The contest is now over and comments have been closed. The winner has been announced here. To see how we’re putting this comments into helping more people find jobs, please check out our job search training course.
We are giving away $6,000+ in HP, Microsoft, and Corel products. Continue reading to find out how one of you will win the entire package.
Last week, my business partner, Jason Seiden, and I were talking about the job search training course that we’re working on. I had told him that I recently received “thank you tweets” from two One Day, One Job readers who had landed jobs at companies that I wrote about. We both agreed that there’s nothing more rewarding than helping someone find and land a job. This sparked an idea. Since the HP Magic Giveaway is all about “paying it forward,” we should build a contest where the winner is rewarded for paying it forward (even if it’s with the end goal of winning a prize).
The challenge is simple.
Help a friend with his or her job search. Leave a comment on this post telling us your friend’s first name and exactly how you helped him or her.
Your entry can be as simple as telling us that you e-mailed someone a link to One Day, One Job, or as involved as telling us how you edited and improved a friend’s resume. We’re looking for creativity and a genuine willingness to help (and ideas that we can use in the course that we’re developing), so we’re going to reward those of you who try harder. Entries will be graded on a scale of 0 (so unhelpful that you don’t even get an entry) to 10 (bending over backwards to get your friend a job), and each point will be equal to one entry in the contest.
We don’t expect you to land someone a job in just a few days’ time – that’s nearly impossible (but if you can do it, go for it). We just want you to lend a helping hand to someone who can use it, whether you already have a job or you’re also looking. The average score will be a 1 or 2, so there will be a huge premium for in-depth/creative/bend over backwards entries.
At the end of the contest, we’ll assign numbers to each entry and use Microsoft Excel’s random number generator to select a winner.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Since you’ve already found a friend in need, you’ll be expected to give part of your prize package to the friend whom you helped, since without him or her, you wouldn’t have won.
For the rest of the rules, see below.
This is an amazing package. It was delivered to me two weeks ago, and HP gave me the opportunity to review any or all of it. Since I’m a Mac guy, I’m not the best person to review the whole setup, so I chose one item to open up and give a try. I picked the HP TouchSmart IQ816 PC, and I’m extremely impressed with it. I’ve been using it mostly as a media center to watch TV, Hulu, and DVDs, and my only complaint is that the screen picks up a ton of glare. While testing it, I couldn’t help but think about how much this sleek setup would complement the experience of playing on casino italiani non aams platforms, where high-quality visuals and interactive features are essential. The touchscreen definitely offers a wow factor, but I’m not sure how many practical uses there are for a touchscreen on a home PC. If the rest of the products in the package are half as good as the TouchSmart, the winner is going to be in for a real treat. I am certainly going to miss it when I have to pack it up and send it to the winner.
As for job search tools, the TouchSmart, the MediaSmart Connect, and Kung Fu Panda might serve as distractions (hey, everyone needs a break), but the three laptops, printer, and software will almost certainly help you be a more organized and effective job searcher.
Here’s what one of you will win:
Hardware
Accessories
Software
Entertainment
Magical, huh?
Ok, so we said entering is simple, and it is, but there are some additional rules to make sure that the contest is administered fairly.
This contest is all about paying it forward and creating a little magic, so hopefully the rules won’t get in the way of creating a lot of good job search karma.
Each of these blogs is offering the same prize package, so be sure to check them out.
That’s it!
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Check out our job search course and articles.
[…] One Day, One Job: The challenge is simple. […]
Hello One Day, One job!
I helped my best friend about 2 weeks ago to search for a job. He is in college and is looking for a job to continue paying for his education and transportation. His name is Maxime and he lives near my house. We got together and decided to perfect his CV by using many sources as a reference to see what would work better. So I started by eliminating the useless information and making his CV very appealing. It took a while because he had a very basic CV at the beginning, but we finally manage. In High School and in my program in College I have business classes so I was able to help tell him what employers really focus on in CVs.
Once we were complete, his CV looked stunning ;)… All that was left was to go bring it around, so we drove around town and picked up application forms from places like Costco, Videotron, Bell, etc and at home we started printing out the CV’s and putting them with the applications. In the end, this venture took nearly the entire day, but we were satisfied as we brought all the application forms to the stores and I even made him meet the director of the Costco since I also work there. It was a big chance. Since then, he has gotten one call, but he is still positive because they usually start hiring near the 8th of December for the holiday rush.
If he sees this post, I wish him all the best, and if I win, even better… He’ll get a bunch of hardware too ;)!!!!
It is ironic that these are the conditions for entry into the giveaway. I have a friend (Robin) who recently lost her job due to cutbacks as many people have. She worked at Amazon.com here in Lexington doing item picking and returns. She wanted to transition from management and manual labor type jobs into the IT field. Being a network consultant, she asked me to assist her with her resume to find an entry level IT job that she would be qualified for and have the ability to potentially work her way up in the IT field. I agreed to help her with her resume. Her resume consisted of all the jobs she has had and highlighted her job duties pretty well but none of the experience she had listed really related to IT. I suggested we go through each job and focus on her duties which involved computers or were more IT related so that we could target the resume for an IT job. We also focused on aspects of her job that were team related, management related, and project related as these are more applicable to the IT field. We made a list of all the software and operating systems she used at each job, as well as the software she uses at home, focusing on newer versions of the software such as Office 2007, Vista, etc. We rated her experience and expertise with the software and kept the top 5 and listed those on her resume. Being a network consultant I had the opportunity to allow Robin to assist me on a small business engagement that involved setting up new computers and peripherals, installing software, and networking the new computers to a small business server and printers. Together we reloaded all the computers, installed the needed software, migrated user documents and settings from the old computers, and set up business applications on the new computers. The engagement lasted 1 week and she was paid for her assistance. We also included the engagment on her resume highlighting the ways she contributed and she listed me as a reference. I took Robins resume and posted it on tech-related job sites such as Dice.com and Monster.com and showed her how to look for and apply for entrly level IT jobs in the area. I went over some of the questions I felt would be asked of her during an interview and explained to her that although she doesnt have vast experience in IT, she should emphasise how quickly she can learn and show how her prior work experience allowed her to work with and lead teams which are crucial in IT. I believe her resume is now tailored for the job she is seeking and is more appealing to companies seeking IT staff. The placement of the resume on job search sites targeting IT will also benefit her search. Finally, having worked with her on an engagement gives me something to discuss when Im called for a reference and makes me feel better about being listed on her resume.
Hey, Name of that buddy is Kathirvel. He was initially working in a BPO in an Indian company (online teaching to American students).Was doing very good there. One day he heard the news about the employee head count reduction in his office. He informed this to me,I asked him to undergo a software testing course.He did it.Then I asked him to send his Resume to me.He had written it like an essay.I gave following comments:
1. Keep your resume abstract.Do not write stories
2. Use a cover letter that should be impressive(Yes, I typed some thing and gave it to him, He used it)
3.Asked him to list the projects in reverse chronological order.
He Got a interview call from a software firm.completed the interview and came out with flying colors with a job.I was happy to hear that. Next day he treated me in a five star Hotel.. :-)
Hi!
I am a college student and so part time jobs are the real deal for me and many other college beings. I have a had a lot of offers to give private tuition over the years. Once i got a call from a relative who wanted me to teach here 2 sons at home. I had other things in mind at that time so i offered this opportunity to my friend who was also looking for a part-time job at the time. He ended up tutoring them for over a 10 months. The 2 kids got good grades and my friend made some good cash.
My friend Rachel has been looking for a job for over a year. I helped her look through want ads, but to no avail. Finally, I asked to see her resume. It was full of punctuation errors and grammar problems. Being that I have a graduate degree in English Composition, I helped her with her resume, and I practiced interview skills with her. We went to several businesses together and talked to the managers in charge. She gradually became more confident, and a few days ago she landed the perfect job! I was SO proud of her! I took her out to lunch to celebrate, and I bought her several books on self-confidence. Yesterday, I took her shopping for new work outfits. She looks great, and Monday is her first day with the company. It took time, but with hard work, and a little help from a friend, Rachel is starting a new chapter in her life! Winning this contest would mean that she could also get a new computer, and that would help her in her new life. She has been needing a computer desperately for some time now. Thanks for considering me and my friend for this giveaway!
BHN”W
I helped my wife Dalia rewrite her resume. She was resistant to the format that I wanted to put it in. I limited it to just the essentials with *practical* highlights of her work experience using brief goal-oriented descriptions. She didn’t think it would make a difference, but she was definitley surprised when she got a new job this week. I had also included in her resume that her bachelor’s degree (which was in Sociology) included a Pre-Med. elective (which she thought was insignificant because she doesn’t use it). It was funny to hear that the employer told her that this was one of the pluses for her resume over others, even though she really doesn’t use the pre-med for the job. This goes to show you that you shouldn’t underestimate little things that might make you appear unique to an employer. I hope this counts. The timing is kind of funny that she got the job, and then your contest rules made her story a perfect match. Good luck to all the job seekers and contest entrants!!
I’m Sushruta from India & i work in a Call Center.I’m working in this company for 3 years now.I’ve helped my friend “Sudipto” to get a job in an IT Farm.He was looking for a job for more than 2 years but his luck didn’t help him so far.In early 2007, we had a chat about why he’s being refused from everywhere he was applying to.
He told me that, most of the companies which he was applying to were using telephonic interviews to select candidates & he wasn’t at all comfortable to give a Telephonic Interview.He used to become nervous & couldn’t decide what to say & how to prepare for a telephonic interview.It made me remember my days when i also was seeking how to prepare for such an interview.I remembered that how i was preparing myself by going through several websites & books just to learn the exact procedures to prepare myself.
We sat together & discussed about it for quite some time.I was not a pro to give him suggestions but as i also got my job by going through a telephonic interview,so i atleast had some ideas about what you need to do if you will need to face such interviews.
I thought & thought & at last i ended up giving him some suggestions or tips he should maintain while applying for a job that requires a telephonic interview.
So,here are some of those ideas/tipsd which i gave him to help him sharpen his telephone interview skills:
—————————————————————————————————-
1. Do concentrate less on your feelings of inadequacy and more on how to make the other person feel at ease. Most people do not like the telephone interview process — remember that it works both ways.
2. Smile over the phone. Believe it or not, smiling while you are talking will actually help you sound more “friendly” and open.
3. It is critical that you speak succinctly about your past experiences and accomplishments. Many technical professionals launch into long, drawn-out answers to telephone interview questions. Because they do not have the sense of sight working for them, they are quite unable to tell if the person on the other line has gone to sleep!
4. Many people find that the most uncomfortable scenario in a telephone interview is the occasional “dead air” of silence during the conversation. Do you have a list of questions prepared about the company and the opportunity that you can refer to when caught in one of those dead spots? Although both parties are responsible for good communication, typically you should fill dead air time.
5. Although you are always judged on your ability to listen well, nowhere in the recruiting process do listening skills become more important than in the telephone interview. You’ll find that your nerves will sometimes make this very difficult. I suggest that you close off all thoughts about whatever is going on around you and concentrate on the words and voice of the interviewer.
6. It should be remembered that since so much of your success in this situation is determined by your comfort in the surroundings you are in during the call, make certain that you get yourself situated properly. Perhaps ask for five minutes to get organized and get a phone number to call them back.
7. Don’t ever talk about issues related to potential compensation, company benefits,problems at your current employer.It always amazes me when an experienced veteran launches into a diatribe about bad management at their company, or asks the infamous line “What’s the job pay?”
—————————————————————————————-
I also suggested him how to Prepare for a telephone interview.
—————————————————————————————-
I told him to put these items near the telephone:-
• Copies of materials he has already sent out (i.e. resume, cover letter, writing samples).
• Information he has received from the company.
• A “cheat sheet” of research information on companies he has contacted.
• A list of his specific experiences and skills that he wish to communicate.
• A list of questions about the company and the position.
• Pen and paper for notes.
• I suggested him to have a glass of water handy, since he will not have a chance to take a break during the call.
———————————————
We have also discussed something he should do & something he shouldn’t do while preparing for his interview.
—————————————
I told him to do these things :-
—————————————-
• First, he should turn off stereo, TV, and any other potential distraction.
• He should take telephonic interview as seriously as a personal interview.
• If the call is unexpected, he should ask for a reschedule. It is always OK.
• He needs to have enthusiasm and sound confident while answering the questions.
• Always put across the details on his experience, skills and his strong points.
• Answers need to be precise to the questions asked, at the same time he should not miss out to list out his strengths.
And i suggested not to do these :-
——————————
• Avoid / Minimize distractions. Always take a telephonic interview in a quiet place.
• Avoid using mobile as there can be some signal problem and it may be problematic.
• If using a mobile do not switch on the voice message.
• Don’t ever talk about issues related to potential compensation, company benefits,problems at your current employer.
After these long discussions, he returned home.2 months later he called me & said that he got a job as a marketing manager in an IT farm. I asked him how he got this job? He said that in these 2 months he was practising what we have discussed & he had applied for 2 jobs.First one didn’t go well because he got the call when he was on a bus & the interviewer couldn’t hear him properly.
Anyways, he then applied for another one after 10 days of this incident and that interview went very well for him.He knew all the answers which were coming from the other side,he stood calm & composed & stayed confident about what he was saying.
After the interview,the interviewer told him that he will soon get back to him.After 4 days later, he got a call from the same company that he has got the job & they will send him an appointment letter in a few days.He came to my house running happily & hugged me by saying that “Thank you for helping me get the job “ . Though the salary wasn’t very good but he was happy to get his first job.I said that you are a very good friend of mine & there’s no need to say thanks to me.
———————————————————————————————
I’m sorry if you are reading this & feeling boring but i had to express myself.I’m very happy that i could help him get his job.That’s what we call friendship right ? So, this was my entry.Thanks for the opportunity.
Two years ago, i job oportunity appears in the lab where i work. A friend o mine had recently graduated from the University and needed a job. It was a temporary (1 year contract) job. I worked a lot to had my boss open to sugestions and then to interview my friend. Anyway all the effort was in vain… he had a person already in mind for the job….
Luckily, by the day, al my friends have a job…
i’m from Argentina, (in general the job i and most of people have, pays only (and in general less)700 USD a month, and due to the high prices of Pc computers here, especially notebooks it would help a lot to win this contest.
Actually, the topic of interest here is something that I’m already working on. Since my siblings and I were very young we have been bought up with the no-debt value. My younger brother just started college this year and is trying to look for a job to assist him in paying for school. For the past month I have been helping my brother apply in different locations, mock interviews and even salary negotion tips. I have even spoken with tech department in my workplace. (My brother’s major in college is Information Technology.) As they say, networking is key to getting a job and was the key to how I got mine. Currently he just submitted his resume and is awaiting a response from my tech department. However, it doesn’t hurt to have him apply elsewhere. I really hope he gets a job so he can continue to pay for his schooling. By the ways, my brother is a tech whiz and has completed the first half of the CCNA certification. He is very knowledable about the web and all the tech stuff. If anyone here is hiring or knows of a position please let me know.
I had a long coaching session with my friend Tricia to discover her strengths and skills. This enabled her to pin down what career she really wants. Next, I helped her get leads by lending her my collection of business cards of people I know. She sent her CVs to selected companies that we thought were a good fit for her.
I go throught the newspaper and circle jobs for my husband Dale, then, I go to the computer and go through career builder and monster for him. I take his completed letters and resumes to my office and mail them for him. He has been so discouraged that I have had to help him this way. He also has spelling issues so I proof read everything. I am also asking you that read this if you know of a good manufacturing engineering job in Greensboro, NC . If you do contact me.
I live in a city of about 25,000 people just to the North of New Orleans, La. After Hurricane Katrina, we had a lot of refugees who came to our town after their homes were wiped out in N.O. Some had family or friends but a lot of them were homeless. I saw “Tom” several times walking near a FEMA trailer park and offered him a ride but he said he was trying to find work and hoped a potential employer would be by soon and offer him a day’s work. The same thing happened several times but one day, Tom got in and (finally) shared that he was homeless, without work and had not eaten in a couple of days. I took him to get some food & then, in concert with the church that I pastor, we were able to get him some clothes, new shoes, a throw-away cell phone and paid for a temporary place for him to live.
