by O'Farrell | Feb 3, 2013 | I Got a Job!
Kevin Love
Kevin Love was at JS last week to share his good news. He asked me rework his résumé and then he followed my advice. Along with the résumé in MS Word, I set up his LinkedIn profile, showed him a few secrets to leverage the power of Li, and gave him a text-only version of his résumé. I recommended that he post his new résumé on several job boards.
Look what happened next: 30 screening interviews and one great job offer in 14 days. It’s the second or third time in less than four months that one of my clients landed a job within two weeks of having me redo their résumé.
During our consultation, Kevin was worried about how long it might take to find a job. We were both pleasantly surprised. Congratulation Kevin!
– Dave O’Farrell
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Dave,
Yesterday, after talking to about 30+ recruiters and networking with a dozen individuals, I received a job offer from Georgia-Pacific!
In one of our sessions, you gave us six or seven methods that we could use to get a job. You also mentioned that normally individuals are successful when they combine one or two of the methods. That was what happened in my case. My offer came out of posting my resume online which lead to me getting called by a recruiter who told me about the job. I then networked with other individuals who called the hiring manager and that lead to me getting an interview.
It amazes me how it all works.
Thanks for all that you do!
Kevin Love
by O'Farrell | Jan 9, 2013 | I Got a Job!
Brad Matheny
Man, it was great to get to know Brad Matheny in the past few months. Super guy. Class act. Sorry to learn that he is in Honolulu (without me) today meeting his new teammates.
Can’t help but notice the line in here about Brad’s transition journey being “extremely positive and enjoyable.” Mine was in 1992, and that’s why I knew God was calling me into the career management business and ministry. My hope, and my prayer, is that all job seekers reading this will find positive and enjoyable times during your job search journey.
Congratulations Brad; very proud of you!
– Dave O’Farrell
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JobSeekers Ship’s Crew,
I really do not know where to start. Each one of you have given of yourselves so freely and provided me assistance in so many ways. My only wish is that I would remain in the area to help this wonderful ministry and continue to interact with this outstanding group on a regular basis. If there is something I can help with or someone I can help, don’t hesitate to let me know.
I recently accepted a position with Hawaiian Airlines and will be their Senior Manager for Cargo Operations. The position offers so much and I am really looking forward to the opportunities that will be available. I have been extremely blessed. It is bittersweet as we will be relocating. Georgia has been very kind to us; many good things have occurred and we have come in contact with so many wonderful people during our four years since leaving California.
My transition journey, although long, was extremely positive and enjoyable. I will say it was not without rough patches. JobSeekers and the individuals involved provided the support needed during those times.
Your dedication is amazing and I will truly miss you all. Please look me up if you ever find yourself on the islands, I sincerely hope you will. I am connected to you all on Linkedin which I intend to maintain and continue to grow, so no excuses!
Thank you so much. I wish you and your families an outstanding 2013!
Kind regards,
Brad Matheny
by O'Farrell | Dec 12, 2012 | I Got a Job!
Ken Roberts
Awesome meeting last Friday! Three people announced they landed jobs. That brought the total to 14 people in 21 days who landed jobs during the holiday season. If you haven’t done so already, read my blog about this subject.
One of the three people was Ken Roberts. He’d worked for the same company for 31 years. When he was liberated in June, he needed some help! I’m very proud to say that I’ve seen Ken grow in many ways in the past few months, AND I’ve seen him shrink in a very significant way too. He’s lost 90 pounds and looks fantastic. Awesome!
He told me that the people at PVH are super and he’s looking forward to going to work. Growth during job search can happen if you let it.
BTW, notice the start date. This is hiring season.
Ken, good luck and God bless!
– Dave O’Farrell
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Hey Dave,
I have accepted the offer at PVH in McDonough. I just got off the phone with the HR Manager and I am scheduled to start on January 7th.
I appreciate the assistance that you gave through the process and especially the session we had last week to refocus my search. That session fired me up and got my search back on track. The interview for the job at PVH was a direct result of that session. The information you provided me yesterday helped me to mentally seal the deal. The final bit of research really helped me feel comfortable that I was making the right decision.
