Unemployed, But Moving On! Smart Job Searching in a Web-Based World and a Sucky Economy

You’re not alone in a sucky economy and crappy job market where millions of people experience frustrating periods of unemployment. While that may not be a comforting observation, you should try to overcome it by changing the way you approach this reality.

What we do know is this — you probably need to develop a new mindset, acquire some effective job search skills, and take actions that hopefully will lead to a real job for you.

No one said a job is forever and that life would be easy. In a booming economy, you have many choices, including the luxury of pursuing a career you love and acquiring many on-the-job benefits. As you move from one employer to another, you often develop marketable skills and knowledge that can lead to even better jobs!

But the reality in today’s tough new economy, which has been destroying more jobs than it creates, means:

• job choices shrink dramatically
• salaries and wages may decline
• benefits may be few or nonexistent
• training may get cut back
• you may be desperate to find any job — even a lifeboat job will do — to keep your head above water

Worst of all, you may soon lose hope, lack motivation and drive, feel depressed, develop negative attitudes, and create a self-fulfilling prophecy by quitting the search for a job altogether…or do something stupid. You’re unemployed and you’re not moving on!

Here’s the book that gives renewed hope by showing how to move on to the next stage in your employment life. But first you need to change the way you’ve been looking for a job — everything from attitude and appearance to writing resumes and knocking on real or virtual doors.

Cheryl Butler Long draws on her many years of street-smart experience in working with the hard-to-employ. She knows this subject very well, having helped thousands of unemployed people move on. Identifying new job realities and telling it like it really is, she offers practical advice and gives numerous examples on:

• networking
• using the Internet and social media
• completing applications
• interviewing for a job
• writing thank-you letters and following up

She includes special chapters and appendices on:

• dealing with convictions
• facing discrimination
• starting the new job
• getting fired
• using key websites
• building self-esteem

If you feel stuck and disillusioned in today’s economy and job market, this is the book for you. It will show you what you really need to do to jump-start your job search and move on, now!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

1. The Way We Were
2. What do You Want to be When You Grow Up?
3. The New Realities
4. Love Them or Hate Them, Computers Rule
5. Send My Computer Your Resume
6. Cover Letters?
7. Social Networking
8. Call Me, Okay?
9. The Ugly Application
10. Now Let’s Talk About That Felony Conviction of Yours
11. So You Landed an Interview. Now What?
12. Thank-You Letters?
13. Follow-Up
14. You’re an Old Geezer, Aren’t You?
15. So You Got the Job, Big Whoop!
16. I Was F@!#ing Fired
17. Light at the End of the Tunnel

Appendices