last person on my mental list of people who have been looking for some time that would be great employees! Now she will be enjoying the prosperity and growth of her green season. 

If you have friends or family out there looking for work, let them know you believe in them.  It will really help them find a new job!  

For information on personal executive coaching, visit my website www.carolynthompson.net.  I have a spot open now that my client found a job today!!!

Carolyn Thompson

Tags: believe, coaching, computer skills, continuing education, dry, economy, education, education vs experience, Job Search, networking, overqualify, success

The Snake – Shedding Your Skin

In my recent article for the American Library Association, I offered some tips for moving from one industry to another. Just as snakes shed their skin, professionals sometimes need to shed some of the work they’ve done in order to land a new job.

Snakes shed the outer layer of their skin as they outgrow the old one, and even those that are not growing shed; replacing their worn scales with new, healthy skin. Some snakes shed every few weeks, others shed only about once a year. A new layer continuously develops below the surface of the old skin preparing for use. The snake begins the shedding process by rubbing its nose against rocks or other hard objects to start the separation of the old layer from its lips, and then crawls out of its old skin. This is why the old skins are often found intact where they were abandoned.

Whether your need to shed your old skin comes from economic pressure or from a desire for new challenges, any professional seeking to change industries need to first consider these points:

1. Determine What You Like to Do Most

You’ll have more success selling yourself to others if it’s for work you love to do. Employers are looking for what you’ve done in the past five years, so you will have to create links to a new industry by drawing from your most recent employment first.

Within that recent experience, identify the transferable skills. Everyone has them, and employers are looking for them, so determine what measurable, comparable skills are your strengths. Is it Excel? Managing sales teams? Technical writing? Cataloging? Focus on the skills you like.

2. Ascertain Who Else Uses that Skill Set

Take your transferable skill set and look for similar keyword strings on the Internet. Remember to use synonyms. What is “budgeting” to one company may be “forecasting” to another.

3. Consider Your Geographic Mobility

Some areas of the country are hard hit by the economy; others are not. Consider moving to a new area where there is greater demand for the industry you are moving in to. Your chances of finding a job in a new city with lower unemployment are much higher.

While most companies do phone interviews to start, you may be asked to interview in person within a few days. Being in or near the city where you are looking for work is always easiest. Many of us have friends and relatives across the country willing to help out; there are lots of people looking for short-term roommates.

4. Make Yourself Relevant — and Accessible!

Write your resume with the future in mind. Use all the related keywords you’ve found to re-tool your job descriptions. E-mail address and cell phone are fine for contact information, and use a local address on your resume whenever possible.

Obtain interim employment wherever possible. You’ll meet people who need help immediately who can also help you network. Taking temporary employment shows that you have a good work ethic and are serious about learning a new industry.

Strategically network in your desired geographic areas and industries. Join LinkedIn groups and look for job fairs or conferences where you can meet people who work at your target companies. Eighty percent of jobs are obtained through personal networking, not ads or employment agencies.

Consider retooling your skill set by retraining — many state and local governments provide assistance in this area. Contact your unemployment office and your local library to find out about programs offered in your area.

5. Follow Up … then Follow the Golden Rule!

One hundred percent of people leave a first message, but fewer than 15 percent will call a third time. Don’t give up. Keep trying to reach people who may have information for you. (Give them a few days to call back between messages, though.)

Do Unto Others

When you do find a job, make yourself available to others who may need your help and would benefit from the story of your journey.

>>>Based on the overwhelming response to this article, I’ll be hosting 2 interactive webinars this month with a focus on CHANGE:

CHANGING INDUSTRIES 

Learn how to specifically extract relevant experience from your background in order to change industries.  Please join me for a roundtable discussion of EXACTLY how to transform your resume into something that will translate from one industry to another.  The first 10 people to register will receive one on one telephone resume consultations prior to the webinar and have the option to participate as confidential “before” and “after” examples in the webinar.

CHANGING CAREERS 

We will layout unique executable strategies for people seeking to move their careers in a new way altogether.  Explore ideas to help you in choosing where you want to go and making an individual roadmap to get there.   Again, the first 10 people to register will receive a one on one telephone consultation prior to the webinar and have the option to participate as confidential “before” and “after” examples for other participants.

JOIN ME AND OTHERS FROM ACROSS NORTH AMERICA THAT WANT TO SHED THEIR SKIN!  The best way to get new ideas is to participate!

