Comments for JibberJobber Blog http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog advocacy for the job seeker Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:12:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Should Job Seekers Take Vacation? by david perry http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2008/07/24/should-job-seekers-take-vacation/#comment-314971 david perry Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:19:31 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/?p=1386#comment-314971 When you don't have a job your JOB is to find a job. so 5 days a week you need to go to work - at your desk - finding a job. a vacation is that time of year when you take time off work to relax, meet relatives, have some fun and re-energize your mind and soul. so if you have a job and you suddenly loose it i suggest you take your regularly scheduled vacation time AND then get back to work looking for a job. DO NOT skip it - unless you where going to put it on an already strained charge card. BUT DON'T extend it either. After a job loss you need to decompress. Pick yourself up and decide what you want to do next [career wise]. Not taking a vacation or working 24/7 looking for job will just lead to burnout, frustration and result in your experieincing a longer time unemployed. Jobs will come and go. Life comes but once. When you don’t have a job your JOB is to find a job. so 5 days a week you need to go to work - at your desk - finding a job. a vacation is that time of year when you take time off work to relax, meet relatives, have some fun and re-energize your mind and soul. so if you have a job and you suddenly loose it i suggest you take your regularly scheduled vacation time AND then get back to work looking for a job. DO NOT skip it - unless you where going to put it on an already strained charge card. BUT DON’T extend it either. After a job loss you need to decompress. Pick yourself up and decide what you want to do next [career wise]. Not taking a vacation or working 24/7 looking for job will just lead to burnout, frustration and result in your experieincing a longer time unemployed. Jobs will come and go. Life comes but once.

]]> Comment on Should Job Seekers Take Vacation? by Barry Groh http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2008/07/24/should-job-seekers-take-vacation/#comment-314930 Barry Groh Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:50:44 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/?p=1386#comment-314930 If job hunting is to be considered a full-time job while you are doing so, wouldn't it also be a good idea to take time off from your search to be able to recharge? I would definitely encourage a vacation from the job search, just as long aas it is in keeping with any normal vacation. How many people do you know take more than two weeks at a time from their normal job? So, a vacation shouldn't be any longer. To be able to be strong, to be fresh, and to be balanced (which was raised by another commentor on this post) it is vitally important to take a vacation. Your family needs you devoted to them for a time, and your own sanity needs time away. You may not be able to go to the south of France (not my favorite place anyway) but getting away and doing someting different is a good thing! If job hunting is to be considered a full-time job while you are doing so, wouldn’t it also be a good idea to take time off from your search to be able to recharge? I would definitely encourage a vacation from the job search, just as long aas it is in keeping with any normal vacation. How many people do you know take more than two weeks at a time from their normal job? So, a vacation shouldn’t be any longer.

To be able to be strong, to be fresh, and to be balanced (which was raised by another commentor on this post) it is vitally important to take a vacation. Your family needs you devoted to them for a time, and your own sanity needs time away.

You may not be able to go to the south of France (not my favorite place anyway) but getting away and doing someting different is a good thing!

]]> Comment on Should Job Seekers Take Vacation? by Rob Lewis http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2008/07/24/should-job-seekers-take-vacation/#comment-314843 Rob Lewis Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:30:35 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/?p=1386#comment-314843 I totally disagree with "Totally Consumed". With an economy in the toilet and many companies afraid to hire, maybe you should rethink that view or it could leave you overlooking some very promising prospects. Lengths of gaps are only going to grow in this current market and not everyone waits until that "next gig" is lined up to leave an environment they feel is toxic. Vacations are very good after a long tenure at another company so long as it fits with their economic health and their ultimate game plan for their career. I have done it myself, taking three months to play golf, de-stress, and map out what I wanted out of my career. I had never had a problem explaining the gap, did not receive unemployment and received numerous offers during that time. It ended up leading to the most successful run of my career! If a hiring manager or recruiter has a problem with it, then it seems that their views may need adjusting, NOT mine. I totally disagree with “Totally Consumed”. With an economy in the toilet and many companies afraid to hire, maybe you should rethink that view or it could leave you overlooking some very promising prospects. Lengths of gaps are only going to grow in this current market and not everyone waits until that “next gig” is lined up to leave an environment they feel is toxic. Vacations are very good after a long tenure at another company so long as it fits with their economic health and their ultimate game plan for their career. I have done it myself, taking three months to play golf, de-stress, and map out what I wanted out of my career. I had never had a problem explaining the gap, did not receive unemployment and received numerous offers during that time. It ended up leading to the most successful run of my career! If a hiring manager or recruiter has a problem with it, then it seems that their views may need adjusting, NOT mine.