One of the very difficult things for homeless people is that if you have no fixed address and no phone number, there is very little possibility that anyone will hire you – especially if your only clothes are on your back and they are dirty and smelly. By providing the clothes, phone & housing (plus a little cash to buy food), we enabled Tom to prepare himself for employment. Within a couple of days, he had a fairly regular (minimum wage) job that would sustain him.
After getting back on his feet, he was finally able to return to New Orleans and (I assume) is doing well – we lost contact with him after he left town. So, instead of giving a part of the prize to Tom, I will give a portion to my church so that others may also be helped.
My husband was in a job that he hated. He worked as a building inspector for a jurisdiction for just over nine years and was miserable. However, the money was good.
Every night he would come home with his head drooping and his spirit drained. After a while, it dawned on me that my spouse, my best friend was miserable. The money was not worth that. So I asked him what he would like to do.
To my surprise, Paul had a business plan already in mind. He wanted to be a building consultant. He envisioned drawing plans, procuring building permits, and solving construction obstacles for clients. We agreed that this was a good business venture and Paul took an early retirement from his secure career.
While Paul had all the professional knowledge, and experience needed to be successful in his new business, he lacked the information needed to run a small business. I assisted him the best I could. I bought QuickBooks and learned how to set up a business. I created a website for his new LLC (www.i-mez.com) to attract customers. Paul’s magnetic personality landed him clients and his business is doing well.
Each day I assist my husband in his booming business. I answer phones, pay bills and send invoices. I work hard to send new clients his way. Paul is much happier now doing what he loves to do. He looks healthier too. It is unbelievable, but we just got our blood work done and his cholesterol had dropped dramatically!
Last week, Paul learned of a special certification he needed to become an official wood inspector for the county. (Special Inspectors, Special Inspections Agencies and Construction Materials Testing Laboratories.) I helped him complete all the paperwork that included a detailed resume. Paul was certified this week. This new certification will bring even more work to his company!
It is so satisfied to be able to help my best friend find a job he loves to do!
I’ve been trying to help my friend Stacey find a job for a couple years now. I search on Monster and classifieds in different online papers. I’ve sent her link after link to check out different jobs. She wants to be an event planner and seriously, there just isn’t many entry-level job openings for that. I’ve also been helping my ex find a better job. He can’t afford to get his own place so I find job postings and email them to him. He lives with me still and it’s awkward. I’ve even helped him type up his resume and revise it as needed. I don’t mind helping people try to better themselves. It’s rewarding just knowing that I tried to help them the best I could. Stacey went back to college to be a history teacher so maybe she’ll have better luck. I’m sure I’ll be helping her once she graduates to find a job. My ex, I’m not sure if he’ll bother applying or not. Why would he want to move out of my house where he can see his daughter every day and do what he wants? I keep searching for him a higher paying job though and I will continue to email the ones he is qualified for.
I would give both of the larger laptops away at the very least. My one aunt has 5 children and she’s broke most of the time so I think the kids would benefit from using a laptop to type up their school reports and do research. The other laptop I would give to my ex’s dad. He flies all over the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico for his job for a couple weeks at a time. He doesn’t have a laptop and I think this would be the best way for him to keep in contact with his four kids and the rest of the family while he’s away for so long.
[…] so, yesterday: Geeks to Go, Gear Diary and Geeks! all went live. Today’s site to go live is One Day, One Job (which is a great site!). Sites which went live the first two days are announcing their winners. […]
I have a friend who I has taught CCD for 8 years with me. She went through a divorce and had a good job as A/R Then everything went south for her with this economy. She started a job in September that was full time for her and her son. Now last week they cut her down to 2days a week she can’t survive on that kind of pay. She has looked for jobs through word of mouth. She comes to me to keep up with her resume. Which i help her with. sometimes I look through the newspaper for her, and call her and fax a resume to the ones that interest her. She has a old slow computer that is half way dead. Her son takes a long time to do his homework. He is at the age of now being able to go to work and would be researching for a job and college on the computer. This is a special friend who won’t ask for help until you ask.
Sometimes I help my friends build their resumes in the computer and when I know about an interesting job for a friend, I tell him/her. Right now, I have no unemployed friends (except a couple under 18, so -in my country- they can’t have a job).
If I win, I’d like to share the prize with a friend with whom I’m starting a venture.
I helped a friend get a job but unfortunately it doesn’t have a happy ending. I would still do it again since I believe in helping people. Kaleb is the guy I helped by actually giving him a job in my Bluestone Quarry. I had no intentions of hiring anyone else since money was tight and the industry was heading into a slow down. Kaleb lived in my small town and had recently been arrested for falling behind in his child support payments. I truly believed that it was not his choice but a bleak reality that he couldn’t pay because he lost his job and the job industry here in on the downswing. I worked with the local jail to have him get out daily for the work release program. Weeks turned into months while he seemingly toiled away in the quarry. When another woman popped up claiming that Kaleb was the father of her child as well, everything started going downhill. He lied and said he could not be the father of that child since he was in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound. This is all news to me as he never mentioned this little piece of information. I still went against my better judgment and decided to lend him $2400 to pay the new claim and keep him out of prison. He was going to make weekly payments to me from the stone revenues he was getting each week. Well next thing I know, he stops showing up for work, goes AWOL from the prison and decides to run away from all his problems. I tried to talk some sense into him and get him back to work but he disregarded my advice. I would then find out that he had stolen some of the quarries equipment and sold it for cash. So now, he has been recaptured and is in prison again. I am out $2400 that I really never expect to see again, plus my air compressor and pump is missing and will have to be replaced when I can eventually afford it. At first I was enraged that he would take advantage of my willingness to help him. Gradually I calmed down and decided that eventually the universe will turn his actions against him. I would surely help out someone in need again, although I will be keeping a tight grip on the pocketbook. I am not a rich person and the money loss was a big issue for me. I still haven’t fully recovered. I believe that what goes around comes around and I would much rather be on my side of that. So on that note, I am submitting my story in the hopes that maybe I could help someone else NOT make the same mistake that I did. Trust your intuition and no matter how compassionate you feel about helping, use your head and not your heart to proceed in the matter. Some people just can’t be helped, at least I tried.
Here’s hoping that the universe will smile on me and I will win one of these fabulous giveaways. It would certainly prove my theory on what goes around comes around. Good for good and bad for bad
My friend, first of all, cannot drive. I drove him around the town one weekend to help him fill out job apps, etc. Then I helped him find some jobfinder websites (like this one!), where we looked for jobs that he could do. Being a college student, it’s hard to find a decent paying job. In the end, we found a perfect job for him at a watch store.
I have a friend to recently was layoff from his job and is looking for something new. I told him we have an opening at the place I work and would be happy to give them his resume. I would also help get his resume around town since I know a lot of the business owners – which I am doing as I am writing this.
I helped my friend “Linda” find a job at the company I worked for about 5 years ago. She was just informed that their whole department was going to move to Singapore. Everyone she worked with in the plant had just started their job searches in the community as well as Linda. I called her and said please send your resume here, you would love it here. There was a job opening for Manufacturing Engineer and we had already interviewed all the people we thought had good resumes. So I told the hiring manager, please wait for one more resume of someone I know. I didn’t want to say it was a friend yet because I was also one of the interviewers. So she emailed the resume and I gave her a few pointers on what to fix, she edited and emailed it to our HR department. They did not think she had the right experience or education and she worked on different products that us, but I convinced them that she could do it if they give her a chance. They interviewed her and hired her, she is still there and now has my old job. (I was her boss!) She will also love one of the laptops.
Dear One Day, One Job,
I am a fairly recent college grad (’07) from Michigan. My post-college job search went surprisingly smoothly. I am with a great company and I work with great people. My college roommates, however, were having a very difficult time. You see, we all majored in the same program, the not-very-job-friendly-outside-of-DC International Relations program. I was the lucky one, as I worked my way through college as a web developer (it had been a hobby of mine for years) for the university, and found a job in web design soon after graduation. I think the high demand for tech jobs offset the otherwise bleak prospects for new jobs in Michigan. My friends, however, did not have the same luck. One of my old roommates in particular, who’s family was originally from Colombia but was now living in the Detroit area, was stuck in a dead-end part-time job at a coffee shop, living at his parents, having zero luck in his job search.
He was a smart guy. Qualified, hard-working, and dependable. Being in Detroit, I thought, was his first problem. I probably don’t need to remind anyone how Detroit has been doing economically these past few years. Being from the west side of the state, things were still bad here, but not nearly as bad as they were on the east side. Recent surveys had shown that nearly 80% of new graduates from the two biggest schools in Michigan, U of M and MSU were leaving the state. Unemployment here was (and is) the nations highest at 9.3%, nearly 50% higher than the national average. Detroit is even worse, sitting just above 10%. All told, this was one of the worst places in the country for a new grad trying to enter the workforce, but many of us would like to stay.
I kept sending him job postings from my area that I would find. Either he didn’t think he was qualified and didn’t apply, or he applied and wouldn’t hear back. He’s a good writer so his resume and cover letter seldom needed much tweaking, though I double checked it anyway. One day, my company posted an internal listing for a client services position. I talked to a few people in management, helped polish his resume and cover letter a bit, and gave the guy a stellar reference. I made sure his information got to the right people instead of lost in the HR shuffle. He got the interview and ultimately got the job. He has been on the job for two months and I’m currently letting him live at my apartment until he finds his own place, although carpooling and splitting rent is saving me some extra cash during this time of economic ridiculousness, so we might keep this arrangement at least through the winter.
Neither of us make a ton of money, but I think we’re doing about as well as a couple of young professionals with off-the-beaten-path degrees can be expected to do in our current situation. If we were to win the prize, we have agreed to each get a laptop (neither of us currently own one), make the TouchSmart our new entertainment center (the screen is about the size of our current TV lol), and donate the Mini to the Michigan Campaign for Justice (a non-profit my girlfriend works for that is trying to reform the public defense system in Michigan) and give the rest away as gifts to friends and family.
Hello Dear One Day, One job!
I helped my friend about several weeks ago to search for a part-time job. He is 50 now, his name is Cliff.
As for a 50 years single guy, his situation is not very common–no computer at home. Although his day-time job requires him to use computer every day, still he believes the new techs are “evil”…
First of all we got together and decided to which field he would like to apply. Later we used several job search engines to target a couple of companies in his area and close to his home.
Secondly, according to the requirements of each company, I asked him what kind of skill he would like to focus on. Since those companies have different needs, I decided to make 3 versions of resumes focuses on different skills.
Finally, we used different writing styles and formats in those 3 versions. One was fancy, one was formal and one is plain. And the reason is some of the companies which are famous and offer good benefits would become my friend’s future full-time job.
That’s it…We are still waiting for the answers…
Hope magic will come.
In the month of August I helped my sister, Heather, find a job as an elementary school teacher. She had been out of college for a year and had some substitute teaching jobs before. But she really wanted to find a full-time position but they are very limited around where we live. Unfortunately it was hard for her to search for jobs each day since she had a job at a summer camp. She was also a cheerleading coach for two teams. So obviously she was very busy and rarely found time to search for jobs. Since I was on my summer vacation I was able to search for her. Each day I would search through all the job listings and help her send out resumes to any of the schools. I helped her stay organized and make sure she sent out everything that was needed because she already had a lot of things that she was involved in. I also made sure she knew when each of her interviews were so she could take off work on those days. I guess you could say I was kind of like her secretary or agent. I think that is important though. Sometimes it is very hard to stay organized with all of the job listings, especially when someone is trying to hold a part-time job. Toward the end of August she still did not have a job, but one day she got a phone call asking her to come in for another interview. Long story short, she got a job as a 5th grade teacher. The key thing was not giving up. Usually schools will hire in early August so the chances of being hired after that are slim. It’s key to think differently though. I made sure my sister continued to look for jobs after the beginning of August in hopes that something may come up. Well sure enough it did. The job came up when she least expected it. If she stopped looking though, she probably would not have a job right now. I would certainly share this prize with my sister. Like I said, she is a school teacher and she is working on the slowest computer I have ever seen. It would be very beneficial to her so she could get school work done quickly.
My experience is about leaving my home town of Mandeville, Manchester to get a job in the city of Kingston Jamaica. Unfortunately, things did not work out for me as planned. It was in September of 2008 the final part of my CISCO IT Essentials course was ending. As part of course requirement, we must do at least one month of work experience. My instructor provided job opportunity for two of us from my class at a Government Agency. We started around the 9th of September and worked until the 3rd of October. On the last day, our supervisor at the agency called us into his office to talk about our experience at the Company. Of course, it was all good, in fact he said, so many of the staff in the department were impressed by our hard work and dedication. Out of a class of 36 students, 8 of us were lucky to get jobs or work experience extensions. My best friend’s Kara was one of the unfortunate ones, but she hoped with her certifications she would be more marketable and hopefully get a job before the year was out.
We were tasked with configuring over new 100 computers for deployment at the agency. This involved, upgrading computer to Windows XP SP3, installing Microsoft Office and the Company’s custom software used to run the business. Our next job was to deploy the computers, that means we needed to get them down to the main office building (Downtown Kingston), we did configurations at Ardenne Road (Kingston). We eventually got the systems downtown but the next step involved deploying and migrating old systems in addition to decommissioning the old computer systems. Within that month alone with managed to migrate 42 users users to the new systems and configured a total of 75 systems out of 100.
Our supervisor said to us, he would like to keep us on for an additional 3 months probation with high possibility of permanent employment. We continue finishing the configuration of the other systems and deploy them. My friend and I said we were definitely interested, since this would be a great start for us especially since our course would be up by the end of November. To us, getting job out of school sounded like a miracle. At the end of October, we both received emails requesting our resumes and certificates. A few days later we received a call that we are scheduled for an interview on Nov. 10.
On Nov. 10, we came and went through the necessary process, providing necessary documentation like passport size pictures, birth certificate, and given documentation describing our positions and terms of employment including our salary. For me, there was a bit of a problem. I came from the country, which means, it was one of two things, go back home and try and find a job, or work this potential opportunity here now. After looking through documentation, I took a look at the salary. We were told, that this is just a contract extension to extend our finishing the configuration of the other computers. The contract would last from November 10. 2008 to January 9. 2009 (approximately). Our interviewer said, if we wish to stay on permanently, applying for the position and doing an interview is required.
– JA $32,016 monthly – US $415.79
Of course we would be paid fortnightly which would be split in half:
– JA $16,087 fortnightly – US $207.89
Please understand that US $1 equals, JA $77
I asked the lady who interviewed us, if the salary was negotiable, she said ‘no’. This is just for contact job extension. If you apply for a permanent job at the end of the contract and do the interview, you will have the opportunity to do that, but not now. Now, I don’t know about you, but that salary was kinda rough, especially taking into account, the following expenses I would have to incur. That same day, during lunch, (my brother and mom carried me to the interview) they had gone looking around town for a place for me to stay. The came back around lunch and told me they found somewhere, but the cost was quite steep – $15,000 (US $194.80).
My mom insisted I should take it, but this is just a start. But taking into account, I was told in the interview, this is just a contract extension, not a guarantee of permanent employment. Taking into account, additional expenses such as Transportation, food, this job was looking like costly endeavor. The place we had found turned out not to be so ideal, the room is small, riddled with roaches, the actual owner was not there to greet us (but the owners dad showed us) to even negotiate the cost of the rent to something a bit more affordable. During lunch though, I did go check it out. I said to my family, if this is the sacrifice I have to make to get a start in life, then so be it. At least it was walking distance from where I was working.
The place still bothered me, but we decided on it. I went back to that day, feeling a little disturbed about the place, the job salary, the additional expenditures I would have to incur. The fact is, I would be living to make ends meet with even little potential of a permanent job opportunity at the agency. My course itself is not a degree, its more certifications in CISCO along with CompTIA. While I was at the office, I started asking around, if there were any rooms for rent anywhere that was around JA $10,000? A lady whose office was in the same room said she could get somewhere for $10,000, but its not close, you would at least have to take two buses in the morning to get here. I said fine, at least its cheaper. She said its her fathers house, and he had the extra room he could rent and I could share the kitchen. I said, no problem, call him. She called him and explained the situation. Unfortunately, there was bad news to be told. Because its close to the holiday seasons, he would be expecting family from abroad. Unfortunately for me, the job went into December. So, she said, it cannot be rented at this time.
