Monday Blues

Most everyone at some time or other has sung the Monday Blues after contemplating the week of work ahead of them. Without checking, I imagine lottery ticket sales have soared early in the week, and the skies have been clogged with fantasy air travelers longing to recline on sandy white beaches.

For some of us who are members of the LTU club (Long Term Unemployed), the Monday Blues include verses about quiet empty neighborhoods, silent houses, silent phones, and the weekly claim for unemployment checks.

But we have a job..now. We're told that searching for a job should take up 20 hours of our time each week - ok, its not the standard 40, but its part-time employment. How can a person work 20 hours a week searching for a job? Here are a few suggestions that may bring a whistle or two while you work.

-Network. Linked in is one of the most popular networking sites. I discovered that Linked in also connects you with jobs closely related to your industry (providing you have given ample information in the profile section of your account). You can reach out to your network contacts through Linked In.

-Apply. Follow-up. Apply. Follow-up. I was told recently at a networking session via CT Works that perseverance is paying off. One suggestion was to re-apply for a job if you have not had any feedback from an earlier effort.

-Work on your elevator speech. This is your 1 minute blurb about you - what you have done, what you are looking for, etc.

-Work on certifications that will enhance your chances for consideration. In the HR and Insurance field, for example, a CEBS designation is very valuable indeed.

I hope to get comments, suggestions and ideas from other LTUs and non-LTUs so that one day we can all be singing (and garnering strange looks) our own version of "Whistle while you work".

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