Carolyn Thompson

Tags: accessible, advice, career, careers, changing careers, changing industries, discussion, economy, experience, free consultation, geographic mobility, golden rule, ideas, interim employment, interview, job descriptions, keywords, managing, networking, new career, new industry, new job, participation, resume, retraining, skills, temporary employment, tips, transferable skills, unemployment, webinar

The Mating Ritual – Job Dating (Simple Rules For Interviewers and Interviewees)

In the jungle, the mating ritual is simple.  It’s an animal’s most basic survival instinct: to mate, procreate, and continue its species.

For much of the human species, mating starts with dating. 

In the workplace, the mating ritual is translated into succession planning, and dating starts with the interview.

Just like dating, interviewing has a few “rules” that both the interviewer and the interviewee should adhere to for best success in the relationship.  Etiquette applies for all parties, so take heed of these ideas to be a good interviewer/interviewee.

FOR COMPANIES – The interviewer

The new economy does not mean you should wait weeks to call people back!  Just as in dating, the three day rule applies.  If you want a candidate to remain interested in working for you, whether they are unemployed or not, you should give them feedback and/or second interviews within 72 hours of their first interview.  In the past few months companies have been dragging out the interview process for weeks and many of the people they started with a month or two ago have moved on…they are already dating someone else seriously and your inability to move your process along often means they don’t want to see you again.

Think long and hard about how many people should be involved in the interview process. You need time before introducing your new love interest to all your friends. Adding even a single person to the interview process empowers them to give you their opinions, which will encourage them to offer their opinions when you may not want them, thus adding to the length of time.  Keep the process tight, and only involve those people who are in direct reporting line and decision makers who are in good standing with the company.  One disgruntled person in the mix can ruin the recruiting process.

If you were dating someone, you wouldn’t call all of the person’s former boyfriends and girlfriends for their opinions as they have already broken up and moved on. Similarly, you shouldn’t check references “off list”.  Many people are searching confidentially and by asking questions of people they currently work with you breach that professional courtesy making you and your company less trustworthy in the marketplace.   Besides, let’s face it, work is work and we often have professional disagreements with people in the workplace.  Reference checks should be limited to the former supervisors, peers, and subordinates the candidate has provided to you as their references.  These are people with whom they have developed working relationships and the former co-worker you may know from church, LinkedIn, or other civic groups may not be able to speak to the true skills and abilities of the person interviewing.  Besides, who’s to say they weren’t in the race for the same promotion in the past or something, even worse, what if they dated outside the office in the past? Many people look for open avenues to gossip about others so don’t fall victim to some people’s need to focus on negatives when we can all find something positive about everyone when push comes to shove.  

FOR CANDIDATES – The interviewee

Many companies do phone interviews first, something they are placing increasing emphasis on as in many cases they save time and money. Answer your phone professionally and in a positive manner at all times.  If you are busy and can’t speak, DON’T ANSWER THE PHONE.  You only get one chance to make a first impression and if you don’t impress someone on the first call, you’re unlikely to get a call back.  You need to be equally prepared for these interviews as if you were sitting in front of the CEO of the company him- or herself.

Express interest and enthusiasm, even if the topic may not be at the top of your list.  Just as when you’re out on a first date and the conversation veers to something more mundane, you maintain interest if you’re attracted to the person physically.  If you’re attracted to a company financially, you should be astute in all conversations with any parties involved.

Don’t expect a proposal on the second, or even third date.  A recent article in the NY Times reiterated what we are seeing in the market, longer, more complex interview processes leading to protracted job searches. Don’t get discouraged! Just make sure you have that fabulous interview outfit for the next meeting ready to go.

Always send a thank you note!  Common courtesy goes a long way.

For more job search tips, please visit http://www.carolynthompson.net/webinars.htm where you can find resources on interviewing, resume writing, and making a great first impression!

Carolyn Thompson

Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME…available on Amazon.com!
and TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB…available on Amazon.com!  

Tags: economy, etiquette, first impression, interview, interviewee, interviewer, interviewing, Job Search, mating, phone interview, preparation, rules

The Wildfire – Rebuilding After the Blaze

The economy lately has been a little like the California wildfires that recently littered the news; hot and cold areas, hopping from hill to hill, changing directions without warning, rapidly igniting then ultimately extinguishing, leaving destruction and devastation in its wake, yet opening up opportunities for re-growth and rebuilding.

Last week I had the occasion to interview a fantastic candidate; Carl Adams.  Carl was recently the Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasurer with a large publicly traded local company and is now looking for a new position.  A CPA who led a staff of over 40 professionals, we got to talking about best practices of hiring, and I thought about how similar hiring after a downturn in the economy was to rebuilding the jungle or a forest after a fire.

