Don’t Beg: 7 Steps to Re-employment

By Dickie G. Sykes

You must get a handle on your fear and anxiety, as those behaviors will definitely hinder your successful job search and have you spending your limited funds on doctor visits and antidepressant meds. You may be unemployed but you are employable. The key is: regardless of how anxious you feel, not to sound wimpy or act afraid; speak with confidence and act like a winner! Don’t beg; instead sell your value. Selling, promoting and expanding your value are the actions that will lead to re-employment.

The majority of people entering or leaving the workforce today will not be getting a gold watch for twenty-five years of service. In fact, The U.S. Department of Labor has stated that the average employment cycle includes workers having six to seven jobs and three to five career changes. You should be prepared to move on, continue to grow and learn, keep your skills up-to-date and take calculated risks. So be bold, confident and courageous and start interviewing…

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Looking for a Job? Yes, You Can Still Find A Job

While traveling the country, Dickie Sykes saw a great need to help college students with job interviewing and public speaking skills. “I just saw too many people who didn’t express themselves well and it had nothing to do with how academically smart they were. Some bombed interviews; others did not advance up the corporate ladder because of poor public speaking skills,” states Sykes. College students and many older people go to interviews or business presentations totally ill-prepared to sell their VP, which stands for value proposition and not for very important people. In today’s economic climate, performing due diligence is crucial. The first task must be research. Job candidates, understandably, have become fearful, frustrated and fretful. They send out tons of resumes chaotically without having a strategic plan-of-action. Steven Greenberg, publisher of Jobs4pinto.com said: “The thing to avoid is thinking by sending out a ton of resumes, you’re looking for a job. You’re not.” Sykes couldn’t agree with Greenberg more.

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Six Steps to Reinvent Yourself Now

By Dickie G. Sykes

Don’t Wait for the Economy to Turnaround: Six Steps to Reinvent Yourself Now

Even though the wounds have long since healed, I still remember the day I was laid off. After fourteen years of working my dream job, it took the company less than five minutes to let me go. I wore a pair of rose colored glasses, thinking that because I received excellent evaluations I was exempt from termination. So I know what millions of you are feeling. Don’t waste too much time letting fear, shame or anger guide your indecision. Indecision, USA, is an infertile destination where no seeds of creativity, vision or dreams can grow.

Don’t waste anymore time. The people who will become successfully employed are those who understand they must reinvent themselves and learn new skills to compete in today’s job market. When I moved away from Indecision, USA, I understood and accepted that I had to transfer my skills, talent and passion to a new career. Those skills took years to hone and were the impetus behind my success as a female executive in construction management. Instead of seeking another corporate job, I decided to use my skills and talent to help others talk their way to the top of their respective fields. I reinvented and repackaged myself as a motivational speaker, career coach and supplier diversity consultant. These six steps will help you move away from Indecision, USA.
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Outrageous Résumé Lies

Résumés are a critical part of any job search. They are the most effective marketing tool any of us have about who we are and what we can do. And all of us want our résumé to be the best possible representation of our work.

But some workers turn their résumés into a work of fiction instead of a representation of fact. A CareerBuilder.com survey of hiring managers looked at the tall tales and bold lies job seekers have constructed on their résumés. Here are the hiring managers’ most outrageous whoppers:
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Who’s Hiring Now: America’s Most-Wanted Workers

Though the U.S. economy has softened this year — headlines warn of mortgage woes, layoffs and escalating gas prices — there are still jobs out there … you just have to know where to look.

We dug deep into Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find industries that are still adding jobs despite a rising national unemployment rate.

Health care

With a large segment of the population entering retirement age, health care remains strong adding more than 254,000 jobs so far this year. (more…)