So, I was in quite a predicament and anywhere else was gonna be $15,000. After work, we went back to that first place we checked out. The owner still had not arrived, we decided in the mean time, to take another look at the room. Again, greeted by more roaches, claustrophobia (cramped). We waited until around 7 pm the evening. The owner still did not arrive. The job had started that same day the 10th of November, which means, I would have to be at work the next day. My brother turned and said to me, Andre, don’t bother with this place, its not worth it, lets go. My mother sighed and agreed. We told the owners father that we were reconsidering and we would be back tomorrow.
My brother said, Andre, I will carry you into work tomorrow. Considering that where I live in the country (South Manchester) is 60 miles from Kingston. I would have to wake up at 4 am to be in at work by 8 am. While we were on our way back home in the country, we started contemplating things. I am saying, with that kind a salary, its too much of a rough start, the rent is high, you have take into account food and transportation, at the end of the month, you wouldn’t have any money left.
When we arrived home, I made the best decision I believe, not to bother with the job. I told my family, I am gonna type my letter of resignation and send it in tomorrow. I told my brother, he didn’t even have to carry me in, I could just wake up early and take a bus. The next morning, arrived in Kingston around 7:15 am. Feeling, a bit queasy, bad that things are not working out as I planned. When I arrived at the gate to enter the compound, the Guard officer called me over just to have a morning chat since its something I normally would do while I was on work experience. I told, well, today is my last day here. She, said, what do you mean? I said, I am resigning, I couldn’t find an affordable, suitable place to stay here in Kingston. She said, you must can find somewhere to stay, you didn’t try hard enough. I said, finding a place to stay is not a problem, its the cost thats the problem in addition to the salary which I explained to her. She, ouch, no wonder, well, I understand.
I told her, I am gonna deliver my resignation and I will be right back. So, I went into the HR department asking for the HR manager who had interviewed us the day before. I said, Good morning, I am here to hand in my resignation. She said why? I handed her my resignation envelope and she read why. She said, but this not an excuse? I said I tried finding suitable accommodation, but at $15,000, its just no workable under my present salary. She said excuse, and went in office to speak with another manager, I waited then she came out about 10 or so minutes later. I noticed her facial expression was a bit disturbed and I could hint at why. If those additional Dell computers were not configured and deployed on time (since they have to be configured in one location and moved to the next), then Dell, would have take them back. It seems the contract with Dell, is determined by the amount of computers you have configured and deployed, that’s how a PC is paid for.
She said, Andre, this kinda sudden. I began to explain the situation to her that I went through yesterday trying to find accommodation. Then she replied, oh my, I understand why you gave that place up. She then said, she also understand with the salary the job would just not be feasible. She asked me though, if there was anyone you could recommend to take your place that was from your class. I said I could think of a few. Then Kara came to mind. Fortunately for Kara she lived in Kingston so for her, the only thing she would have pay out of her salary is bus fair. I recommended her to the HR manager then gave her (Kara) a call. She was unable to find a job when I spoke to her, so this was gonna be a great opportunity for her. I explained that should need to come in tomorrow for an interview. The HR manager spoke with her and explained the details of the situation.
After that, the HR manager spoke with me some more about the situation. Unfortunately she said, we are kinda in a rough economic time right now: we are short on staff and we can only pay based on your qualifications, so unfortunately, there would be no opportunity for me. I said I understood, but she wished me all the best and hoped that something good would happen for me. I said I will try looking in the mean time and hope that something came up in the new year. We shook hands and said good bye. I went back out to the gate and the guard and I spoke, she said, its quite sad taking into account the hard work you did doing your work experience and now this. I said, thats just life I guess. We talked for a little and then parted ways. Before I left, she asked for my contact number, because she would like to know whats happening in my life and hope that something good happens for me. I gave it to her and went on my way.
Yes, I felt crushed, it was like the world against me. But there was some good out it, I did manage to help get a friend a job. I went home that afternoon feeling a little bit out of it and just slept for the most of the evening. I didn’t even bother to turn on the PC that night. The next day, I got a call from Kara telling me she got through and was absolutely thankful. It was bitter sweet in a way, at least my misfortunes managed to help someone. Yes, I still feel bad about it, but that’s just how goes I guess. Do I have a job now? NO! But I have sent out a few resumes to Company’s in my parish, but I am hoping that something turns up before the new year is out.
BTW, could you help get a job? I am willing to relocate.
Thanks for reading
Jamaica W.I.
[…] One Day, One Job […]
I helped a friend, Alicia who was going to an on the spot job interview at a job fair. She came over early to have me look at her resume and it needed to be fined tuned so I helped her with it since I had experience in professional resume writing. Before starting that task, I advised her what was appropriate to wear at a job interview. It still amazes me that people don’t know what to wear when going out for job searches so we discussed it and she had enough time while I was working on the resume to run home and change her attire. When she returned she had about an hour to spare so we spent 30 minutes doing mock interviews. She has a lot of nervous habits that I know would pose a little problem but by the time we were through, I had confidence she’d do just fine. Alicia is a widow raising 5 children alone so for her getting a job is vital and I wanted her to have the best chance. This happened two days ago and this morning she wss called with a job offer and she accepted. I was so happy for her. If I win, one of the computers would go to her because she has been wanting to go back to school but her situation would allow only online classes and she currently doesn’t have a computer. Plus it would help her kids in school. I would also donate one to a local non-profit that helps at risk youth and adults.
Hi,
As a ’07 grad from the state of Michigan, I know only too well how much it helps to have a team of people helping you in finding a job. I had to leave the state and move to new york to even get a prospect of finding a job but so many wonderful people have aided me that I feel it’s only too important to pay it forward. My sister is a fashion major and in the past year I have helped her and my cousin land part time jobs at Forever 21, a place I worked to make extra money. I helped her create a resume and reference letter and am starting to help her in putting together a portfolio of her work. I promote her designs and have even offered to wear her work. When she was writing college entrance essays, using my english skills I edited and reviewed them for her. All from long-distance.
I’ve also helped my dad this year in job searching (a big three employee he needs all the help he can get) using the many skills and tips I’ve learned here as well as in my own experience. I’ve been working on a visual cv for him and encouraged him to tap into linked in.
One of my good friends from michigan who’s job pursuit is in the entertainment industry as myself (film, tv, etc.) have been helping each other if just in moral support or even recomendations. I helped her get in with my temp agency and even encouraged her to apply to a page program at the Late Show,a former job. Even though I was rejected, she got the job and I’m so happy for her.
What I’ve learned is the more connections you make and the more you extend yourself the more likely someone will help you out. I lost my long term job, something I only had for four months at the time and have been temping and taking random job placements for weeks just to get work. The great thing is, that I haven’t gone but a few days without work due to the outpouring of help and support by friends and past job connections. I got in with another temp agency from a friend, been given interviews all over due to past job connections and been given help with my resume, visualcv and even this site has helped so much. Even though I still don’t have a job, people have helped by giving me consistant work from temping, to filling in, tutoring, or baby-sitting that I’ve been able to support myself just enough to get by.
I think this was a great idea for these economic times. When we as a nation have currently lost over 500,000 jobs we have to help each other. Even though I haven’t landed that first job, so many of my friends and family have or maintained jobs that I know all my effort hasn’t been for nothing. While I love the suggestion of helping just one friend I think we shouldn’t limit ourselves which is why I included a few examples. The more we help, friends, family, co-workers the more we help ourselves. This package is great but I only would need one of the laptops. My sister could use a computer for college and the photo printer, my dad the touch screen, my friend another computer and so forth. Divide the wealth is what I say. My suggestion: Work hard and to your best potential no matter what the job, be willing to do whatever it takes to get work and always maintain connections. If they know you were a great worker in the past they will remember you in the future, friends and family will bend over backwards for you because you’ve done above and beyond for them. Remember really finding a job isn’t about your qualifications but about the connections.
Most of my friends have had to leave the state we grew up in to find work and look forward to the day we might be able to come back. But we help each other across the country. When my best friend who recently landed her first job in publishing a year and a half after we graduated heard I lost my placement and was looking for work, she immediately went online and spend two days job searching for me. I’ve been her reference but most importantly we’ve been each others sounding board when another company states a hiring freeze after an interview to explain not hiring, or when friends and family are losing jobs all around. Thanks for the opportunity to help me pay it forward some more with the website and this contest.
My friend’s name is L. He recently lost his job on the same day that a vacancy opened up at my office. I knew the job was a good fit for his skill set and he would be a great addition to any company, so I put a copy of his resume on my boss’s desk and recommended him for an interview.
In the end, our company decided to keep that position vacant, and L. has some good opportunities opening up elsewhere. He is a techie/web guy, so he will definitely make good use of the price package.
I am currently a senior Finance major (seemed like a good idea four years ago) at Hofstra University. I recently went on an interview for the position of Sales Representative, a position that is slightly looked down upon in the field when compared to other jobs such as on Wall Street. However, I went on the interview because I currently subscribe to the “take what you can get” philosophy. The interview was a little odd as it consisted of two parts: a lengthy group information session followed by a two minute one on one interview. Throughout both sessions I dreaded getting a callback for a second interview. With just my luck, I got the callback along with a girl whose name I believe was Marie. The next day, I arrived about thirty minutes early and met up with her in the lobby. Surprisingly (or not, depending on how you look at it), I recognized her because she also went to Hofstra; it turns out that we had been in the same philosophy class a little while back. She told me about how she had graduated two years ago, was struggling to find a job, and being pressured by her parents to move out.
By this time, I had figured out exactly how these recruiters operated; they were interested in people who had just graduated or are about to graduate from local private universities and most of all (I already mentioned that we look down on the job and now you will know why) they just want people who have many contacts. They want people who know a lot of other people who they can sell their products too. After talking to the other candidate, it became apparent to me that she needed the job much more than I did and it would be unfair for me to take it even though I didn’t really want it. So during the one on one interview the interviewer asked, as I had expected, a question pertaining to the amount of people I knew, “So if you got married tomorrow, how many people would attend?” I mulled over the question lightningly quick in my head and decided to blow the interview by responding, “Not many, I don’t have many friends,” knowing full well that that wasn’t what they wanted to hear. She then said that if I didn’t hear from them by the end of the day, they have gone with the other candidate.
I stared at my phone for the rest of the day, again dreading the call. After a few hours, it was obvious that they weren’t calling. A weird feeling came over me; I felt both relieved and disappointed. Relieved because I didn’t get a job that I didn’t want and disappointed because I was still unemployed. But I also felt good because I am certain that I helped that girl get a job that she wanted.
My job search, however, continues…
I may see her at Alumni House on campus, they always have free food, so I would send a gift her way (after explaining about the contest of course; a gift laptop out of nowhere might seem creepy). I would also share the prizes with my friends and family, especially my sister who just started her new job (I’m jealous).
My best friend went into freelancing some time ago. She works for broadcasting stations, newspapers and even worked as a media manager on a cruise boat. So she is really good when it comes to communication skills. But when it comes to all technical stuff, she is lost. Now that she is freelancing she needs to market herself more on the internet and needs professional looking business cards and stuff. As I am a media designer, I help her with this stuff. We are now planning her website and discussing a layout for a business card. I show her sites to look for jobs and forums where she can meet other business people and so on. In return she helps me with all that communication stuff because I am more of a shy person and sometimes need a little motivation or tips on wording in my applications. Because I am studying about 300km away from her I sometimes do a little screencast to show her how to do things. Or she sends me files to process e.g. with photoshop. So we are a really good team. I hope my media skills can help her to find some more jobs ’cause she really helped me a lot this year with my applications. And though I didn’t get that job I wanted I got more confident in me with her help. I really want to give some of that back.
I helped my friend lewis by editing his resume. I also gave him interviw tips.
I actually helped a co-worker out. She was let go from the company that I still work at, and I have been in contact with her several times regarding her resume, and any contacts I know from around the city. She keeps me up to date with how her job search is going. I would definitely help her out by sharing the prize with her.
I live in the woods.
When I say woods I mean vines and overgrowth.
Even the trees are all dead.
I called a company.
They drove up in a big truck.
On the truck were big cutting machines.
They looked at the mess.
I heard them laughing to one another.
They rang my doorbell.
And gave me an estimate.
To make my property look nice.
A few weeks passed.
There was a knock on my door.
It was a man named Humberto.
He was looking for work.
And had walked to my house.
Humberto had a big family.
And he had very kind eyes.
I offered him the job.
He cleaned up my woods.
For weeks he worked.
And came over every day.
He was always on time.
I made him sandwiches and lemonade.
Sometimes I would watch him work.
Other times I would help him.
Every time I paid Humberto he said Thank You.
He worked so hard.
My property looked beautiful.
Thanks to him.
Later that month, he knocked on my door.
This time he drove.
He had bought a van.
With the money I gave him.
So he could drive his children to school.
He even bought them new clothes.
They all looked so happy.
He said thank you again.
I am glad I didn’t offer the job to the company.
Humberto worked harder.
And I like to think it changed his life.
For the better.
When I watch television, sometimes I will see men on the tv call a famous person a hero.
I disagree.
And think of Humberto.
He is the real hero….
A friend of mine, Brendan, two months ago was in great shape. He had been hired as the editor of a soon-to-launch Chicago real estate blog and was busy laying the groundwork. Then came the economic crisis, and within three weeks he had gone from rising star to again walking dogs – the parent company of the blog network decided to pull the plug.
Since then, I’ve been both floating Brendan’s name and LinkedIn profile to friends and contacts in our field (housing / social media) and have forwarded him two or three job postings that I thought he would be ideal for. I’ve also volunteered to be a reference and hope that I have the chance – he’s an incredibly talented guy who’s been unfortunately and suddenly affected by the fallout of the credit crisis.
Finally, we’re meeting for beers next week to discuss a potential collaboration. I’m in the midst of a start-up project and think/hope that there’s a way for us to work together in a way that would lead to a steady paycheck for Brendan.
(Note: if you know who I’m talking about, please don’t tip him off. Would love to surprise him w/ a new computer if I win.)
I am helping a young woman who is trying to rebuild her life after getting out of an abusive marriage and is looking for a job to relocate closer to her family. I check the ads in the area papers every time and also on the online classifieds for the area. Whenever I find something that looks like a possibility, I call her with the information on what is available. I know in time persistance is going to bring her the perfect job close to home. She is one of the people I would love to gift with a computer if I should win. Although I have no experience with resume writing and such, I have referred her to One Day, One Job. Hopefully it will help in her search.
Another person I am trying to help is a disabled stay-at-home mom with two little ones. Her husband was recently laid off and I have been trying to help her find something she can do at home to suppliment their income. She is another person that I would like to surprise with a computer. Having a working computer would let her take advantage of a work from home employment opportunity that exists right now. Plus it might help her husband find decent employment.
If I were to win this, I would like to keep a laptop to use at our local family history center where I volunteer. We are involved in helping people to do research tracing their geneology. The program there provides for volunteers to take their personal laptops to the homes of anyone wanting to do this work to teach them how to do their own research. Having a laptop would allow me to participate in this portion of the program also.
I decided to send a link to onedayonejob.com for my girlfriend Jenni as I was fresh out of ideas. She is in university like me and needs those part times jobs a lot. I decided to sent the link to her as she has helped me a lot with my cv and always helps me find summer jobs. I think she would deserve a part of the prize if I won. I guess I am more of a friend who needs the help than the helper.
Last week my cousin asked me to help her find a job, She had been looking for a couple of months and had a few interviews but nothing panned out. I went to craigslist and looked under the jobs postings and found her a job that was exactly what she was looking for and it was only 3 blocks from her house.
I have somewhat of an advantage because I’m a career services professional, so helping people with job searches is my job. HOWEVER Willy, I have helped people outside of work too. We had an Obama campaign office here in town. I got to be friends with the organizer Ryan, who was an 06 college grad and didn’t have significant professional experience but was hoping to work on that and eventually go back to law school. I worked with him three times to develop his resume and focus in on the wide range of experience he gained on the campaign. I helped a friend named Jef at a Halloween party by encouraging him to take the Strong and MBTI to help him decide a new career direction. I was also sent an unsolicited resume by a friend of mine, Brian, to help one of his friends also get a job. Strangely enough I’ve offered a lot of career advice to people in bars.