Plant strategically- when rebuilding a forest, or a team, you need to think about the growth path and what the landscape will look like down the road, as people grow and evolve in their jobs.  Don’t choose a large group of similarly experienced people without a clear growth path for the future laid out.  You’ll end up losing them when you can’t promote them all at once. 

Instead, compliment your own strengths and weaknesses to build a team that will grow together, complement each other in their skills, creating a harmonious group with differing levels of expertise and experience.

It may still look barren now, but the strongest seeds have survived and will sprout into amazingly resilient plants. None of the variety and color has been lost in the heat of the flames. Don’t pass up opportunities to hire candidates who will strengthen your team and your company. A good candidate will require a little room to grow and show what they are made of and fill up the gaps.

Follow one simple rule that is a surefire strategy for success when evaluating people – Ask yourself: does this person have 75-80% of what I’m looking for?  If the answer is yes, then the remaining 20-25% is their growth path that they need to see in order to remain engaged long term. This one idea will ensure every person you hire has a growth path and will ultimately result in longer-term employees and less turnover. 

Back to Carl Adams…if you’re interested in seeing a copy of his resume, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Check out my webinar on Goal Setting! http://www.carolynthompson.net/settinggoalsforsuccesswebinar.htm

Carolyn Thompson

Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME…available on Amazon.com!
and TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB…available on Amazon.com!  

Tags: candidate, economy, experience, goals, groups, growth, job growth, new hires, skills, strengths, turnover

The Rainforest Rivers – Economic Indicators

Tropical rainforests have some of the largest rivers in the world. These mega-rivers are fed by countless smaller tributaries, streams, and creeks. Tropical streams and creeks are even more variable than tropical rivers and can change from a virtually dry river bed to a raging torrent 30 feet deep in a matter of hours during a heavy rain.

While the recent national economic news is trending positively, like more rain for the forest, each of us has a responsibility to help support our local economy.  The larger rivers of the rainforests are pretty steady through even the worst droughts, but it is the strength of the smaller rivers and streams which are the truest indicator of whether the droughts are over.  

Small businesses account for over 80% of the employers in our country.  Whether that’s a locally owned restaurant or café, a clothing boutique, a government contractor, or auto dealership, businesses in your area depend on your patronage for their survival. 

Consciously supporting small businesses in your own community is a direct path to economic recovery for everyone. 

Small Businesses:

• -Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
• -Employ about half of all private sector employees.
• -Pay nearly 45 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
• -Have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade.
• -Create more than half of nonfarm private gross domestic product (GDP).
• -Hire 40 percent of high tech workers (such as scientists, engineers, and computer workers).
• -Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises.
• -Made up 97.3 percent of all identified exporters and produced 28.9 percent of the known export value in FY 2006.
• -Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms; these patents are twice as likely as large firm patents to be among the one percent most cited.

Support your local economy and help out the smaller rivers of the rainforests by investing in the small businesses.

These statistics provided by SBA about small business and its direct correlation to employment supports this – http://www.sba.gov/advo/stats/sbfaq.pdf

Tropical Rainforest facts found at http://rainforests.mongabay.com

Carolyn Thompson

Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME…available on Amazon.com!
and TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB…available on Amazon.com!  

Tags: community, drought, economic recovery, economy, employer, hiring, jobs, new jobs, small business, statistics

The Downturn / Drought – Tips For Survival

Even the jungle has seasons. One of those seasons is a period of less rain called a drought or the dry season. We can think of it as the jungle’s downturn.

Recently the US and World economies have had a period of less prosperity or a drought just like a dry season in the jungle. This is a normal part of the cycle. Droughts help weed out the weak so new species can take hold. They also cause animals to adapt or move in search of food. You must adapt in order to survive and here are some tips on how to survive through this “financial drought.” Droughts tend to strengthen the jungle in the long run just like downturns help to weed out outdated companies or workers who need to improve on their skills set.

The strong survive. You must learn to search for opportunities in new ways and employ those strategies by adapting. If you do this, you will end up stronger in the long run and subsequently, be more successful.

When you suspect that you are going to be laid off or when the layoff actually occurs, you must be polite and accept the news with grace and dignity. You do not want to burn any bridges. Ask about your company’s severance package (if they are offering one) before you leave or get the correct contact information for the HR representative who can help you if you have any questions. You should also thank your manager or boss for the opportunity to work for him or her and ask politely if they would be willing to give you a good reference.  Leave, go home and relax. Regroup over the next few days and then start your job search. Do not take months off because you will be sorry if it takes a while to find a new job and you have already taken time off. The average job search takes 2 weeks per ten thousand dollars (so a $50,000 candidate will take about two and a half months to find a job.)