I am thankful that you were one of the first two contact names given to me when I was downsized back in June. Lots of positive things have happened since that first day when we met in your office to update my résumé. I was really lost when I walked in your office that day. By the time I left I felt more positive and for the first time was excited to begin my career search.
I have been blessed with a lot of assistance through this journey and I will always cherish the people that were there to make a difference.
Thanks very much,
– Ken Roberts
by O'Farrell | Dec 5, 2012 | I Got a Job!
Mike Grimes
If Mike Grimes were searching mindlessly for jobs on the Internet instead of networking, he wouldn’t be his eighth day at his new job today.
Friends, that voice in the back of your head saying you can’t do it is a liar. Be like Mike. Do the thing that scares you the most: network. Every minute you aren’t networking is a wasted opportunity.
Congratulations Mike; very proud of you!
– Dave O’Farrell
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Hi Dave,
I’m happy to report that I started a new job this past week at McKesson. The position is a great fit for me, taking advantage of my military and private sector experiences. I’ll be managing the implementation of health care IT initiatives at military hospitals and clinics worldwide.
I want to thank you and your team for all of your help earlier this year. I picked up some excellent tips at the weekly meetings and met some great people who will remain an important part of my professional network. I haven’t attended the weekly meetings since July, but I’ve been very busy networking and interviewing for positions for the last several months.
I’m sure your assistance in reworking my résumé helped me to get to the next level in several of my interviews. During this extended job search, I have certainly learned the value of persistence and networking in the job search.
In fact, networking was the key to finding my current position, which was not posted. I met just the right recruiter at a networking event, who took a keen interest in my credentials. Within days, he had referred me to a fellow recruiter who was looking for someone with my background. Over the next three days, I had a telephone interview, a face-to-face interview and a job offer.
Thanks again to you and your Crew for the outstanding service you provide to the community at JobSeekers of Peachtree City.
Best regards,
– Mike Grimes
by O'Farrell | Dec 3, 2012 | I Got a Job!
Carolina Segovia
Divine providence, plus just-in-time training, lead to great job offer.
I am very proud of Carolina Segovia this week, and very thankful to God for his divine providence in all of our lives. There were three truly amazing things that happened in the process of her receiving an offer in a short period of time. I believe they weren’t coincidences, but God-incidences.
First, we finished Carolina’s résumé and LinkedIn profile at about 1:30 on 31 October. Ten minutes later Meshaan Campbell, a local HR manager, sent me a job lead. Carolina was a perfect fit. I actually didn’t see the lead for another eight hours because I was doing client work and working on publishing deadlines. I emailed Meshaan at 9:40 pm.
Next I emailed Carolina and told her to start researching Chromalloy. Meshaan emailed Carolina on Friday and asked when she could come in for an interview the following week.
Second, and unknown to Carolina and I at the time, Meshaan scheduled the interview for 10:00 am on Thursday 8 November. Later she told me that she scheduled the interview with all the parties except Carolina. This created the opportunity for the third God-incidence.
Third, I had a client postpone his participation in my workshop. The knucklehead called me at 8:45 pm and told me he couldn’t make it. The start of the workshop was less than 12 hours away. I ‘lost it’ for a minute or two, regained my composure, and then told him that when this has happened in the past, there was a divine purpose. I got mad because my signature workshop only has three people in it, so when someone can’t make it, 33% of the participants are absent.
Knowing Carolina had this interview coming up, I emailed her at 9:00 pm and asked if she could come on short notice. She emailed right back and said she would be here bright and early.
Meshaan called Carolina during the workshop the next morning and rescheduled the interview for 11:00 am on Friday. We did an 80-minute full-scale role play with feedback for this specific interview in the afternoon.
The next morning, Carolina aced the interview. I spoke to Meshaan in the afternoon and she told me how pleased they were their new candidate. She said, “Dave, thanks for making me look good.” I believe Carolina was the first on only candidate they interviewed for this position.
They had another interview the following Wednesday at 2:00 pm and that’s when the offer was extended. It had been 14 days, 30 minutes since we finished Carolina’s résumé.