I helped my brother Shawn get his most recent job by helping him with his resume and going over interview questions with him. He ended up getting the job, so it was a worthwhile effort.
I have been working with a close friend and partner in a nonprofit for the last 3 months on a job search. He has successfully thrown festivals to grow his nonprofit the last 3 years, yet knows that given economic conditions, he will need to look for full-time work to survive. Being that I work in Social Media and recruiting 2.0, he has been a great case study to see how these tools work.
Blog and personal brand – after living and breathing with the homeless community for the past 3 years, his personal brand was consumed with helping this group. Yet many ideas, skills and lessons were learned that can help him in his job hunt. So we plopped all of that into a blog and now he has a focus and direction.
Social Networking – We cleaned up all the profiles and started looking for professional relationship building. This included joining groups and discussions, answering questions on LinkedIn and Yahoo Answers and soliciting information from “dream companies.”
Resume 2.0 – To showcase all of his skills and to make that email or piece of paper come to life. We went with a live link approach. No pictures, videos or media in the actual resume, but links to back up all work, awards, recommendations, writing, speaking skills, etc. That way we left it up to the companies themselves to take it to whatever level they were comfortable with
Professional networking – being that we had lead time during the end of the promotion of the nonprofits last big event and the time that he needed the job, we were able to leverage local meetup groups, trade associations and other networking events to build up his reputation (as well as promo for the event). This was great for sourcing new leads and fresh ideas from companies that were passionate about their companies that they went to networking events to promote what they were up to.
The job hunt – CB, Monster, Employment Guide and HotJobs are over populated. Most jobs get a huge response in the 1st few days and employers never get through the 1st 20 in the pile. What we did were specific keyword searches on search engines to deliver targeted results in places that the general public wasn’t. This yielded opportunities from dream jobs like the Orlando Magic, Live Nation, etc that were not advertised traditionally. That is a secret tip folks- proceed with caution.
At this point he had 5 interviews this week, all with jobs that he would be more than satisfied in doing and growing with. They all allow for the things that he wants in life including the time and freedom to continue his work with the homeless every week. I wish him the best and hopefully I will have some better insight into how Social Media + SEO plays into looking for a job.
My friend Todd is a driver for DHL, who just recently stopped most operations in the US. At the same time, our company had a driver/warehouse position open up. I made sure that Todd’s resume went to both HR and the manager responsible for hiring.
Todd’s interview was on Wednesday, 12/02. Here’s wishing to win both the HP Package and for Todd to come on board.
I am helping my brother in his job search. We have already polished up his resume. I am networking in my city to see if there is anything for him here. I would absolutely share the prize with him as he isn’t in the postition to upgrade his equipment now that he is not employed.
I helped my friend April look for jobs by pointing her to websites like dice.com and glocap.com. April is a busines/techie person so these mroe specialized jobsites suited her best. I gave her an overview of the best way to sign-up and prepare her bio for listing. It’s still early but hopefully she’ll get something good. Oh yeah, I will be forwarding this site to her as well! :-)
My son has had a rocky road growing into manhood. He dropped out, got his GED and took a job as a waiter at a local restaurant. He progressed to assistant manager and worked there for nearly seven years when the place was sold. He decided he wanted to go to culinary school but we did not have the cash to send him, so he knew he had to find as good a paying job as possible to save up for the tuition. He did not want to be saddled with high student loans when trying to pay for his own place, etc.
He is crazy about Barack Obama and we are all overjoyed that he is our new president! I went online to see what jobs might be available for the upcoming inauguration and found that there was one 5 star catering company in the metro area that will be servicing a lot of the important events. He contacted them and sent his resume. Because he also had catering experience at the restaurant that he worked at, he was hired at a very decent rate to start working full-time! Not only will he be making money towards school, he will also be working in his field for a top notch place!
I feel like he is finally on his way. He would certainly share the computers and supplies with his sister who wants to be a graphics artist and will be starting community college in January.
Thanks for the opportunity!
I helped Linda get a job by talking positively about her at a business meeting
I am a truly lucky woman. My oldest daughter Dawn is one of my best friends and also the person I helped as she was job searching.
She is a mother of two small children and stayed home to be with the second child as a newborn. A year and a half later as she tried to find a job as a Dental Assistant the market was non existent.
She had a hard time locating information and relied on me to search on line and find likely positions. I would then call her with my search findings and she would use the local library to email a resume that she had saved to disk, or use the mail system to send her resumes off.
She is a bright outgoing woman and so good at what she does. She also lives an hour and a half away from me so she could not use my computer. I made endless trips to her home to let her use my car to go off on an interview. I watched my two beautiful grandchildren as she went and made sure she had a hot meal and clean children and laundry when she got back.
The Thursday before Easter last spring, the boys and I went sledding, made crepe flowers, and tissue paper Easter eggs for Mom as she went on another interview.
I am thrilled to say she landed a great job that pays well. However, she has to get up at 4AM to get the boys to daycare and drive an hour each way to her job in the Twin Cities.
If I win the package I would give it to her and the boys to make their lives better, perhaps keeping one of the laptops for myself.
They are thriving now and this computer package would help them to continue to do so.
Thanks!
It’s hard to narrow down how I’ve helped just one person look for a job. In the past year alone I’ve helped write 4 resumes and cover letters, often provided a shoulder to cry on when the days kept going by and no job offers rang up on the phone, been the clothing consultant when someone had an interview, and been the cheering section when someone finally did land the job they were seeking. And today, before even reading about the contest rules, I sent a link to One Day One Job to a friend of mine who has been unemployed for some time now, hoping that MAYBE he’ll find something here. I had never heard of this site before, and it turns out neither had he.
Anyway, I’m lucky to be able to work from home and set my own hours, so my friends feel they can count on me at any time of day when they need this kind of help. I’ve had many office jobs in my life and written many resumes for myself and others. My male friends tend to come to me when they need this sort of help, for just a one page thing resumes can be very intimidating, particularly when debating with yourself what is good enough to go on there and what is better to leave off to preserve page space for something more important. Most of my male friends that I’ve helped in this regard did not even know about cover letters.
My female friends tend to need moral support more. They usually ask what to wear to interviews and need a little pep talk to get them ready to go for the interview.
Once I heard about this giveaway, I decided if I were to win I would immediately donate part of the prize to 2 of my unemployed friends. But I also decided a portion of the prize would go towards a school in this area that helps kids with special needs like Autism. I’d be keeping less than half of the overall prize for my home-based work, the rest would go towards those causes.
Thanks so much!
Thanks for this, I will try to enter competition to as many of these websites, as I have not won any yet! Even in my home country, on Geekzone website! As far as for getting a job for a ‘friend’ … that friend would be ME! I am contemplating a new career in the new year, so here’s hoping that I could find that here. I do not feel appreciated where I am as they keep on putting me on contract instead of permanent role!
So I recently helped my friend, Jared land a job. For full disclosure my ‘friend’ is also my husband, but we’ve passed what we learned to others who were just behind us in school so they can learn from what we did. My husband’s skill set requires a very specific type of work and so I spent hours combing databases, yellow pages, and then compiling an address list of all the companies in his line of work in areas we would like to live. After that we made a generic letter introducing my husband and asking if they were looking to hire or knew someone that was looking to hire. We attached a resume and mailed hundreds of letters. The response we got was pretty good considering we weren’t responding to want ads but doing cold mailings. In the end, my husband had several offers and was hired by a man who had thought about hiring, but hadn’t gotten around to advertising. He didn’t even interview anyone but my husband. The job was a perfect match and we never would have found it without sending resumes to people who “weren’t” looking to hire. So you may want to use this advice in your job search training course – whether we win the prize or not.
I have been helping my best friend (my husband Brett) with his job hunt. I help him in any way I can, from proofreading his resumes and cover letters to watching our 17 month old twins during “his time” so he can search for appropriate positions.
Since it doesn’t seem appropriate to donate part of the prize to him (being that what’s mine is his and vice versa), I’ve decided I’d like to donate part of the prize to Best Friends shelter, a no-kill home for abused and abandoned animals. I would love for them to be able to share in this bounty, either for using at the facility or to auction off for fundraising, whatever they choose!
I helped my 2 cousins and numerous friends get jobs or into schools they applied for. I tell them everything is selling yourself. I help interview my cousin get into the Uchicago business MBA and my other cousin in pepperdine MBA, I have helped numerous friend get into internships by asking common questions and job related questions they might ask. by numerous, i only mean 6 people. But when ever people ask me, i always help. I am good with these questions because my GPA isn’t that great, i feel my an interview is my best asset, so i work hard on it.
My friend David works in the manufacturing sector. Rather, he did work in the manufacturing sector. In Rockford, Illinois. He owns a computer but there is a wide gulf between actual ownership and taking full advantage of the technology available. I’m not sure what the statistics would bear out, but it’s my belief that the help wanted ads posted in classified section of the newspaper (both print and online) represent a very small percentage of the actual job market. Assumption; there is a large untapped underground job market out there. I never fooled myself into believing that David would land a job within a short period of time but I was certain that could find him several leads. So I began by searching business and manufacturing data that is posted and updated on the Internet. I started with Industry Week Online and made a list of companies based in the Northern Illinois and greater Chicagoland area. I also visited my local public library and consulted the reference area for indexes and directories that would provide contact information and websites for my target companies. The troublesome part of this whole endeavor was the sheer mass of data and information. It took a little bit of doing but I narrowed the list of companies down to fifty or so and went to their websites. I found that most of these companies have employment opportunities posted on under their human resources page. And if they’re not hiring at this time they say so. It certainly saves on postage and the time it takes to send out emails.
Here are some of the sources I used. This is not an exhaustive list. However, for the sake of brevity (and boredom) I whittled it down to include just the salient entry points.
Online Resources:
1) Illinois Manufacturers’’ Association (IMA)
http://www.ima-net.org/membership/directory.cfm
2) Hoover’s Online
http://www.hoovers.com/free/?cm_ven=PAID&cm_cat=INK&cm_pla=BTS&cm_ite=hoover%27s%20online
3) Industry Week
http://www.industryweek.com/
4) Regional Business News
This is a subscription-based site but you can sign up for a free trial.
5) EBSCOhost Electronic Journals Service (EJS)
This also a subscription-based site. However, most academic and public libraries will have access.
Print Resources:
Illinois Manufacturers Directory 2008
Ward’s Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies
Standard & Poor’s Industry Surveys
Mergent’s Annual Dividend Record
After I compiled a list of companies we updated David’s resume to suit each position listed. But let me be up-front about this. It did not entail exaggerating or fabrication. For some of the positions we merely stressed different areas of expertise in order to maximize the chance of success. We are still fine-tuning the resume and collating addresses, phone numbers, and websites. For now it’s a wait and see game. Both David and I believe that he will have a much better chance of success if he waits until after the first of the year.
Steve, a long time friend recently left IBM; not of his own choice. He has excellent credentials, but his skill set is focused. http://www.indeed.com is a great website for inputting exactly what you are looking for. indeed.com scours hundreds of other job sites to look for your particular interests. He likes it so much, I am now trying it.
I also teach a course at a local Magent high school on finding jobs, networking, and establishing business contacts. Just this week I have assisted two high school seniors locate a paid internship for this coming summer.
DaveR
Marietta, GA
i helped my good friend faye find a job.
she is British but recently got granted resident in america, and was looking for a job. she is a full time student still so cant work much, but i spoke to some people and tried to help. well a guy i work with needed a new babysitter so from 3:30pm till 7pm mon-fri he drops the kids off at her house and she watches them for him.
she loves it, and it allows her to interact with the, but also do homework at the same time so she is thrilled.
id love to give her part of the prize !
I passed-on some useful ecommerce links to a friend who has taken the brave step of persuing his dream of starting a business.
Kal
My friend’s name is Firaz. Recently, he lost his job due to cost cutting and other company measures. He was kinda worried about finding another good job easily due to his lack of necessary skill sets because he previously worked as a simple assistant. I really wanted to help him out and improve his CV with better skill sets. I had an old computer lying around and I decided to donate it to him for him to learn something new. My friend didn’t know how to use a computer very well and couldn’t perform simple functions such as using a mouse or surfing the web. I decided during my spare time, I would help him out and teach him appropriately. I installed some necessary software on the computer specifically catering for office administration usage. Over the course of time, I taught him how to use the computer effectively including using word processing software and other accounting software. During this time, I also helped improve his English speaking and writing skills. I gave him sets of documents to work with and type. This also improved his typing skills. I taught him how to be confident and not be afraid to speak up effectively. I demonstrated to him how to talk with clients and how a person in an office environment should professionally function. He was quickly learning and adapting to his new skills. When I felt that his skill sets had considerably improved, I helped him update his CV with his new better work qualities. I was quite confident my friend had remarkably changed and improved his professional career so much with all this learning. Then later on, I decided it was time for him to step into the real world as a professional. I knew of a place where I had interned as a student during my college years. I called them and asked them of any vacancies for an office administrator/accountant. They told me they had one available and told me to bring my friend for an interview. My friend was all set to go for the interview. I had practiced with him on how to an interview and told him about how correct posture and how to dress appropriately. My friend headed off to the interview the next day and thankfully passed. The boss called me up and thanked me and told me that my friend would start work there next week. I was finally so glad and happy that my friend made it through these tough times. He was so thankful to me and I could see how much of a difference his life had gotten. From coming with a no education background, my friend learned so much over the course of time and made it through. I knew for all the help that I had given him, I felt glad that I had made a difference in someones life not because of him just getting the job but also making him a better person and a professional.
I helped a friend get a job by helping with his resume, posting it online, and letting him use my computer to fill out online applications. He got hired by a very good company and has been there for four years now.
My son Joseph is out of a job and has 3 kids and a wife to support. I don’t have much myself but what I do have is a car and a way for him to search for a job. I take him around to put in applications and let him use my computer to look for jobs and print out resumes. I also ask around wherever I go to see if they are hiring and if I find someplace that is looking for help I will call him and take him to see about it. I am pretty good in English so I look over his applications and resumes and see that they are worded right. We live in a very small town in the Midwest and it is very hard her to find a job so I help how ever I can.
I have a friend and her husband who had a rough year. They moved back to Ohio right when everything started to go south in the economy, and they had a newborn to deal with, too. After trying for months to find a job, her husband gave up and re-enrolled in college for a teaching certificate program so he can teach with his BA in English. The bills started to pile up, though, and soon they were begging her family for money so they wouldn’t be thrown out of their apartment.
I brought up the idea to my friend that maybe she should try looking for a job. Her husband was taking most of his classes online, and her mom was willing to help babysit, so their son would be fine. She didn’t even think of that option, since she doesn’t have her college degree yet.
I helped her brainstorm what she should do, and we finally decided on working at a daycare center. She had helped watch my older daughter when I was 8 months pregnant with my second, so I knew she was excellent with kids. It is something she enjoys doing. She immediately started applying with daycare centers, but had trouble getting an interview.
I remembered that my husband’s aunt was recently promoted to director of a community center daycare, so I e-mailed her and asked if she was hiring. She said she was, so I told her all about my friend, serving as a pre-application reference. I told my friend, she applied, and now she’s thrilled to be working there. It’s not a lot of money, but it’s enough to cover their rent and bills, and when her husband needs to do his student teaching, she’ll be able to obtain a spot in this highly-rated daycare center.
(At first I wanted to talk about how much I’m helping my husband with job hunting, because he was laid off in June, but we haven’t actually found anything other than some freelance and contract work so far.)
I emailed some websites to a friend (Dee). They had posted jobs that she is qualified for and she was not aware of them.
I just helped my friend who needed a job, hopefully now they might have a chance of finding one.
… and of course I will share my prize with them as well as my family :)
I am currently helping my friend ‘R’ find a job. He lives in Australia (I live in the US), his computer broke 7 months ago, and he doesn’t have a car/license, so he doesn’t have too many options. Before his computer broke I would help him look online for jobs- jobs in his community that he could walk or take the bus/train to. He’s a great guy, a smart guy. Due to some financial aid problems, he completed his degree in Elementary Education but could not use it because it was being held hostage by the college because he couldn’t pay them. He was very depressed about this (as I’m sure you can imagine) and, while he wishes it were different, there’s nothing he can do because he cannot afford to pay back the school (and it was the school’s mix up!).