Adapt. Be honest with yourself. Were you laid off or are you having a hard time finding a job because the job that you do is outdated or no longer needed? Do you have older software skills or is your education light compared to what is normally required to do the job that you want? If your answer to these questions is yes, you need to improve your skills to compete in the market.

If you are sending out resume after resume online and are not getting any call backs, you need to adapt the way that you are conducting your search. Be sure your resume is well written. A good resource for this is Ten Easy Steps To a Perfect Resume by Carolyn Thompson available on Amazon.com. You can also have a recruiter or friend read your resume for grammar and ease of understanding. If you know a company has a job and you have not heard back after submitting your resume, call the manager directly and ask if they have seen your resume yet. For example; if you applied for an AP Processor position and you haven’t heard back, call the company and ask to be connected to the AP Manager. When you get them on the phone, ask if they have seen your resume and offer to send it over for their review.  Trust me, this works!

Remember, everything has a time of plenty and times that are lean.  It is natural. By staying strong and adapting, you will come out of the other end stronger and better prepared than you were before.

Webinars on Resume Writing and Job Search Techniques are available at http://www.carolynthompson.net/webinars.htm

Jake Hanson
Senior Associate, CMCS

Tags: adapt, advice, drought, economy, education, layoffs, opportunities, resume, strategies

The Bear – Conquering Your Fears

There’s a famous fable about a skunk, a lion and a hawk who debated as to which of them was the most dangerous and feared animal in the jungle.

The hawk claimed to be “top dog”: “I win because I hit ’em from above, and from above, I have the best view of all. I can see things nobody else can!”

The lion rejoined: “Nonsense! I’m the most powerful animal of all, with the longest, sharpest, teeth and claws. I’m the most dangerous, for sure!”

Then the skunk said: “I can stink up the whole jungle and run out every man or beast in the territory.”

And so they argued, on and on, until a big old bear came along and swallowed the three of them, Hawk, Lion and Stinker!

With the uncertainty we are all faced with every day, losing your job is high on the list of people’s fears right now.  Anxieties are high in both the executive office and in the sea of cubicles where all the work is actually done.  Here are a couple of tips for quelling your anxieties so you can conquer your fears so if the Bear (layoffs) comes along, it won’t kill you.

• 1. Start by identifying the source of your worry.   In the case of your job is it the loss of pay or the dreaded job search that you just don’t feel like doing right now? Talking to someone about your fears or concerns can help differentiate between the products of your imagination and those things truly deserving of worry. It helps to know if the source of your worry is something you can control, or something over which you have no control. If the cause of your worry is something you can affect, then channel that worry into action.
• 2. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen if my fear becomes reality?”  Think it through logically.  If you are prepared for the worst, you can make a pro-active plan for dealing with the cause of your worry and then carry it through. Such a reaction is a positive use of worry helping you to overcome potential problems and threats. However, if there is nothing you can do about the source of your worry, it’s just as important to act to counter that worry, rather than letting it build up harmfully inside you. You need to learn to let go. If something beyond your control might happen, it either will or won’t. Worrying about it will produce only harmful, not positive results.
• 3. Another strategy is to simply switch gears. Think of something over which you do have control. Turn to an enjoyable activity, perhaps with a friend, and focus on that rather than the source of your worry. Look to exercise, a fantastic way to relieve stress, burn calories, decrease depression and refocus your attention. Your goal is to stop the worry before it has the opportunity to take control of your emotions and thoughts. You must work quickly and strike when you first become aware of the negative thoughts that fuel worry. Do something, no matter how small, to help you refocus: exercise, splash cold water on your face, snap a rubber band, call a friend, or even imagine a big flashing stop sign in your mind’s eye.

Admittedly, it does take practice to refocus your thoughts away from worry to something positive. However, it can soon become second nature to relax, exercise or change thoughts, rather than resorting to counterproductive worrying.

And sharing your worry in the workplace with colleagues is just like putting leftovers in a trashcan at your campsite in the jungle…the Bear will come straight to you if you invite him!

Carolyn Thompson

Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME…available on Amazon.com!
and TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB…available on Amazon.com! 

Tags: advice, community, control, economy, fear, layoffs, proactive, relieve stress