FREEDOM

"Freedom is the oxygen of the soul." ~Moshe Dayan



I hope all of you enjoyed a break from job-seeking yesterday and had a chance to just be in the moment on the July 4th Independence Day holiday. It's amazing how this day can remind us how important freedom is to us.

Today is a new day and we are officially halfway through 2010. I always like to look at the month of July as a second "New Year". Most of us wake up on January 1st, make goals and commitments, and six months later realize our goals have not been met.

If you have been unemployed since January 1st, look at this month as a second chance for financial freedom. Figure out what you have been doing which has proven to be productive and that which have not, in your job search. Set new goals to reach with regard to your job search.

A few things to do differently this "New Year"...

• Spend a minimum of 1 hour each day on your job search. Do not let a day go by without doing something toward finding your next position.
• Get on LinkedIn TODAY. Prepare your profile, and join the BACTS Group.
• Attend a networking event this month.
• Select 10 companies you want to work for, and look on their website. Find out if they are hiring. Look at LinkedIn to see if you are connected to anyone in these companies and make an introduction via LinkedIn.
• Think of 5 other jobs other than what you have done in the past, and conduct a search for opportunities in these alternate positions.
• Sign up for "Alerts" in www.simplyhired.com to get notifications of new jobs posted each day within selected criteria.
• Obtain business cards and make a commitment to hand out 2 cards EVERY day to someone new.
• Look at the job posting you are applying to and make sure key words appear on your submitted resume.
• Look into training for technology you need to be up to speed in the job market.
• Explore going back to school and find out if there is grant money available.

GOOD NEWS: Automobile Club of Southern California is holding a Direct Sales Agent Trainee Job Fair. Thursday, July 8th, 4:00pm – 7:00pm3333 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (Enter from South Coast Drive)Priority will be given to pre-registered applicants. To pre-register, please submit your resume at the Job Fair posting on our Website at https://autoclub.tms.hrdepartment.com/cgi-bin/a/highlightjob.cgi?jobid=7159&lcid=en-US . Orange County Job Fair coming up on Tuesday, July 13th, 10:30am - 2:00pm, Raddison Hotel, John Wayne Airport, Orange County. More information: http://www.choicecareerfairs.com/employers/.

I know many of you have attended these with mixed reviews, but it only takes one good contact at one of these "networking" events to strike gold! Remember, financial freedom is what you are seeking, and the first step is finding a job! Consider attending one or both of these "networking" events this month.

CONGRATULATIONS: To everyone who has persevered the first half of the year. To those of you who had interviews last week and this week: Good luck to you! Please let me know if you find a new position.


BACTS FACT: "Don't appear negative during the interview about the length of your job search. Any appearance of negativity will not be well received by Hiring Manager."

THAT'S IT: Freedom....we all want it...we all strive for the ability to have enough to pay our bills, to be able to something out of the ordinary and not worry about how to pay for it, to not be afraid of the mail in the mailbox, to feel productive, and to feel good about ourselves again. It's still within reach for all of you. You've come this far so don't give up. You are in the second half of this year and things are beginning to look up. Stay on track and keep freedom in eye sight. Please do not feel isolated or alone.

There are over 275 BACTS participants to reach out to via the BACTS LinkedIn Group or through my Facebook Fan Page, http://facebook.com/#!/InlandManagementGroup. I'm working on a BACTS "Meet Up" to be held at a local business in August. Details to follow...If you are interested in more information on this networking event, please send me an email.

"I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind. " ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I hope this new beginning of the second half of 2010 brings you much independence and freedom with a new job offer!

Jan