Divine providence, plus just-in-time training, led to this great job offer. The pay is better, the benefits are better, and the environment is better than the position she left a few weeks ago. Carolina is thrilled, and so am I.
One more thing: the job is not funded until January. They are putting Carolina on a contract between now and then. This is hiring season. Do what Carolina did; get prepared and then go out and look for a job now.
Congratulations Carolina!
– Dave O’Farrell
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To my fellow seekers,
I attended JobSeekers of Peachtree City for the first time three years ago – in late 2009. I had been laid off from a company in Atlanta approximately six months after my husband had been laid off. Our income fell to less than a third of what we were used to making. It was a very difficult and trying time for my family. I was NOT used to asking for anything from anyone… after all, I had “pride.”
I learned fast that pride is not a good thing when you are in need. With God’s grace, I learned to be humble again and to give all of my anxieties up to the Lord. Let me tell you – this was not easy because I like to say “God if you will do this, then I will do that.” We all know God doesn’t work that way. Anyway, God was good as he opened doors by providing a place for me to network at JobSeekers. He also provided me with an awesome guide – Dave O’Farrell.
After several months of job hunting I indeed found another J-O-B!!! It didn’t have the number of people and the level of energy I like, but it didn’t matter at the time. I was happy! I had income again! And then last month (2½ years later), I found myself on the job hunt again. In a market full of job seekers just like me, I knew I had to standout somehow.
So, I reached out to Dave again for guidance with my résumé and attended his MRMT class. During this time frame Dave received a job lead with skill requirements that were almost identical to mine. I went on two interviews. I am happy to announce that I was offered a C-A-R-E-E-R with better comp and benefits, not just a J-O-B. I start the Monday after Thanksgiving.
I would like very much to thank Dave O’Farrell for providing such an excellent class. I know without the proper training I would not have landed this opportunity.
To all the job seekers out there: your faith, combined with a great attitude, a big smile and the right training, will land you in your next career.
Let God lead you and He will take you far in your life!
– Carolina Segovia
by O'Farrell | Nov 7, 2012 | I Got a Job!
David Jennings
Very proud of David Jennings for his short search. Thrilled to receive this message 16 days after he completed training at my office. Happy to see he’s already updated his LinkedIn profile. Congratulations David!
– Dave O’Farrell
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Dear Dave, JS Crew and Members,
I have been blessed with a job offer. It is a very good offer building computer database for CSI Tech. This is a contract for three-months with the possibility of extensions. I worked in the IT business on 17 consecutive one-year contracts; so this is a familiar and comfortable situation. If you give people what they want, all they will want is more!
I am convinced that I would still be flailing to make connections without the great advice, support, and fellowship of the JobSeekers ministry and the professional advice of Dave O’Farrell and company. I became Market-Ready in Minimum Time™ and I know this helped me land the job!
I will continue to stay in touch via LinkedIn and email with the JS ministry. And I will pass on opportunities as I learn of them. Please keep me in mind, as I may well be back with you at the end of January.
My thanks to everyone at the ministry and I will continue to pray that each of you find yourself in the position that is best for you.
May God continue to bless each of you.
Sincerely,
David Jennings
by O'Farrell | Oct 24, 2012 | I Got a Job!
Mary Buzzeo
Speaking of good follow up and follow through, Mary Buzzeo’s follow up was impeccable. Now she is in the winner’s circle. When this lead came in, we immediately thought of Mary. She starts a great job next week.
Our topic last week was “Preparing for the Interview.” I’m very happy to report that seven clients in the past three months have specifically reported that what I taught at JobSeekers last week was the key to landing a job. Congratulations to Hans, Jennifer, Erica, Marty, Dee, Todd and Mary!
If you miss a week, you could miss the one topic that leads you to landing a job. I will teach this topic again on 10 May 2013. Can you wait that long? See you at JS on Friday.
– Dave O’Farrell
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Hi Dave,
I wanted to share my good news with you. I am now employed! I have accepted a position as Senior Accountant with HTT in Fayetteville and I am very excited about this incredible opportunity. I will officially start on Monday, October 29th.
I am so grateful for all of the support, guidance, and encouragement I received from both of you during my job search. I really appreciate you helping me with all the preparation. I could not have done it without you!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate all the preparation you helped me with.