]]> Comment on Moving From Corporate Ruins Your Career by Holden Caulfield http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2008/07/14/moving-from-corporate-ruins-your-career/#comment-314820 Holden Caulfield Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:13:04 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/?p=1362#comment-314820 I would like to add that I enjoyed reading this post. I have worked for companies that gave you a job for life and for companies that prided themselves on their turnover. Even if you had managed to stay at corporate, there was no guarantee that you would have kept your job. I always try and have an exit strategy. The corporation will do its best to protect itself, I try and do the same. I believe the days of working for the same company for 30 years are coming to an end (or have already ended). Most people I know are somewhat disillusioned about working in Corporate America and I don't see this changing anytime soon. I would like to add that I enjoyed reading this post. I have worked for companies that gave you a job for life and for companies that prided themselves on their turnover. Even if you had managed to stay at corporate, there was no guarantee that you would have kept your job. I always try and have an exit strategy. The corporation will do its best to protect itself, I try and do the same. I believe the days of working for the same company for 30 years are coming to an end (or have already ended). Most people I know are somewhat disillusioned about working in Corporate America and I don’t see this changing anytime soon.

]]> Comment on Should Job Seekers Take Vacation? by Carlos Hernandezz http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2008/07/24/should-job-seekers-take-vacation/#comment-314762 Carlos Hernandezz Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:00:42 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/?p=1386#comment-314762 A vacation is indeed deserved provided one believes in "work-life" balance and secondly moves about in life not believing in the scarcity model. A vacation is indeed deserved provided one believes in “work-life” balance and secondly moves about in life not believing in the scarcity model.

]]> Comment on Should Job Seekers Take Vacation? by Totally Consued http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2008/07/24/should-job-seekers-take-vacation/#comment-314738 Totally Consued Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:37:32 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/?p=1386#comment-314738 No, do not take a vacation. OK, maybe a short one, but definitely don't take six months off to go travel the world. As a recruiter and hiring manager, the first thing I think when I see lengthy gaps in employment are: 1) This person must have been fired. Why would they chose to leave and not have anything else lined up? 2) This person likes to sit on their arse and live off unemployment. Why else would they wait until the very moment their unemployment check expires before looking for another job? 3) This person has been looking for a job for HOW LONG? Why hasn't anyone else offered them a job by now? Though I know that there are possibly very good reasons for gaps in employment, the realist in me is always looking for the angle and the scam. For me, the shorter the gap in employment, the easier it will be to convince me that you want to work and will be a focused, long-term hire. No, do not take a vacation. OK, maybe a short one, but definitely don’t take six months off to go travel the world. As a recruiter and hiring manager, the first thing I think when I see lengthy gaps in employment are:

1) This person must have been fired. Why would they chose to leave and not have anything else lined up?
2) This person likes to sit on their arse and live off unemployment. Why else would they wait until the very moment their unemployment check expires before looking for another job?
3) This person has been looking for a job for HOW LONG? Why hasn’t anyone else offered them a job by now?

Though I know that there are possibly very good reasons for gaps in employment, the realist in me is always looking for the angle and the scam. For me, the shorter the gap in employment, the easier it will be to convince me that you want to work and will be a focused, long-term hire.

]]> Comment on Explaining Transitions On Your LinkedIn Profile by Nancy B http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2008/07/02/explaining-transitions-on-your-linkedin-profile/#comment-314537 Nancy B Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:27:58 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/?p=1343#comment-314537 But how much is too much... my early career was a product more of my heart than my actual work. How else do you get from Tennessee to California to New Jersey to Connecticut in 3 years and not be in the military? I have gotten pretty good at explaining how a poker dealing chemist winds up at Microsoft during in person interviews... but explaining it to the LinkedIn audience has eluded me. But how much is too much… my early career was a product more of my heart than my actual work. How else do you get from Tennessee to California to New Jersey to Connecticut in 3 years and not be in the military?

I have gotten pretty good at explaining how a poker dealing chemist winds up at Microsoft during in person interviews… but explaining it to the LinkedIn audience has eluded me.