So, I’ve been helping him look for a job for quite awhile now. I’ve helped him edit his resume, which he was doubtful about. He thought just because he’s never really held a job that his resume wasn’t worthwhile, but I helped him to see that some of the activities he did do could be spun positively and would look good on a resume.
In addition to giving him the names of websites while he had a computer, I would occasionally have to fill things out for him because his (6 year old) computer couldn’t handle the flash intros that led to the application.
Since his computer broke he was less than positive about his job-search capabilities. I still talk to him on the phone (I have skype, so I call his house phone) and have encouraged him not to give up. I’ve talked with him about what are good attitudes and things to say to interviewers, how to network with people he already knows in a low-stress way (he always feels bad asking people, as if he was asking for a favor- not a good attitude!).
He has since thought about joining the Australian Army, and I am encouraging him on his quest to get in shape physically and mentally before he signs up.
It’s not easy helping someone with a job search when you’ve never even been to their continent, but I’ve tried my hardest. He’s a great guy and deserves the feelings that you get from doing a job well done… hopefully soon, with help and encouragment, he’ll find that. I would definitly give him part of the prize package, as a computer would definitely help him out a lot with finding another job if the Army training falls through.
I also would give the TouchSmart to my mom. She owns her own (very small) business, and it is really struggling right now. If she doesn’t change something soon, it will cease to exist. A computer would really help her immensely, as the computer she has now is very very slow and old. I scan it for viruses/adware weekly, but it still cannot handle the inventory applications that she needs to run her business. It is also big and bulky (see picture: http://s476.photobucket.com/albums/rr122/HPMagicForMyMom/?action=view¤t=momscomputer.jpg), and it takes up a lot of room on her desk that could be put to better use with all the paperwork she has. So although she is not really someone on the job hunt, if her business fails she will soon be, and so I want to help her as much as I can by getting her a new computer. Besides, who knows, if her business flourishes (and it just might if she had the resources!) she would have to hire more people- which would create jobs!
My best friend since I was 4 and I have been real close all of our lives. I was always the one better in school than he was, but in general he didn’t really try that hard. We ended up getting into the same college and we were roommates. We had a blast, but he just wasn’t adapting to the increased difficulty of college versus high school. Almost every day I would help him with the subjects he had problems with and we got through school together. It was just as much of a learning experience for me helping him through it as it was for him. He now has a job that he really likes and it was great to see him progress to that point. I also think some of my computer nerdiness rubbed off on him because a lot more into computers and technology now than ever before. He would love to have a cool new computer.
A friend of mine stopped at the office where I was working hoping to solicit donations for a charity. We got talking and she told me that she was going to stop at the school next to sign up to be a substitute teacher at the local school. She wanted a job that would let her have summers off and leave when school was out to be with her kids. She wanted steady work at good pay, but she wouldn’t get that as a sub. Still, it was the only job she could think off that would give her that flexibility.
I happened to know that my office needed a receptionist and that they’d be thrilled to have her take summers off since that is their slow time of year. They had never thought to advertise the job that way because they had assumed that most people applying for the job would want year-round employment. They wanted someone friendly, courteous and diligent and I knew she was all those things and more.
I told her that the company would be needing a receptionist in the fall and that she should apply for the job. I told the president of the company and my boss about her availability and people skills. They both interviewed her and, like me, knew that she’d be perfect for the job. Lorie is a wonderful receptionist for the company and really loves working there. I love knowing that I was able to help them make such a great employment match.
I was working as a teacher, and I was planning on quitting, so four weeks before I quit I had the talk with my boss, I told her that I decided to go back to college and thus, I would not be able to continue teaching anymore, and she asked me if I had any recommendations of someone with similar aptitudes to fill up my position. I referred Rafael, my boyfriend.
She scheduled an interview with him and, unfortunately he couldn’t get the job… The lady hired some else,
At the moment, we continue trying to find a job for him,
I’ve helped out a girl that I mentor. For the purpose of this comment, I’ll call her P since that’s the first letter of her name. I help P jobsearch right out of college. She’s a single mom struggling to do the best for her child. I allowed her to use me and a reference and also asked that my fiance forward her resume to HR at his job. Whenever there’s a job posting that I think fits her description, I pass along information to her. I’ve also forwarded this site to her in light of finding this contest.
More than anything else though, i try to keep her focused with a positive outlook. She knows she has someone to talk to and she knows I’m there to help her any way that I can. I always stress to her to be prepared for anything at any time – that’s when the magic happens. Hopefully she’ll be able to land a job soon and I’ll be able to share this prize with her. I wish everyone who is job searching in this tough economic time the best of luck. Always stay positive and stay prepared. Something will come along so dont give up!
[…] Check out the giveaway launched today at One Day, One Job. […]
My husband Brian just happens to be unemployed. Well he was laid off quite some time ago. I emailed him a link to onedayonejob and to the training course post. I plan to spend more time reading here to see how you can help me help him in his job search. Wow that was a mouthful. I actually found your site through another with the contest link so this is perfect.
I have already made a detailed list of all the companies he has worked for with their contact information. I am currently working on his resume. I didn’t realize that making a resume would be so difficult. I have been looking through our local newspaper, checking online job sites, and talking to other people trying to find openings.
I’d really love to win this, but honestly even better would be for my husband to get a new job.
I help out my friend whenever he is in need of a job, which occurs every couple of years, but more so recently. Just this past Black Friday I was in a research library, asking if any media/video jobs were open. Although the librarian did not know, I went on line and found some good sites that listed open job positions and how to look for others. In fact, that is how I found this site!
I also help him on his resume, recently advising him to list his college degrees in a certain way so that it would looked better for him, as well as telling him things I learned over the Internet about improving ones resume, such as that many employers want to see someone who has kept previous jobs for a long time, not just a couple of months. The last job I actually offered to him was a governemnt job working in the Census Bureau, which would at least be better than nothing.
While this may not be as traditional a method as the others, over the past few months, Aaron and I have been in one of my college’s computer labs on an almost daily basis. We both had our own (programming) projects we needed to complete and we would work on those mostly on our own. We of course would help out each other whenever needed, but just over these past few weeks he got called back for a second interview. This company wanted him to present his project. Seeing as it was unfinished still, I offered whatever advice I could to his code and took more time out of my own to listen to what he was saying about it. Just explaining it aloud is usually a great way to figure out the problem, but we worked together on it to finish it off in time for his presentation. He’s still waiting to hear back from the company for a final decision. I’m sure a new computer would help him be able to do his work more efficiently in the future, as well.
My friend Sharon comes over to my place to use the computer.
She has a tough life with no computer of her own so when she is over at
my place she can go thru the job searches on her own time instead of the
30 minutes to one hour that
the library places on your time restriction.
She should find something soon we hope!
My wife (May) came to me a few months ago telling me she wanted to go back to school to take up education and get a teacher’s certificate course. She is already working and will do the course after work and during her days off. I told her that it would be difficult since we have 2 kids but since she really wanted to, I told her I will support her. As part of my help, I told her that I would do most of the errands she used to do like taking and fetching kids from school, doing the grocery, and most of the house chores to free her up to take the classes. Recently she needed to do some on the job training as a requirement for the course. I knew about this reading school where my kids friend goes. I told her to go there and apply. She did and after a few observation sessions she was offered a part time job as a resource teacher. Although getting the job was all of her hard work I would like to think that I helped in some way. One unexpected bonus was the nice bonding time I have with my 2 kids. Tiring but fun! My wife could really use a new laptop (or netbook) she is still using my 5 year old laptop. Good luck to everyone!
I helped one of my friends writer her resume. Additionally, I did several jobs searches for her and even helped her apply to them.
I helped Steve who lost his job due to a stroke he suffered two years ago. He feels he has recovered enough that he can be at least partially employed. He realizes that the mobility limitations will be a huge obstacle to overcome but he remains optimistic that there is something out there for him to do. He has never owned a computer and with amazement has now seen how important they can be. A computer of his own would open a whole new world for him.
If I win I will be giving away one computer to someone who tells me a story about paying it forward that I decide is the most thoughtful. Go to:
http://brandonveski.blogspot.com/
in order to comment and read my entire entry.
Happy Holidays!!
I work at Target Pharmacy in Greenbelt, Maryland and got my brother David a job at the Target store in Silver Spring a year ago. Everything started off pretty well, but the pharmacist there ended up being a lazy jerk. Instead of allowing him to quit, I went through a stenuous process of sucking up to human resourses to transfer him to the Greenbelt store. The store has no extra hours and my brother is actually taking some of my hours, but at least he has a job now and won’t be bumming around for a couple of months.
In addition, I refered my fraternity to this site, so hopefully the traffic on this site will increase a little (not that you need my help). Good luck!
Michael Gu
I helped Skylar get his first job. It was tough to find someone who would hire an 18 yr old with no experience. He has been there almost a year now!
So my friend was laid off a couple months ago. In the time since then… Well, I’m driving him these days, since his car died shortly after he lost any source of income (of course). In the afternoons before we go to class at university, we troll nearby shopping centers and restaurants for job applications. We’ll go in, he’ll get an application, I’ll flirt it up with the nearest employee if I can so I can maybe get my friend an in while he fills the application out. As soon as he’s done with one, we move on to the next place. Aside from simply applying to any place accepting applications, my friend and I have also been watching Craigslist for job postings. I also have a network of my own friends and family, including the pastor and the headhunter at the church I work for, looking for job openings my friend could apply for.
We haven’t found him a job yet, but, by God, we’re going to.
My answer is a bit unique as I am not going to leave a friend’s first name, but rather an organization that I helped – and do an ongoing basis! – to get guys coming out of Riker’s gainful employment.
I volunteer as a coach at Getting Out & Staying Out (http://gosonyc.org/) here in Manhattan. About once a month, I come in and do a one hour seminar addressing everything from what to wear to an interview to how to shake hands and use your street smarts to read and build rapport with the interviewer. I’ve been doing this for several months now and always get great feedback from the guys (all men, all 18-24 years old, all have achieved or are finishing their GEDs), so I know what I’m doing has helped some of them get jobs (and it feels good too).
OK, I started the post saying I wouldn’t give a name but here goes anyway: in addition to the volunteer training at GOSO, I did actually get one of their clients a job at my old law firm in midtown Manhattan. His name is Jeremy! So there!
As far as sharing the prize, GOSO is well and tightly run, but it’s hit a bit of a rough patch, given that – in lean times – most people will donate any extra money to more ‘family friendly’ charities (think charities for children, etc.). They do have some computers, though. And I myself need a laptop and a desktop (I have one laptop and it’s old as the hills).
So, long story, long…give me the HDX 18 series notebook PC and the HP TouchSmart IQ816 AIO Desktop PC, and I will happily donate the rest to GOSO! (check out their web site – http://gosonyc.org/ – to learn more or donate or volunteer…or just read some of the interesting stories…it’s a great group)
Regards,
Katherine
Tom had just lost his job and we have friends at a company that hires chemists. So we just introduced them to each other.
My friend, Tom, is a recent graduate with a degree in philosophy and a minor in political science. Unfortunately, with this economy, those fields of study have made it hard to find a job. I have reworked his resume, gave him instruction on accounting and accounting software, as well as sent him job listings several times a week over the past couple of months. I do hope this all helps as he is very hardworking, reliable, and honest; he just doesn’t have the job experience employers seem to be looking for today.
I guess to say I helped a friend with their job search would be an understatement but accurate all the same. My friends Craig and Claire both found themselves unemployed this year. They are both very cerebral people who spend way too much time inside their own heads. Their credentials at first glance are quite intimidating and they both needed a different viewpoint to get the depth of their experience and their intrinsic value across on paper. They both also needed to hone in on what their actual goals were in obtaining their next position. Their passion for their respective fields were not coming across in their resumes or cover letters and they needed someone who knew them and what they were about to get their foot in the door. Once they secured the interview, I knew anyone seeking a valuable professional would know they hit the mother load. I had them both comb the postings and come up with their dream job. From that posting we determined what skills and attributes matched up with their credentials and how to best showcase them. We worked on different versions of the resumes and cover letters and papered the offices of human resource personnel for the last few months. I’m happy to say that Craig starts a new job in Chicago in less than two weeks and Claire has decided to start freelancing.
I found my dream job about six months ago because a friend and former co-worker called me after reading a posting that he thought was worth my consideration. I never stopped receiving the daily postings so I still search them for my friends. Everyday I send out what ends up in my inbox to all my friends that are looking. My next project is updating my niece’s resume since I’ve been her go to person for resume and cover letter writing since she was in college. I love to write and helping people put their thoughts together in order to move on to their next work experience is pretty satisfying. Sometimes its the difference between just gettng a job for survival and actually doing what you love.
I helped Tom .A guy I really didn’t know but soon fell in love with.He is a friend of a friend who needed help last year.He is a widowed father of two ,in an out of jail because he turned to alchol after he wife died and made some bad choices.I took him job hunting,helped him with resumes. did the call backs, searched online,posted resumes online and gave him encouragement when he didn’t get a job.Finally he got one.HE’s a welder. But like most, layoffs hit this year. And we are looking again.I am his encouragement.
I have a friend named Jennifer that is in need of a job badly. We have what we call a bulleting board at work and that is where they post new job openings so I log on every day and check for new job postings for her. Since It’s about an hour commute each way I told her if she gets a job she can even ride with me to help her out.I told her I would help her with a resume because she doesn’t have a computer and doesn’t know how to do one. I told her she should have one ready and make copies so she can drop them off to employers whenever she sees a job listing she is interested in. Since I do have a PC I offered to help her. My PC is ancient but it works. It’s actually a HP pavilion xt963 that I purchased about eight or nine years ago and I can’t complain since I’m still using it today. I also have a HP Deskjet F4135 all in one so we could copy documents to attach to her resume. My mother was a supervisor for 35 years and she told me that they use percentages to rate not only the resume but the interview. I asked her what makes or breaks an interview to get some inside information on what they look for. She said “to be able to follow details is a big one”, for example if they say hand write your cover letter then make sure you do or they won’t bother to call you for the interview. They want someone that can follow directions. If you do get an interview she said “have confidence in yourself, let them know you would be an asset to them. Let them know you are committed and dependable. They like to see someone who is capable of filling the companies needs. Dress appropriately for the job you are applying for at your interview. As she said “neatness and appearance is important as well. Of course I passed all this information on to Jennifer to help her be successful in finding a job. This giveaway is perfect because not only does she need a job she needs a computer so she can have access to search for jobs online. Some companies require you to apply on line. This would definitely be a plus in helping her get a job. Thanks for sharing and Happy Holidays~!
I actually got my husband the job he’s in now! I work in a bank, and one day one of the cooks came into our bank to deposit his check and I asked him if the restaurant was hiring. That was two years ago, and my husband is one of the top chefs now! Thanks for the opportunity!
Alex
David
Chan
These are my friends that help me out on rent, food, gas and pay my credit card bills when I lost my job do to the slow economy and the only way to pay them back and say thank you for helping me threw a rough time is giving them a piece of the HP magic,
Than You and HP for having this contest and I wish everyone a joyous holiday season.
My friend Rang had entered into a pretty bad contract where he was bounded to work for 3yrs. If he were to leave earlier he was to pay back the company every cent he had made out of them. The initial promise from the company had been to grant them work visa’s to Japan but at the end were finding the staff here was more cost effective. So, though it was coming out and declaring it, the company was slowly trying to convince the people to stay in the local office rather than migrating. My fiend took it really badly. He had been working and learning a specific system that was of no value outside that organization. He was pretty low in self esteem and his confidence level was not suitable to go on the job hunt. If he did, he would have had to settle for a job that paid him much less.
So I got hold of CEO that I knew through my networks, and found that they were looking for a System admin. The pay offered was almost half the pay my friend was expecting, primarily because due to the nature of the company he’d be idling 60% of the time. So, I sold my friend to him as a Sys Admin + R&D guy that was worth the pay he was expecting. Company took him on and he’s now the head of R&D.