Sincerely,
Mary Buzzeo
by O'Farrell | Oct 9, 2012 | I Got a Job!
David A. Smith
David A. Smith said, “I’ve been blessed beyond measure during my search.” Here’s the email that accompanied his personal appearance. And speaking of appearance, David A. Smith does an excellent job of personal branding. He maintains a very professional image (which happened to be our topic last week; how fitting), he has world-class marketing materials, and he never introduces himself without the ‘A’ between ‘David’ and ‘Smith.’
I’m proud to have worked with him as coach and client. He told me a recruiter found him (LinkedIn, I think), and more are still calling.
David A. Smith, I wish you nothing but the best in your new position; God bless!!!
– Dave O’Farrell
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Everyone,
Thank you for your calls, emails, and support as I searched for a new opportunity. I have been blessed beyond measure during my search. It gives me great pleasure to say that I HAVE A JOB!!!
I am now a contractor with TEKsystems in Bloomington, Illinois. I will be working on the State Farm account as a Unified Call Communication Problem Manager. My start date is October 15th and it does require relocation. I look forward to the challenges of a new position and I welcome the opportunity to meet new people.
During my search, I have met some very good people and it may sound strange that I’ve enjoyed the process. It helped me to learn more about myself as well as cultivate business relationships with people from many different industries that will benefit me throughout my career.
Again, thank you for sharing your knowledge and if anyone needs my assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Best regards,
David A. Smith
by O'Farrell | Oct 9, 2012 | O'Farrell's Blog
If you look beyond the unemployment figures you will see that underemployment is the insidious burden on our economy. You will see families who are counted as success stories by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but who are unable to pump fuel in the economic engine that drives our economy.
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On 1 October 2007, Chris and Karin Callahan* were earning $100K per year. Along with their three kids – two in elementary and one in middle school – they were living their version of the American Dream.
Six months later Chris was laid off from his $50K job as a production manager. He found a new job as a production supervisor nine months later. He’s held this $40K job for the past 45 months.
Karin kept her $50K job as a financial analyst until 30 September 2008. In the next two years she scraped and scrapped and worked a series of temporary jobs for a total of 15 out of those 24 months. Each job paid $14 per hour, which is $28K annualized. Two years ago she landed a good job as an accounting specialist and now earns $45K annually.
For the past two-plus years Chris and Karin have been fully employed. They do not appear anywhere on the Bureau of Labor Statics’ radar screen. Even though they are earning 85% of what they used to make in the good old days, they are counted as a BLS success story. Most families, if they tighten their belts and stretch their dollars, can live on 85% of their best-ever income.
The Callahan’s story reveals the underlying burden on our economy. The Callahans have never recovered from hitting bottom four years ago in November 2008 – the middle of a three-month stretch when they had no money coming in except for unemployment. In fact, instead of earning $500K in the past five years, they have earned only $350K, or 70% of what they might have earned. The $150K deficit was offset by only $25,000 of unemployment insurance benefits.
With the $125K shortfall in the past five years, here’s their current situation:
1. They are downing in debt.
They are behind on their mortgage, utilities and credit cards. Their cards are maxed out; 95% of their credit card debt is for utilities, groceries, car repairs and other essential items. Creditors are hounding them. They can’t take advantage of the lowest mortgage rates in memory, nor can they refinance because of their poor credit rating. They can’t sell their house either, because they are upside down on their mortgage – its value has dropped 16% from its peak in 2007, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
2. They aren’t buying durable goods.
They aren’t buying cars, appliances or flat-panel televisions. Their main form of entertainment is a 20-year old 27-inch TV. They rent one-dollar movies from Redbox on Friday evenings. Their old refrigerator with the broken icemaker might last another year. They don’t entertain except for family, so they haven’t remodeled their kitchens, bathrooms or family room.
3. They don’t have any disposable income.
They aren’t dining out, going on vacation, or stopping at Starbucks. Their main priority is keeping their three rapidly-growing children in clothes that fit. They cut corners wherever they can; Karin replaces her contacts lenses every three months instead of the recommended once per month. They are unable to give money to their church.