]]> Comment on Should Job Seekers Take Vacation? by Greig Harper http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2008/07/24/should-job-seekers-take-vacation/#comment-314320 Greig Harper Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:08:55 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/?p=1386#comment-314320 I think it it's a balance of how focused you are as an individual, your financial situation and what the vacation involves. I'm not convinced there's any one size fits all solution. If you've been laid off, haven't had a vacation for a while and can afford it I don't see any reason not to do it. But you need to bear in mind how long the job search can take and your financial situation. Considering how hard we all work these days and how little vacation we get it's not unusual to find people taking time off for a long vacation when changing jobs. I think it it’s a balance of how focused you are as an individual, your financial situation and what the vacation involves. I’m not convinced there’s any one size fits all solution.

If you’ve been laid off, haven’t had a vacation for a while and can afford it I don’t see any reason not to do it. But you need to bear in mind how long the job search can take and your financial situation.

Considering how hard we all work these days and how little vacation we get it’s not unusual to find people taking time off for a long vacation when changing jobs.

]]> Comment on Should Job Seekers Take Vacation? by jemimah http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2008/07/24/should-job-seekers-take-vacation/#comment-314300 jemimah Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:12:44 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/?p=1386#comment-314300 It probably depends on your field (I work in IT) , but the vast majority of job opportunities I've received have come in through recruiters that have called me. I have found spending many hours sending resumes and filling out applications to be mostly a waste of time. The more time I spend, the more stressed I feel, and the more desperate I probably come across to people. The way I do it, I set up rss feeds to online search engines, which I check once per day. Then I apply for anything that seems reasonable. This takes max 3 hours per day. I put my resume on a couple job boards, and make sure I always answer my phone and email. Then I find something else to do, so I'm not obsessing constantly about getting a job. I try not to spend much money, but I'm not so stressed I need a vacation. Seriously, you've got to relax, play video games or something. Getting a job is mostly luck, and it takes however long it takes to get lucky. It probably depends on your field (I work in IT) , but the vast majority of job opportunities I’ve received have come in through recruiters that have called me. I have found spending many hours sending resumes and filling out applications to be mostly a waste of time. The more time I spend, the more stressed I feel, and the more desperate I probably come across to people.

The way I do it, I set up rss feeds to online search engines, which I check once per day. Then I apply for anything that seems reasonable. This takes max 3 hours per day. I put my resume on a couple job boards, and make sure I always answer my phone and email. Then I find something else to do, so I’m not obsessing constantly about getting a job. I try not to spend much money, but I’m not so stressed I need a vacation.

Seriously, you’ve got to relax, play video games or something. Getting a job is mostly luck, and it takes however long it takes to get lucky.

]]> Comment on Should Job Seekers Take Vacation? by Miriam Salpeter http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2008/07/24/should-job-seekers-take-vacation/#comment-314255 Miriam Salpeter Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:01:00 +0000 http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/?p=1386#comment-314255 Jason - I advise my clients to take time off from their job search on a regular basis! The search (as you experienced) can be so all-encompassing that it stretches its way into every hour of your waking life! With resources and networking galore online, it is easy to stay glued to the computer. The trouble is, it really isn't going to help your search to become a job hunting zombie. Job seekers should schedule job hunting hours as they might have scheduled work hours. If you were a workaholic, 24/7 type of worker, consider working a little more balance into your job hunt than your paid work life. Does "time off" require a vacation? Actually getting away? Not really, although being physically removed from your job hunting notebook may help. I don't advise totally disconnecting for an extended period if you may hear about interviews or offers. Checking in every night or every other night is a good idea. The bottom line - take time off, recharge and you'll be better off for it! Miriam Salpeter Keppie Careers Jason - I advise my clients to take time off from their job search on a regular basis! The search (as you experienced) can be so all-encompassing that it stretches its way into every hour of your waking life! With resources and networking galore online, it is easy to stay glued to the computer. The trouble is, it really isn’t going to help your search to become a job hunting zombie.

Job seekers should schedule job hunting hours as they might have scheduled work hours. If you were a workaholic, 24/7 type of worker, consider working a little more balance into your job hunt than your paid work life.

Does “time off” require a vacation? Actually getting away? Not really, although being physically removed from your job hunting notebook may help. I don’t advise totally disconnecting for an extended period if you may hear about interviews or offers. Checking in every night or every other night is a good idea.

The bottom line - take time off, recharge and you’ll be better off for it!

Miriam Salpeter
Keppie Careers

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