If I win the printer + something else, I’m planning on donating my one month old Cannon printer to soldiers’ welfare unit. Good luck to everyone :)
I helped a friend Yingxia recently to land a job at my company, I have to say it was a bit selfish of me as I knew she was great and would really help my company. I was very clear during the interviewing process, that this is a friend of mine and was doubly careful not prejudice the hiring managers, but I repeated to them the fundamental truths about her character. She is sharp, incisive and very productive. When she asked me about the work environment, again as she is a friend I was very careful not prejudice anything, simply by telling the truth, it is a hard work environment with intellectually challenging standards, I gave her a fair overview of the strengths, character and weaknesses of our team. Happily she both received and accepted the offer, and since then has done fantastic work for us, which should hopefully lead to more lives saved, and disease prevented.
I helped my brother with his resume to get into collage. He is going into film and computer science. I also enjoyed telling him what not to put into his resume. I gave him interviewing tips, suggestions, that he will not be able to just wear jeans and a t-shirt, and much, much more.
This is probably a different story than most of these stories. I am a student, and I have a huge interest in technology. I go to a private high school, and and it just happened that there aren’t many people with an interest in geek stuff like me. Except for one, of course, who I helped find a job. It’s actually his first job as well.
I referred him to a small place, which uses a software called Nverse Pro. Basically, it’s 3D modeling of cities. The software is very hard to learn (Google it and take a look at how it works…). The person who refers the employee is the one who trains him, which was me in this case, and it did take a few hours. This job has no specified work schedule, so its perfect for a student. The pay isn’t bad either, you start out at about 70$/km but your pay can double, as you get more skilled.
However, I’m also trying to get a second job for both of us. I live in a town where a Harris (the engineering one, not the bank) is located. I was told that they have jobs specifically open for students. I’m going to assume that due to the nature of the business, that a portable PC would come in handy ;) for both of us.
So what am I going to do with the rest of the stuff? Well, my parents could use a new desktop, which doesn’t run at 80c (like our current Pentium D workstation…) and we can’t afford satellite TV anymore, so the MediaSmart box would come in handy there. The laptops would be a serious boost start to both of us in our careers so please consider this entry!
My friend Jeff and I both are in transition. I received a confidential job opening that I fit, but wasn’t perfect for. My friend Jeff also is unemployed, and was a better fit. I sent him the job and he immediately received an interview. It went well and he’s waiting to hear if he’ll be called in for a second round.
I would’ve love that job, but Jeff was better qualified and is a good person. I hope he gets it.
Like many of you, I have lived the joy of helping others find work. I have also lived the disappointment of not being able to help someone, but when that happens, I keep in mind the last line of the motto from a school here in Chicago (called Providence St. Mel): “With God’s help, we will either find a way or make one.”
Whether it’s pointing someone to a resource like onedayonejob.com, editing a resume, making a personal connection, or helping someone get their feet (back) under them, I think there’s no more rewarding or important work than helping others provide for themselves.
I’ve also been on the receiving end of incredible generosity; people giving me a chance, letting me prove what I can do, helping me get started when I struck out on my own.
The spirit those people showed me is why I’m working with Willy on the product we’re building, and it’s why I’m sitting here on a Friday night reading these stories. It’s to pay it forward… and it’s clear from these stories that the effort will be for good. These stories are fantastic. There’s a real sense of hope and humanity that comes through many of them. Who knew all it would take is a little prize to catalyze a discussion like this?
My wife’s in the other room watching the news. I’m sitting reading about how people helped their friends, kids, spouses, and even strangers. Hey, Honey: I WIN!
Good luck, everyone… and from a career coach/consultant who understands only too well the stresses attendant with a job search, kudos to you, you’ve earned your good karma!
-Jason
My mom is looking for a job. I have been sick for 5 years, and have been in and out of the hospital since July od this year. My mom stays with me in the hospital 24 hors a day ( except when she goes home to shower or get me something i need). She sleeps on two wire framed chairs almost like barstools. Needless to say, my mom puts me first in her life. So, she had to take a minimal paying job, which is definitely not a job that she is passionate about
In order to have flexibility to stay home with me when I’m sick, and to pay off my medical bills and college loans. I think that my mom’s generosity and love should be put to good use at a job that she truly loves. I decided to take it upon myself to help my mom get the job that she deserves. I am struggling to stay in college because of all of the school I have missed and all of the pain I am, but it is a priority in my life to somehow repay my mother. I know her life would turn around if she were able to work at a job that she is truly passionate about. Even through all of my personal struggles, I have been dedicated to finding my mom a job that will bring her fulfillment. I have been coming to this website for tips on finding her a great job. I have also been scoring websires such as jobs.com and monster.com. I look at the newspaper for the job advertisements. I have been going on my school’s website that helps students connect with employers. I think that this is the best tool to find a job around. These are employrers seeking YOU out. How often does that happen?! I am still searching for a job for my mom, and I hope and pray that she finds a job that can bring her great satisfaction. She has been an angel to me and I hope that you will consider her for the HP Magic Giveaway. I have been searching for a way to repay her & I hope that you and HP can help me show my mom how much I appreciate her love, support, dedication, and giving of her entire life to me. She deserves to win this contest because she is an inspiring, and loving person, and knows the magic of giving oh so well because she gives of herself so often. Thank you for your consideration! Keep on giving. Peace.
I ran into a gal at Walmart who was looking for a job. I knew of a fantastic work at home position with a great national company. I spent an hour explaining to her the job requirements, the application process and the steps to take to get hired.
I have brother in law, he is marrying my sister. Last year he lost his job as an accounting. While he waiting for an interview I ask him why didn’t he do something in the mean while. So I support him to make animal farm, and then he try to build one to breed rabbit. Now his farm is growing but he missed his job as an accounting so if I win this contest will share my winning notebook to him so he can do accounting job again from home.
I shared a book package (48 days to the work you love) with my sister and my daughters boyfriend.
My husband originally received the book during an open house at work (auto industry)and we had it on hand in case he doesnt go back after layoff. During the next few weeks, my sister lost her job. The package has a workbook, a book, and a cd-rom for writing resumes. Chuck, my daughters boyfriend is looking for work — his family is low income and he wants to help out. At least both of them have a plan for getting the resumes out, and …it would be nice to have computers and printers to get things moving quicker.
My nephew, Josh, graduated college about a year and a half ago.
He is not working in his educated field (computer graphics, he was interested in gaming), but at Staples.
I invited him to my house one evening, and looked over his resume and gave him some pointers (like added PhotoShop to his resume). My wife made dinner (bonus points for her).
I than explained some other ways of looking for a job (other than posting his resume on Monster); like:
– google for companies that do what he wants to do, and see if they have listings that are not on Monster, and learn about these different companies
– create a web site or blog and post examples of your work, and create more and more all the time (someone may just see it)
– find local user group meetings to rub shoulders with others working in your field, and attand their meetings and get involved on-line
– try to find volunteer organizations that need PhotoShop or other graphical development, and volunteer some time
– find fan movie makers and see what you can do, or be a editor lackie and LEARN (his friend’s mom was involved in a Star Wars fan movie)
I can’t recall other things we talked about, there were other ideas.
Since then, I send him links whenever I come across a news article about something pertinent to his field, and I’ve even sent him a couple about contests for creating works with Photoshop.
I also talked to him about the difference in working in a professional white collar office, versus his current spot. I was trying to emphasize his potential have gotten a college degree (where his dad doesn’t, and his mom has an associates degree, I just think he can achieve a lot).
This is the story of how I helped my own son, Mario. He is a research student, doing his PhD in Developmental Biology. The practical lab work dragged longer than expected and by the time he finished it his fellowship had already ran out, so he was stuck having to write his dissertation without any income. The whole situation proved to be too much stressful for him, and he fell into some hard times. I tried to help as best as I could, trying to encourage him, and helping him financially, but, although he is a bright young man, he could not overcome his anxiety and write his thesis. He reached out to me and after talking things through he asked for my help in trying to get him somekind of part-time job so that he could regain some of his independence, feel productive and still have some time to dedicate to his writing.
Finding a part-time job for someone with his qualifications, a researcher in molecular biology and embryology, is not trivial. He handed me his resume and I hunted the classifieds and job agencies. Needless to say that I could not find him anything in his area of expertise, so after scanning a job offers’ website here in Portugal (http://www.net-empregos.com/) the best I could find for him were part-time jobs at call centers. He agreed that it would be a good option, all things considered, so I answered to some of the offers and he went to several interviews. He eventually found one at a call center of one of the major cell phone carriers here, which was not far from his place and had a work schedule that would allow him to work in his dissertation. And he is still there, 4 months later, it’s far from his ideal job, but it pays for most of his needs (he has to be frugal though) but it has somewhat helped lift his morale and give him the incentive to finish writing. My hope is that this whole situation ends soon so that he can go back to do what he loves and is best at, researching.
Anyway, this might seem like too much of a sob story but it is a true one, and I’m not just telling it to move the “judges”. If I end up being lucky and taking the prize home, then the HP Pavilion dv4 and the Photosmart C6380 printer will go to my son, I’m sure he’ll appreciate them. I might also give him the HP TouchSmart IQ816 PC to replace his old desktop tower and use it as a TV. The HP mini I will definitely keep it to myself, while the HP HDX 18 will go to my nephew, who is a struggling landscape architect who would appreciate the large screen real-state for his CAD works. The DVDs will go to the kids in the family and for the rest we’ll see, if the time comes.
Thanks for the opportunity to enter the contest,
Antonio Filipe
My friend, Kristy, recently lost her job. She came to me seeking assistance in finding another. She has no computer, so I let her use mine to search, post resumes, look up addresses… whatever she needed, whenever she needed. She has a couple of possibilities as a result, and hopes to hear in the next week or so. She is the type of person who can’t stand to stay home doing nothing (how many of us would love to he a week or two off to do nothing?!) so hopefully she will get one soon.
I actually offered a position to several friends (and some family) to work with me on a work-related project I’ve got going on (some web writing and some web development). Just getting them started has involved a lot of mentoring, sharing of knowledge and encouragement. But the best part is that I know that I’m helping them learn skills that they can use to continue to work independently if they choose. Just today I sent one of them a lead for another project in the same vein. I’m on a personal mission to help everyone who is interested learn how to make a living while working for themselves!
John is a funny, kind, creative, sensitive guy with dazzling computer skills. He loves life and he loves people. He also has severe asthma. Asthma and other chronic health problems cost him his tech job. Even a great employer doesn’t extend long absences from work.
A bout with pneumonia had him inactive for a long time. I paid for over $100 worth of his prescriptions when I drove him home from the hospital. He stayed at my house for a few days until he was strong enough to be on his own. He gained weight. When he was ready to begin a job search, he no longer had a dress shirt that fit. He could no longer afford a car.
I wanted to invest in John. I believe in him. I bought him a couple of dress shirts, and gave him rides to job interviews. I don’t exaggerate when I say I drove him over fifty times to different job searches and follow-up interviews. I also bought him a pair of decent walking shoes so he could walk to the bus stop when I wasn’t available. I bought him a month-long bus pass. I rooted for him when he was down, celebrated when he was up. When he needed to talk, I’d pick up the tab at lunch or dinner at a neighborhood cafe.
The Crow Indian word for “fool” translates as, “One who talks about himself.” I don’t like injecting myself into this story. I’m not a rich person, and I’m not a saint. If you knew John, you’d want to do all you could for him. My life is richer from knowing him. It’s no cliche’ to say that I received more from the effort than I put into it.
I helped my buddy Gary land a job at the local Window manufacturing plant. Great contest!
6 months ago, I hired a young 18 year old, who had not yet graduated from high school as a temporary worker. She wasn’t the best worker when she was hired, and she acted, well, mostly like a teenager. She showed real promise, but had some very real challenges to overcome. She didn’t come from a great family situation, and no one had ever taught her at home some of the basic life skills needed to be successful in the job market as well as in life.
We worked very long hours, and she learned how to step up and be responsible. I included her in all of my decision making, and taught her how to evaluate situations and how to react, and the things that employers are looking for in their staff. Our job required us to employ over 200 temporary workers from all walks of life, and she learned how to be an excellent assistant, while learning from me, and reminding me of how to have fun in the workplace.
When that job ended, we discussed the future and she decided to come back to CA with me and my wife to continue working as my assistant and to live with us. We spent the next 4 months working together and learning how to develop as a family. My wife and I decided to adopt her, and she has now become our daughter. Our jobs were related to the election, so when it was over, so was our work. She decided to look into retail, and went out last week to look for work.
She was hired within 2 days, based on the answers she was able to provide in her interviews. She went in for orientation, and was told that most people take 5 to 8 hours to complete, as they are paid hourly for this time.
She completed everything within 2 hours, and her new manager was shocked and asked her why she didn’t take more time. Her answer was simple, it costs too much, and is a waste of resources when people take advantage of an hourly wage in that way. She would rather demonstrate her abilities and have the opportunity to prove herself, than take 3 additional hours simply to line her own pocket.
When she came home and told me about this, I knew then that I had really made a difference! I don’t think I could possibly have been any prouder.
I am currently an undergrad, and had just found a job after my last job went out of business. I got the job after having been unemployed a whole summer so I understood how helpless it feels to be a collage student without a job. My best friend Farah had been looking for a job but had no luck for a really long time. She needed a job with a flexible schedule and that was hard to find. My job was with the university so it was pretty flexible. I got the human resources coordinator’s phone number of my department and gave my friend the number. She was way too nervous about even calling, she hadn’t really had a grown up job before and was afraid of the unknown. She finally called the number after a few months of nagging on my part and got herself an interview. She was nervous about her resume and the interview. I and a few other friends got together and wrote up a great resume during break one day and gave her ideas on how to behave during the interview. She ended up getting the job and really liked it for a while, until her coworker had to cut down on her hours, leaving my friend with too much to take care of.
I understand how scary it can be to try something new, even a job, so a little bit of push never hurts, and negging always works.
Good Luck
I work for an organization that routinely hires a person for one job and eventually changes the requirements of that job. Jackie became a victim of that process.
Jackie was a lower-position secretary who was assigned to a unit where the supervisor/manager was housed about twelve miles away at another facility. As a result, Jackie was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operation of the location where she was housed. She was, in essence, a nonmanager doing a manager’s job. I happen to visit Jackie’s site on a regular basis. I interacted with Jackie often although I was not her supervisor.
Over a period of time Jackie’s supervisor began expressing dissatisfaction with her work performance and eventually requested to bring her over to the central office so that she could be put on a termination path. I offer to take Jackie on as part of my Unit to see how she would perform in a different environment. My offer was accepted and I was instructed to inform Jackie of her transfer to my Unit.
Several months afterwards Jackie asked to meet with me regarding personal matter. At that point she reflected back to that day I informed her of her transfer, She said that evening she went home and cried. At first I thought it was because of her concern of having to join my Unit. Instead, Jackie had cried because she was so happy to be relieved of a work responsibility she had not sought and loathed. She cried because she was happy because she was being transferred.
I subsequently transferred away. I saw Jackie a couple of years later in a company elevator. Jackie told me that because of her experience in my Unit, she was encouraged to go back to school. She had earned her college degree and was planning on continuing. She had done all of this because of my unknowing encouragement and support to her. Something I’ve always felt to be part of my responsibility in the workplace.
I helped my friend, Nancy, by going over her resume and tuning it up and making it more concise. I also helped her by having mock interviews with her and helping her sort out how to answer the most common interview questions.
Since I use to be an HR Manager when my friend Linda was having no luck finding a job I suggested we do a practice interview and then gave her guidance on appropriate answers and not to offer too much personal information…. I also gave her links to job search engines that I knew of, I never heard of yours to be honest but now that I have it, it has been bookmarked and will be emailed to Linda, Brad and a few others (yes I will be sharing the prize with the two just listed should I win). Good luck to all!