Underemployment: The Insidious Burden
This is the insidious burden that is holding the economic recovery down. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts the Callahan family as a success, but they are barely getting by. Some politicians call this a ‘win’ – when it’s a draw at best. The bottom line is that the Callahans – like millions of other families – are not pumping fuel in the economic engine that drives our economy.
The latest report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis says our gross domestic product (GDP) slowed to an annualized rate of 1.3% in the second quarter, down from 2.0% in the first quarter of 2012. A growth rate below 2% isn’t enough to lower the unemployment rate. Consumer spending – which accounts for about 70% of our economic activity – is slowing too.
Real personal consumption expenditures increased 1.5% in the second quarter of 2012, compared with an increase of 2.4% in the first. Durable goods decreased 0.2% in the second, in contrast to an increase of 11.5% in the first. Nondurable goods increased 0.6% in the second, compared with an increase of 1.6% in the first quarter.
The Callahans are working, but their lack of spending prevents other Americans from getting back to work.
How many families are there like this? The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is very good at measuring things, says this data is impossible to measure.
One measure that correlates to this decline is the real median household income. The U.S. Census Bureau has not released data for 2011 or 2012, but there have been studies by former Census bureau income experts who now work for Sentier Research. The Sentier data shows a $4,631 drop in real median household income – from $55,309 down to $50,678 – since December 2007. That’s an 8.4% drop.
The Callahans are fighting back. The challenges they have faced as a family have brought them closer together. Their marriage is stronger. Their kids are healthy and happy. Their oldest son started college a few weeks ago; his Hope Scholarship is a big help, and he’s commuting to school to cut down on expenses. There are no flowers in their beds, but there is hope in their hearts as they await the dawn of a brighter day.
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*This story is a composite based on real families and comes from conversations with my clients. The names and details in the story are fictitious.
by O'Farrell | Oct 3, 2012 | I Got a Job!
Tom Hardy
This week Tom Hardy says, “Spread the news; there is hope in the job market.” I’ve seen it too. In the past few days two people have reported that they found a very good job and ended a three-year job search, two clients have reported raises at their new job, and three clients have reported a short job search (less than 60 days). Congratulations to Melvin, Alfred, Scott, Tom, Matt, Marty and Stacy.
I had the pleasure of working with Tom Hardy as a client last year. He combined some fantastic training and a world-class résumé with a little curiosity to identify a target company. When I went to a party to celebrate his new job, he told me in detail about how he aced the interviews. He gave me a lot of credit, but I remember saying to him, “Tom, even if I had your skill set, I don’t think I could have navigated all those hurdles as well as you did.”
Someone on our board of directors asked me to publish a career management letter every now and then. This was is a text-book example. We’re not just trying to land a job, but to also manage our careers for years to come. Congratulations Tom!
There is hope in the market. Get on board the train.
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Dave,
I just wanted to drop you a quick line. Yesterday I celebrated my one-year anniversary at RaceTrac Petroleum. I love this job!!! I love this career!!! I want you to know that RaceTrac is a great company with solid core values. I implement those values and most of the methods I learned from you to stay motivated and on task each and every day.
Tomorrow I will “turn over” my 12th and 13th store to our construction team. That is the most in the last 12 months of all the RaceTrac project managers. I am on pace to set records by the end of the year. I have come in and separated myself from my contemporaries because I leverage my experience and knowledge to better my position’s methodology.
My supervisors and bosses have been thoroughly impressed with my work ethic and commitment. They ask me why am I different. I told them I have been provided a second chance at an awesome career and I will not be “hungry” again; not going to be complacent. The future looks bright.
I want you to know that I could not have landed this job without your help. Thank you so much for the methods, means, and direction to help me land this “dream job!”
Spread the news and let everyone know that there is hope in the market. You just have to keep that HIPPO score up, work LinkedIn, and look for every opportunity. Remember, I found RaceTrac because they opened the store in Fayetteville in the summer of 2011. I said, “Hey there’s a company growing in this economy… I wonder what they do?”
The rest is my success story.
Thanks again!!!
Tom Hardy, RLA
Engineering Project Manager
RaceTrac Petroleum
