START

"You do not have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great."
~Les Brown

Many of you will remember my marathon story from the BACTS workshop where I shared my story of deciding to run my first marathon before I was 30. Mind you, I wasn’t really a runner. I jogged a few miles every now and then, but 26 miles…no, that was something I had never done.

While working for the Walt Disney Company, we were required to volunteer and I picked an assignment with the Los Angeles Marathon. My job was to scream as loud as I could and encourage the runners on the 25th mile…just a mile from the finish line. As I watched the worn, battered, tired and sore runners come down the street, I noticed a resolve on their faces…They WERE going to finish the race and it didn’t matter what they had endured to get there.

One of the “runners” that day made an everlasting impression on me. The vision of his resolve to do whatever it took to reach his goal to finish the race often encourages me in times when I need it most. This “runner”, Bob Wieland, who lost both legs during the Vietnam War, crossed the finish line on his hands. It was that moment that I decided if this man can do it, certainly I can run this crazy race...and I did!

His first several times running the LA Marathon took him over 70 hours to complete. Each year he decreased his finish time. He never thought to stop running, just because it took him so long to complete…he just kept going.

Heck, even Thomas Edison didn’t stop trying to get to his goal to develop a light bulb… “I have not failed; I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

So it’s a new year, and a lot of what you did to find and secure a job didn’t work last year. The mantra for 2011 is to “keep moving forward” and “know that something great is going to happen to you this year”. Set your goal on finding a job this year and don’t stop at anything to get it.

It’s a fresh start to get this job search on track. I’m excited for all of you this year. It should be a good one!

GOOD NEWS: All news points to new job growth in 2011, and if some of the aggregate sites like http://www.simplyhired.com/ or http://www.indeed.com/, are any indication this week, then I would say things are going to be good for job seekers this year!

CONGRATULATIONS: To Tom S. who after nearly 2 years, recently accepted a position at PHS in Temecula. Tom wrote, “Tell the BACTS group to hang in there , don't give up, think positive and network.” I also want to share something that happened during Tom’s interview process. He had the chance to interview months ago. He thought the interview went well, and after meeting several people in the company, he thought he might get an offer. The communication from the company seemed to go cold after the interview, yet Tom knew this was the right job for him. Tom was persistent in talking with the department head and Human Resources. All of this networking and persistence paid off!

BACTS FACT: “One of the strongest applicants is someone who has a clear idea of what they want and how they are going to get it.” ~J. Smith

THAT'S IT: Just to be clear about 2010….I’m glad it’s over, and I welcome in 2011 with wide open arms, as each tomorrow is fresh with much opportunity. It’s a fresh new year for all of us to make our goals a reality.

“Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities.” ~ Terry Josephson

Good luck on the job search this week,
Jan

Jan M. Smith
Inland Management Group
Human Resource Consulting & Support to the Service Industry
(951) 302-6483
http://www.inlandmgtgroup.com/
http://www.janmsmith.com/
Twitter: @temecula_hr
Facebook: http://facebook.com/#!/InlandManagementGroup
LinkedIn: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/janmsmith

CHOICES

“Life is a sum of all your choices” ~ Albert Camus

Choice: We all saw how important this word was yesterday as we had a choice to vote or not, and who to vote for if we did. We are faced with choices on different levels all the time. “Choice” is a powerful decision, and it affects how our path in life will be on a particular day.

Choice: Each morning, you probably start out the same way: get up, switch on the TV or go online and see what the latest news is, what new jobs are posted, etc. Answer a few emails, respond to a few job leads, and send off a few resumes. Then another choice to get dressed, go out and network or stay at home instead. You also choose to approach the day positively or negatively. “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” ~ Wayne Dyer

Each day that goes by without a job wears on you, I get that. What I know for sure is that you can’t easily move forward with a broken attitude. I have talked with several job seekers lately who are tired of being unemployed and are finding it hard to stay positive.

I can only suggest you reach deep inside of yourself and find the single positive bone left in your body and hold on to that during this time of job seeking. Here’s why:
· Negativity is very transparent in an interview
· Downtrodden attitudes suck the life out of you, and you need as much energy for this marathon of job seeking as you can get!

Do something, anything, to get back in the game. If you are concerned how “temp” work will affect your unemployment, talk with the EDD office and determine how this will work for you. When you get back into the work mode, your personal sense of value increases and this will help as you look for your desired full time job.

You might even encounter a customer or co-worker and begin a conversation (networking) that will lead you to a job opportunity. Don’t discount this…it’s happened to me, and can for you too. It’s can’t happen when you are at home.

“The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.” ~ Charles Swindoll

GOOD NEWS: Local retailers are continuing to hire temporary seasonal positions. Many of these positions end up being full time regular positions after the holiday, with benefits, so it might be worth it to consider a seasonal position. Check out Sears, JC Penny, Macy’s websites.

CONGRATULATIONS: I’m happy to report that Mark T. recently accepted a position at Life Technologies, Henry B. just accepted a teaching position in San Diego, and Benita B. started her own company, Mattie & Co eyewear accessories. Congratulations to all!