I have a 22 year old son who’s friend Darryl has had a very tough life. Darryl was abused as a child and in his teens made some wrong choices and ended up with a felony on his record. He had moved away from us for a time to try and advance himself at his job but he was so lonely that he came back. I have been helping him try to find a job for the last several months. I created a really professional resume for him, and helped him get listed with the major online job banks. Darryl is the kindest, most generous and loving young man and he can’t find a job, mostly because of the felony from his past. It wasn’t a violent crime and he is truly sorry for it. I feel terrible because this one wrong decision is going to affect him the rest of his life. That is why I am giving 110% to help him find employment. Everyone deserves a second chance in life. If I win this contest I’m going to give Darryl half of the prize because he doesn’t have a computer and it would help him in his search. Thank you for this chance.
I helped my friend Jack find a job, I helped him with his resume and we checked the online job bank every day and emailed it out, as well I posted it on Monster and Workopolis and he got many offers and got a job, the internet is a wonderful thing.
I am helping a friend with a job search as her employment ended after the November elections. I helped to review her resume, and have done countless searches. I have also forwarded her resume through various networks of mine. In the process, I have landed a job that allows me to work from home, but find I am in serious need for updated equipment. Thanks for the opportunity. Should I win, I would use some components and share some with my friend!
I helped my buddy edit their resume to one page!
I have been helping my boyfriend Kerry with his job search for the past few months. His experience has been in tool and die programming for the automotive industry. With the current circumstances of the automotive industry it has become increasingly more difficult for him to find viable positions. For him I am always on the lookout for new job postings which I share with him. I have searched online databases, newspapers, and attended regional meetings where employers and job developers convene to discuss employment opportunities in the area.
I have helped Kerry update his resume, create targeted cover letters,fill out online applications, and email employers. Most recently he has been considering going to school to gain more qualifications and move away from the manufacturing career path. I have been sharing information with him on state and federal programs of assistance, as well as different college and vocational programs. Together we have discussed possible areas of study that he would be interested in and hopefully find success in.
Throughout Kerry’s entire job seeking process I think my most important role is simply being a supportive ally. I am there for him to discuss options, vent frustrations, and identify an alternative perspective. Maybe most importantly I am there to give him a pat on the back, tell him how proud I am of his efforts, and suggest a little time-out to watch a movie or visit with friends when the process becomes overwhelming.
Kerry was supportive during my recent job search and I am happy to be supportive during his.
Hi I sent my friend a link to you guys website. She is interested in getting a new job also my dad also helped her find any other job is she was interested.
I have been working with a friend at church who recently was laid off. I wanted to let him know I had been laid off before and new what he was going through. He had been at his company for over 20 years and has three kids. I told him he needs to get right back out there and that been laid off was not a reflection on him.
In my work at a center for independent living my responsibility is to help people with disabilities find jobs. A hard job in the main stream these days, and among the minority that is most opressed in the job market it is even more difficult, as I know first hand in that I have been blind for 20 years. Currently my department has ventured into the area of micro-enterprise incubation for our consumers where we build abusiness around the talents of the individual. The person I will share the package with is a painter who lost both arms as a child due to electric shock. He paints with a brush between his teeth and is extremely good. A computer that we will equip with speech input will allow Mike to do his own bookeeping, internet advertising and many other work related tasks.
To help my friend, Steven, get his first job, I edited his resume, had mock interviews, and gave him advice from my many years of working experience. Earlier I had set up an alert for him whenever a job within his qualifications and interests was posted on various job-search websites. I have also offered to help out as best I can with any future problems he might encounter that are work related, since balancing college and a job can be very difficult.
I had not heard of your site before, and I did email a buddy of mine a link to the site.
I helped my friend Charlie by helping him broaden this thinking concerning his talents and abilities. I encouraged him to look into other job opportunites.
Mi friend is names Kristina. When she was interviewing for her next job, I gave her interviewing tips. She said it seemed to work, and it helped her get the job.
I know it’s not much, especially because at my age many of my friends aren’t seriously looking for jobs yet, but last summer my friend was in need of a summer job, and I encouraged her to apply to the camp where I had been working for the past two summers. I emailed the camp director telling her how great a counselor my friend would be (which I believed, and she was), and she got the job after a long wait. She loved the camp and made the money she needed that summer.
I helped my friend, Hil, by reviewing his resume and helping him focus his interview tactics. He is a smart person and was having trouble finding a position, especially one at his dream company. After discussing his strengths, weaknesses, goals, etc we were able to reformulate his resume and target his interview responses to suit the jobs for which he was applying. Within 2 months he was able to land a contract job that turned into a fulltime position after just 5 more months – all at the company he was dreaming of.
My son Jonathan has been looking for a job for about six months. Since he lives across the country, I have phoned an emailed a lot to encourage him. I offer advice about places to look and what to say in interviews. I’ve also sent money for him to buy new clothes so he will look nice for interviews. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I would share this prize with my other son who has a new job as a software engineer and needs new equipment. Thanks for the giveaway.
I have been helping my sister find a job for the past few years (In fact, all of the jobs that she has had, I have found for her). I help her write her resume and customize it to the specific job that she is applying for. I coach her for the interview. I also pick out the wardrobe and we do a dry run before going on interviews. I have automated email messages on several job sites that get triggered based on specific jobs. I also have an automated “agent” at USAJOBS (which is the federal government job site) that delivers every week the available jobs around the her area. I am hoping that she will land a job soon (she was riffed due to the economy not long ago).
I also assisted one of my girlfriends who had worked at this one place for close to 20 years as executive assistance. She was called in the ofice one Friday and laid off (they hired 2 people to replace her). Since she has 3 kids in college, she needed a job quickly. I helped her with her resume, posted it online and on USAJOBS. We also registered with the Washington Post jobs section and sent her resume using their job search system. She landed a job within 2 weeks with terrific benefits and close to her house. A win-win situation for her.
Needless to say I will share this incredible prize with both of them as this would be a fantastic Christmas gift.
I have been helping my daughter in her search for a job. She is currently a freshman in college but has little money to do anything. It is very difficult for freshman to get a job. She has applied to many but not luck. I talked to several of my friends and associates if they knew of any one needing help over the Chirstmas break. One of my friends has come through with a job for her over the break. If she does a good job over the break, this may become a intern position over the summer. Part of the prize package would be given to my daughter to take back to college for the spring semester. This would be a great Christmas present for her since I sent her to college with a very old laptop.
I helped my friend stay dedicated at finding a job that he would stick with, and gave him support whenever the positions fell through.
I’d like to note that In the past,
I’ve helped two of my beloved siblings with their job searches by:
1. Calling in a recommendation with/to a past employer for one
2. Having a resume rewritten for the other
Bringing magic to their job search!
I gave a friend a copy of photoshop. He became good enough at using it to get a job as a graphic designer for a small firm using photoshop. We were both in High School, and the job wasn’t that intense, he got paid to figure out how to use photoshop as well, but he had a basic proficiency and knowledge of the program beforehand. I also helped my father edit his resume. He had pad someone to do it for him, and when I edited it, I found typos, bad grammar, and inconsistent formatting. I can’t believe that someone would charge for a doing such a poor job.
Well, my name is Sean and I’m an inventory control specialist at our local Wal-Mart. Here’s my entry for the contest.
One of my best friends name is Savannah. She is 19 years old, and is a full-time college student at Middle Tennessee State University. Her parents were unable to afford to get her through college, but she was fortunate to get a Pell Grant from the government to help her gain a college education. She’s now about to end her first semester as a sophomore at MTSU. While she was going to school full-time, she worked at our local Taco Bell to help her get her books and to pay for the gas so she could commute to MTSU 4 days a week. In August of this year she was laid off due to a huge loss in sales for three months straight. A few days after she was laid off, I asked her was their anything I could do to help. She told me no for a few weeks. Towards the end of August she still couldn’t find a job, and she came to me asking if I could loan her some money so she could get back and forth to school. Of course I said yes, and asked her if she would like to join the Wal-Mart family. She said that she really didn’t think she could ever work in the retail world, but was willing to give it a try.
So I went with her and she put in an application. That day I spoke to my store manager and asked her if she could please hire her on, and I was told that the only way she could get on is if she would take a part-time job being a cashier. I told Savannah what my store manager said, and she said she needed a full-time job because of all the expenses she had because of school. So the next day when I went into work, and talked with our store manager and explained to her the situation and asked if their was anything full-time that she could possibly get? Once again I was told no. Savannah was really reluctant to get a part-time job, but was willing to take whatever she could get.
Later that day I was talking to a few associates that also knew Savannah that were full-time and wanted out of the department that they were in. So I thought hey, maybe one of these people could move to the front-end and let Savannah take their place. So I started asking around, and I finally found someone that was willing to do that. The girls name was Laura. So we went to our store manager, Ramona, and explained everything and it was a done deal.
Savannah is still employed full-time at Wal-Mart and is really enjoying her job as a sales associate and is still going to school full-time. Over the last three months I have helped 4 other friends get jobs at Wal-Mart as part-time employees. If there’s anyone else that is in need of a job here in Tennessee, please let me know as I can pull some chains at quite a few Wal-Marts and get you in!
First let me thank you on behalf of myself and my friend Trudy for this amazing chance!
Trudy was unable to work for 2 years because she decided to move in with a close friend and take care of him while he was dealing with liver cancer. When she decided to get back into the workforce, everyone saw that 2 year lapse and no one called her back. I finally told her to add to her resume, Personal care assistant. I told her it didn’t matter that it wasn’t a professional job, she was compensated, with paid rent, food and other necessities. I believe that sometimes it is the obvious that escapes us. I also looked over her resume and and made some suggestions to spice it up and prune it a bit. She lives in a different state then I do but I also started looking in the classifieds on the computer (indeed.com, monster.com etc) because she has dial-up and helping her by sending her the links. She ended up getting a very posh job! We were both so excited! I loved helping her too. Made me very happy and I would do it again for anyone! Now I am the one that needs it! I have been out of work since June due to this dreadful economy!
thanks for the chance, and you bet I will share the wealth with Trudy.
I have a cousin who teaches at a known university and she told me that their department needed a few more teachers for some economics classes. My friend, Shirley had a master’s degree in economics and was looking for a part-time job. I told her about my conversation with my cousin and urged her to apply for the post. She’s been going through something very personal since March and I knew she needed something to go her way.
I emailed my cousin to ask for details and I forwarded her reply to Shirley. When Shirley saw the department chairperson’s name she texted me saying that she knew the guy and that they were classmates in her master’s classes and that she met all the requirements for the post.
I asked my cousin if Shirley could borrow some of her materials for a teaching demonstration and she gave me the stuff to forward to my friend. Shirley is now actually considering the teaching job because of all the things she had going for her.
Ok, so my story is simple, yet complicated.
My roommate, at school, and I, are going for the same degree. Hence after we graduate will be going for the same jobs. Well, as of right now we keep working on getting internships as we are in the middle of our college careers and full time employment is a bit down the road. We both did interviews, and talked to different companies through career fairs and what not, but as we are both also from the same general area, we wanted to work close to home and it really came down to one employer. We both talked to them, separately, and we both dropped each others name, unplanned, just the right thing to do. It turns out that on the final interviews they had with us, they ended up cutting a deal with both of us so that we could each work two summer terms and one semester of school. Win-Win-Win, the situation really could not have worked out better. And I really do not think it could have happened with out each of us pulling for each other in the same direction. I am pleased to call him my friend and would love to share this prize with him.
Thank you for the opportunity.
My wife is not working right now but would like to out there earning her own money. We just bought her a computer software program that is utilized to perform energy calcs. She has great computer skills, but needs a little help with the building requirements. I spend an hour or two a night with her so that she can learn this new job skill!
My wife would love to have a faster laptop – Therefore, if I win this contest, she will get her pick of laptops!
I helped Sara by not letting her quit her current job until she found a new one. Otherwise, she would have been out of luck for awhile.
About a week ago I helped my friend and I got together and went over her reesume and her skills, I also emailed her a link to One Day,One Job!
I’ve been trying to help my friend Shawn get his first “real” job. We all know how hard is it to break though and get a good career started. Well as I have a good job, I have been able to do a lot of networking on his behalf. Through this I have been able to get some companies interested in internships to help Shawn get started on his career path. No tangible result yet, but it’s looking very promising.
I’m in college and my older sister has two adorable young girls (going on 1 and 3-yay nieces!). I’ve found some cool telecommuting part time jobs to make some extra cash for term time expenses and my sister was looking for a similar kind of thing so she could stay at home with the kids. I shared some of the things I was working on with her and she shared onedayonejob with me.
Then, she came up with a brilliant idea for a web business she wanted to start up. The next time I went to visit her, I brought some business books I aquired over the years that included tips on writing a business plan and I helped her flesh out her ideas and write out the basic plan. I’ve been doing research on entrepreneurship competitions and other venues for capital. (Wish us luck.)
Once she gets a little more start up money, she’ll be off and running, and I’m sure some of this hardware would help.
3 kids in college all using 3 and 4 year old computers tells you where 3 laptops are going. Nikki at Texas U, Ashley ar NIU in Illinois and Matt athe the UofI in Illinois. My son in law jimmy would love the youchscreen and my grandson Eric the DVD.
I am helping my ex-husband find work. He does not have a computer nor is he very computer literate; so along with letting him sleep on my sofa, ( he also has no home right now ), I showed him how to file for unemployment and do his weekly listings online. The job he was in at a factory- at very low pay- ended up taking him back again. We are still looking for a job that can pay him enough to actually afford rent or any payments of any kind though. I have also helped him do his resume and how to fill in online questions at the sites with more than one word answers to get the attention of possible positions.
This prize would greatly enhance this for him, he could continue online searching on his own computer. We also have gone to job sites looking for positions in this area. We live in a very small town though and the work force here due to the gas crunch has hit all of these automotive factories hard. This could greatly help him step into the 21st century and would enhance all chances of getting a better job with the computer skills he would obtain.
Along with my ex, I am also helping my son find a job. This area has been hit hard and jobs are few and far between. I would love to send you a paper from here to show you under employment there is an average of two job listings a week for truck drivers or hair stylists usually. Anyway, we are now looking into ways to get the funds for college since work is so hard to find for him also, and doing this all online. The HP package would help both of my sons with college and their needs of computers for college or for the line of work they both want to go into. The amount this would help is enormous and the impact on all of our futures would be the most wonderful and greatest gift ever.
I also drive everyone to the interviews, offices, or where needed as needed, for support and because I have a running car. I help them dress properly and most or any paperwork involved I type it up for them. I lost my job to a disability thus freeing me up to help others in any way I can, which is limited due to the disability.
I also donated my work suits, clothing and shoes to the Dress for Success charity to help other women, for free, to dress properly when job searching or starting a new and decent job. Clothing can be a big problem when starting out in the work force, so having a place to get a free suit or other clothing for work is such a big help.
My friend, Vicki, was laid off in March 2008. As a professional, she is having a hard time obtaining employment in her current field. I have another friend who works at a Specialized Temp Agency. I decided to introduce the two in order to give Vicki a chance at something else.
I have a degree in education and I can’t get a job due to the poor condition of Michigan’ economy. I am ok with that because I have a very important job. I am a stay-at-home-Mommy to my 9 month-old son, Dexter. Well, my little brother is 24 years old and has never really ever held a job longer than a few months. Recently he contacted me asking if I could be a reference for him on a job application! I was impressed! Of course I told him that I would. Unbeknownst to him, I called a few people in his city and I got him a few job interviews. I asked these people not to let him know that I had called them, I wanted them to think it was his tenacity and drive that lead them to call him.
My brother, Nick, still lives at home and things have been pretty tight for my dad lately. There is no reason for my lazy-Playstation-addicted brother to get a job. Well, I am proud to say that he goes in for his third interview next week. He is in the running to be the Mayor’s Assistant. They told him he would need a laptop. How serendipitous! Thank you for this opportunity. It would mean the world to those I will share my winnings with!!!
One of my friends has been looking for a job for the past 4 months. During that time, I took her to her interviews and waited for her. Plus I have dropped her off to her 2nd interview and picked her up. In addition once she got the job to help her through her first week or so I rented a car for her. Until she got going.
I’m going for only one entry. I emailed my step daughter the link to One Day, One Job.