BACTS FACT: “Every day is a fresh clean slate. It’s your choice what you are going to write on it!”~Jan Smith

THAT'S IT: I made a choice back in 2008 to help the local unemployed with career transition services. I never imagined so many of you would need the help, and certainly didn’t expect the economy to remain as it has for so long. I know there are others like yourself that still need transition assistance. I’d like to continue to provide this and am still searching out a sponsor. I was fortunate to be interviewed recently by the Press Enterprise about the BACTS program. Please read the story. If you feel compelled, you can write the reporter with your opinion at: jhorseman@pe.com. I suspect if the Press Enterprise gets enough response they might continue with the story which will keep the BACTS program in the news and eventually might end up with the program being able to continue! Thanks!
Here’s the link to the story: http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_semployment31.310b402.html

The election results yesterday made a statement that regardless of your political affiliation, people in our country are tired of high unemployment, lack of jobs, and the situation of our economy.

It’s my choice to see the results from the midterm elections yesterday as a positive move in the right direction. I hope you choose to see the same.

“It’s choice - not chance - that determines your destiny.” Jean Niedtch

Good luck on your job search this week,

Jan

Jan M. Smith
Inland Management Group
Human Resource Consulting & Support to the Service Industry
(951) 302-6483
www.inlandmgtgroup.com
www.janmsmith.com
Twitter: @temecula_hr
Facebook: http://facebook.com/#!/InlandManagementGroup
LinkedIn: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/janmsmith

If You Don't Believe in Yourself, Who Will?

"I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest."

~Muhammad Ali


Just returned from a week of vacation in beautiful Colorado where I saw some of the most beautiful roads, rivers and mountains! There's nothing like getting away to help clear your head, focus on the future, and affirm goals. During my week away, I read through Elizabeth Gilbert's book, Eat, Pray, Love. The story reminds me of the last BACTS Update I sent, where I asked that you keep "Believing" in yourself, your abilities, and affirm your success.

This week, I'd like to continue with the theme about how you must believe you will find work soon. Regardless of how long you have been off of work, you are either your own advocate or your worst enemy, by the words you choose to use to describe yourself. Affirmation is powerful, if used in the right direction! The choice is certainly yours, but as a job seeker, it would be best to be your own cheerleader and keep yourself pumped for the "marathon" of job searching.

There is a great quote in Eat, Pray, Love that describes how people repeat the same words over and over to themselves, and how these words so often have a negative affect. I have mentioned this before, about talking yourself up, not down, but I continue to speak with many unemployed who either are not getting interviews, or getting interviews but not getting offers. The conversation often leads to, "I guess I'm never going to get a job", or "I don't think anyone will hire me because....", "I can't take that job, it's too little pay", or "I won't apply for that position because it's a title I had 5 years ago"....

In the book, there is reference to how "All the pain of a human life is caused by words, as is all the joy. We create words to define our experience and those words bring emotions that jerk us around like dogs on a leash. We get seduced by our own mantras (I'm a failure...I'm lonely...I'm not employable...(I added this last one to this quote), and we become monuments to them. To stop talking for a while, then, is to attempt to strip away the power of words, to stop choking ourselves with words, to liberate ourselves from our suffocating mantras."

It's important for all of you to stop beating yourself up for not yet finding work. It doesn't do you any good. Be quiet for a while. When you are ready to start talking to yourself, say only positive things, with affirmations that you will be successful. Try it, and you will find that without the little voice in your head telling you that you can't... you just might be able to do what you want to do!

I know week after week, without employment, the "mantras" get louder, but please, try to silence them. Each one of you has potential to find work. Don't accept that you will be unemployed forever, because you will not.

"Affirmations are like seeds planted in soil. Poor soil, poor growth. Rich soil, abundant growth. The more you choose to think thoughts that make you feel good, the quicker the affirmations work." ~Louise L. Hay

BACTS FACT: "A recruiter is looking for the most confident, talented, personable, capable, and experienced candidate. That's you, right?"

THAT'S IT: In the last BACTS Update, I shared a thought about volunteering in the field you have interest in for full time work. I heard back from Bill S. who wrote, "I'm one of those still unemployed, but a very slow process a getting a job is closer. In your updates, you have mentioned to volunteer in the area of work interest. My neighbor told me of an opportunity and I have been volunteering twice a month since October, 2009. The reward is great, as the 7-14 men look forward to myself and others who come to see them, as they sit in their jail cells. About 4 months ago, I was asked to be a volunteer chaplain in the jail, which has now turned in to a 20 hours a week paid position, as they found some funds. Sometimes we are given hurdles to overcome, but remember there is a plan, that we may not see right away and we need to wait for His time."

Bill's story confirms my suggestion to not turn away an opportunity because it doesn't fit exactly what you had in mind, or what your MIND was telling you it HAD to be. Go after everything, with earnest, and hopefully, you'll be working soon.

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." ~Napoleon Hill

Have a great week everyone,

Jan

Jan M. Smith
Inland Management Group
Human Resource Consulting & Support to the Service Industry
(951) 302-6483
http://www.inlandmgtgroup.com/
http://www.janmsmith.com/
Twitter: @temecula_hr
Facebook: http://facebook.com/#!/InlandManagementGroup
LinkedIn: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/janmsmith