I did an old professor of mine, Karla, a favor, and in the process helped roughly 50 students with their job search. I spoke to two of Karla’s classes(Business and Professional Communication) about my internship experience over the summer and my own job search. I explained to them in detail how I got my internship, things they should look for considering their own, and encouraged them to get as much experience as they can-even unpaid like mine was- and how helpful it can be. I talked to them about the importance of networking and showed them Linked In. While talking about my own job search (I graduate this May) I explained a few of the tools I’m using and how they can utilize them as well. I pulled up One Day One Job(and One Day One Internship) and navigated them around the site-showing them my favorite parts etc. and other job search engines I use, such as indeed.com. They were really great students, and asked me a lot of questions on what I do on a daily basis to find jobs.
Last week, I told my friend Randy, who was complaining about being a security guard that he should look for more specialized jobs that he could do which don’t involve having a bachelors degree. I told him about a job that I got by looking in the “other” section of a job-site. I told him to also look for contract jobs. This, he hadn’t done. He told me that he’d try that. Today, I told him about onedayonejob.com as an additional resource.
In addition, I helped my mother, who recently has had to re-enter the workplace due to the loss of her house, apply for jobs. For the past 15 years, my mother has been a real estate agent. Since the housing crisis, she’s had a hard time financially. She figured she could just go back to being a legal secretary, but has been frustrated because she could not find work as a legal secretary (because she’s not been in the field for over 12 years and she’s now 60). So, I told my mom to look for jobs that she could do that she may not have previously applied for. I told her, “if the job seems interesting, look at the description of duties. If you can do them, tailor your resume/cover letter to that job and apply.” After that, my mom got like 5 interviews for jobs that pay higher than she’d made as a legal secretary. The jobs are much more interesting too.
Since i’ve found this website very helpful I have been forwarding the URL to many of my roommates. I live with five of my best friends and we are all seniors in college and are having a very difficult time finding jobs! Only one has a standing offer and it is with Goldman Sachs in NYC. Lucky guy! But when he was considering not taking the offer he was looking at various other opportunities on your website. His name is Brendan. I have also forwarded the website along to the other four roommates in my house. Keep up the good work and thanks for the free resource. From a broke college student, it means a TON.
Best,
My son is stuck, both in his current job and education. I’ve forwarded him your website for inspiration.
My entry is for my college dedication to helping everyone I knew get jobs and internships. I’m graduating this month with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications.
When I was a sophomore, I joined the Public Relations Student Society of America chapter at my school. I helped one of the graduating officers (Tina) get an internship at my internship which led her to a job offer. Then I became president of our chapter my junior year and helped get an officer, Renee, get an internship for credit, Jennifer I met at a national PRSSA conference get her an internship, housing and friends in my college town and that agency offered her a job within two months. Then my senior year I traveled abroad for a semester and when I got back into my fifth unpaid internship I helped two volunteers get connections in the fashion scene.
I also helped a good friend Maryam get two jobs at two of my workplaces. The last group of people I’ve tried to help get jobs is my required senior class. We do presentations about a topic in the media industry and last week I did mine on jobs in the media. So I included all the resources I’ve used to help others find jobs as well as where I find jobs including One Day, One Job. As I walked into class, everyone was talking about how hard it is with the economy to find a job in media, so I knew this would be a hit. Well, the projector wasn’t working so no one could see the slideshow but after I talked about all the opportunities out there in the media practically everyone in the class (about 10 people) wanted me to e-mail them the slide show. One girl even came up to me after class and thanked me for the presentation.
Even though I am almost done with college, I will still help anyone and everyone I know get jobs…even my competition.
Even though I am almost done with college, I will still help anyone and everyone I know get jobs…even my competition.
My boyfriend’s looking to move to Seattle, where I currently work, after he graduates college. I’ve been emailing him information on prospective companies and hunting down job fairs. In the winter and spring when he visits, I’ll be driving him around town to meet potential bosses and interview. I also got him a job contact at REI after asking an REI programmer about the work they do. My next goal is to get contacts for him where I work at the Department of Ecology.
My main contribution to finding jobs would have to be with my brother, Chris. A few years younger than me he has always worked hard for what he has wanted to but hasn’t always had the best of luck. However, in his attempt at finding a job I would do research (mainly online) for him regarding the organization and send him the information. This made the process easier for him as he had less work to do overall for his job search. In the long run, and after having several conversations with him, he finally went to law school and has recently obtained a job as a lawyer. My brother is a bright individual and I feel that the encouragement that I (and others) gave him, as well as the research on the various colleges offering law degrees in our area, he has made a step in the right direction with a career that finally suited him.
I helped my niece on her job hunt. I found out from a coworker about the perfect job for her, and got all the details she would want to know. I immediately called her to let her know about the position. Close to home! Great benefits! All holidays off! Work 32 hours and get paid for 40! I even helped her to complete her resume and we are waiting to hear if she got the job or not.
Thank you for this opportunity!
I have recently helped my friend Mike with various aspects of finding a job. Mike is new in town, so I introduced him to a Professor I know from the Business School here. I’ve also sent him various resources that I regularly receive via email – and the sources thereof.
Finally, I’ve helped Mike with his resume. While most of its content was alright, the order of appearance was not, in my opinion: he had Education first, although that was not recent, and certaintly not his strong point. He had served in the military of a controversial country, and had trouble with that: on the one hand, he had spent more than a dozen years there, and gained a lot of experience, much of which could be used as a civilian [e.g. technical skills, leadership]. On the other hand, he was afraid the political opinions of some hiring managers may work against him. Moreover, he was in a situation he feared may endanger his personal safety. I advised him to research each specific job situation separately, rather than take a “blanket decision” on this matter.
My friend Mary Ann lost her job due to state cutbacks. Her field is history and museums. I’ve searched online looking for jobs in her field. I actually found a site that lists local openings in that field, which I forwarded to her. Nothing really good was listed when I sent her the URL, but at least it’s a place for her to look. I’d checked out my county’s personnel page with job listings and civil service test schedule, and suggested that she check out her county’s- I was surprised by the vast variety of jobs available. If the perfect job doesn’t appear, maybe there’s a job for which her skills are transferable. I’ve also reviewed cover letters for her before she has sent them out to make sure there are no typos. I’m a human spell-checker(no, that’s not mt job!) – if there’s a typo, I see it as I look at the page. I also support her by calling most weekdays to find out what she’s done that day to find a job.
Disclaimer: This story is about helping a family member in establishing themselves in a new self-employment role, so it all depends on what your definition of “job” is when reading what I did to help my brother. I hope this qualifies!
About 18 months ago, my older brother, Doug, decided to get into what he thought was the unlimited possibilities of residentail real estate selling as a licensed agent. wrong move. The poor guy got in right before the collapse of the real estate market in our area. He left a good job with a cell phone company to pursue this new avenue of selling. After about a year of hard work, he decided to put the real estate job to the side since the market was just too soft. I love my brother and I know he’s a great salesman. He just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
He recently decided to go self-employed and sell merchandise to businesses, schools, and not-for-profit organizations (you know those pens with the company logo on them? yeah … that’s one of the millions of products he can sell you now). His prospects are promising, but the income level is still low considering his wife and three young kids he has to support.
I wanted to help him out and since I work at a corporation, I stuck my neck out and pushed for them to consider my brother for their next “awareness week” where they would need several promotional products to hand out as gifts to some of the employees. I was met with some resistance since the corporation claimed to have a “standing committment” with another similar person for al their promotional merchandise. I got my brother in touch with the person who needed to order some products and I assisted in the entire process from the offer to the final close on the deal and delivery of the products. My brother ended up making a sale for over 5,000 products and was also able to get his foot in the door at the company I work for for future awareness week events. Althought nothing is set in stone, I know my brother made a good impression on the company and that he will hopefully be able to contract with my company again and even permanately.
If I were so fortunate to win this contest, I would definitely give a new laptop and the printer to my brother. The laptop he’s using right now is ancient and needs to be recycled … BADLY. If anyone deserves a leg up in this difficult economic time, it’s my big borther.
Thanks,
Matt
I have helped several family members and friends in their job search by editing and improving their resumes. I truly enjoy pulling out those hidden strengths that are overlooked.
However, one person comes to mind for this contest – Monica. We had several coaching session to discover her strengths and weaknesses. Mocked interviews to developed confidence. I told her to sign up with temporary employment agencies whose clients were focused in are target industry. This would give her the experience in the industry, and contacts for networking.
I told her to go on every job interview (even if she didn’t want the job) for the “experience” and to build confidence. By doing this she would be ready when the “right” door opened.
To make a long story short: The right door opened and she nailed it!!!
Finally, I sent her a congratulations card on her accomplishment. I put a little something extra in, with a note to spend it on clothes and accessories, and not to spend it on the children or your mother. They can wait until you get your first paycheck:-)
That was last year around this time and she has already gotten a substantial promotion and recognition in the company
When the HP giveaway was first announced, I looked through all of the blogs that were participating. The instant that I saw onedayonejob.com I sent an email to my little brother, encouraging him to sign up for your email list. He is a college senior about to graduate in two weeks. He doesn’t have any job prospects yet, and has several friends who graduated last May and haven’t found a job, so he hasn’t done a whole lot of looking. I immediately thought that your website could help him find some options and get ideas of the types of jobs that are available for college grads. He has a major in Psychology and a minor in Business, and has no idea what he wants to do for a career. So far his plans are to keep waiting tables until he has a better idea of where he wants to work. Hopefully your website will start to give him ideas, and I really hope that he will be able to find a career that he loves so that he doesn’t have to move back in to my parents’ house. He would definitely enjoy sharing this prize with me. :)
I sent my friend a list of fantastic writing leads, and I am helping her with her writing samples. If I win I would be thrilled to share with her!!
Dear One Day One Job,
I prepared a Curriculum Vitae (resume) for my friend Jason because he didnt have a computer and I offered to help him out. He was then able to succesfully apply for a job and he won the position. He was appreciative for my help and I was grateful to be able to help out a friend in need. I would love to win this amazing prize and it would be great to give an awesome Christmas present to my friend Jason.
Peace
I stand here in Flint Michigan. Worries of jobs and job losses are prevalent daily. Worries that that some jobs are almost as bad than not having one, but quitting is not an option. I stand here working two jobs and going to school to better myself in this world. I stood there worried for my brother as his drive in life has not been there the last year. I sat him down, and we talked, we understood. We understood together that, the one day our parents said it was all on us is right here. Grab our shovels and pave the way. He has finally decided to enroll for classes. Took him long enough. He is big in computers so I am sure he will go into something like that.
I didn’t find him some short time job. I found him a heart, for a career.
And when I say we talked. I mean it.
My good friend Anthony (“Tony”). He was a lowly security guard at the dorm where I stayed while a student at a university. He was always interested in computers but thought they were beyond his comprehension. He was stuck in this dead-end job and his.. “wretched” wife continually put him down and convinced him that he’d never amount to anything. Over time I taught him basic computer parts and how they fit together into a desktop. One day, after considerable saving, he bought several computer parts piece-by-piece with the goal of building his own computer. All the while many of his friends and family thought he was wasting his time and money and that he could never do it. Well, he succeeded. He made an awesome computer and these very same doubters came to him asking for help fixing their computers or building some for them!
Realizing that he was capable of more than he imagined he was excited but didn’t know what to do about it. He didn’t have an education, had no money, had a child, and was already in his late 20s. I recommended he join the military because of all the benefits. He decided to join the US Army, but before he could he had to pass some sort of standardized military academics test… The ASFAB I think it was. So he asked my help to re-teach him some basic math so that he could get his score up. He was a quick and eager learner and scored high-enough on his first try to open up many possible “routes” within the Army. He enlisted in the US Army in which I wrote him a letter-of-recommendation outlining this entire story.
Now he works with computers as his JOB! Not only that, but he’s got high marks from all his superiors and has been fast-tracked for promotions and special training. He is consistently ranked to in his class for these technical training sessions.
I’m so proud of Anthony. He gave me the honor of being his best man for his wedding to a new (supportive) wife. He embarrasses me with his endless gratitude for helping him make something of himself, but I always tell him that I didn’t “do” anything. I just taught him what he wanted to know, helped him when he asked for it, and gave advice. He’s the one that had to study, get in shape, and work so hard to get where he is.
So as far as this contest is concerned, I didn’t help him get a job. I helped him with a career. And now he’s happier than ever I’ve known him.
I E-mailed the link to the page to my own Sister -in – law Christina, friend and family, for my niece, also friend and family, who is going to school and needs to be working to pay for part of her day to day costs. I am also going to add it to mylot.com a discussion forum that I love to participate in. Like my mom, I always love to help her and others with Resume writing on request. She is closer to my mom though who is also good at this.
I still have yet to explore your site but I wanted to add my tip – which is – if one lives near a base – look for work there. My husband contracts to the military and I’ve found since knowing him that almost any job on base pays more and offers more benefits then equal jobs in the private sector. For a short time he considered going to Pharmacy School and we compared that salary and it was a phenomenal difference. He is going to Emory Riddle University (in stages)for Space Studies. and for now works fueling planes and doing easy pre and post flight checks – spending much of his day waiting for Customs planes to arrive. They even provide a TV and VCR for workers. He makes I think about 16 something an hour, he’s about to start working at the fuel farm on base for 18 an hour plus great benefits. Now this is actually about seven dollars less then his contract in MS but he REALLY wanted out of his little town. We would have no problem with a small town here but there, he says, is different. With just one small license – and A&P license I think its called he could be making a lot more but he doesn’t want to be a plane mechanic. Even the maintenance person makes good pay. It will vary of course from state to state. If you’re lucky enough to land a GS position then your retirement is in the bag too.
His job isn’t exactly professional, but it pays the bills. There are even programs there for the those who are slower then the rest of us or are mentally ill as I just found out the other day from the grandmother of a young man who does cleaning on base.
My friend was really nervous about trying to get her first job. So we sat down together and edited her resume. Then i sat down and searched online for possible jobs and even grabbed the paper every day and circled jobs that were in her field. When it was time for her first interview, I went and helped her pick out and appropriate outfit and even went through a mock interview with her. It went well and she was able to get the job.
My friend and coworker Soo Yuen Tan was recently let go due to cutbacks. I have started helping him by proofreading his resume:
1) Cut out the unnecessary stuff and make it more concise.
2) Focus more on recent job accomplishments.
3) Target his resume on a per job/per company basis (ie, tailor the resume to reflect how the applicant can contribute specifically to the position applied).
I also told him he should start sending out his resume through several channels:
1) Friends/people he know in other companies.
2) Headhunters and recruiters.
3) Online websites (such as Monster.com and Dice.com).
I encouraged him to check out social networking websites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
I also encouraged to use this “One Day, One Job” website for helpful leads and job searching tips/tools.
Last but not least, I told him to start preparing for interviews by:
1) Researching the industry and the companies he is interested in.
2) Anticipating possible interview questions and how they can be best answered.
I also encouraged him to take some training classes (on both technical skills as well as soft skills like presentation) in the meantime. I mentioned to him it is important to:
1) Remain positive and optimistic.
2) Maintain good health (physically and mentally) but eating well and exercising.
If I win this contest, I will share the package with him so he can utilize the resources in this package (such as the computer and printer) to help with his job search. Whether I win or not, I hope my advices to him will help him land a job soon.
I am always networking & helping people find jobs.
One friend/previous co worker moved with the company we used to work for across Maryland, about an hour commute from where I live.
She wrote me an email a few months ago, asking if I heard of any jobs, if I could pass them on to her, because she doesn’t like where she’s living now & she misses her family.
I kept sending her links and she did end up getting a job from one of the links I sent her, back in October. Only thing is, she could not find a place here yet so she’s still commuting! She’s a single mom like me so I feel for her!
I love helping people out – networking is a powerful tool! Probably daily I share links/emails with at least 3 people.. Some days more!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Angie
I try to help my friends when I hear they are job-hunting. It can be as small as forwarding job listings to them, or as big as talking to someone I know about hiring them. I’ve done several things. But the one I’m most proud of was helping my boyfriend (now husband), John, get his dream job. You see, he loves to fish, as do I. But he had worked as a mechanic for over 20 years and had no recent boat experience at all. He kept talking about it wistfully, and I wanted greatly to support him in his dream. One night over drinks with a girlfriend, I heard that the cook on one of our favorite boats was leaving. So I told John about it.
But then I went one step further. I knew the captain of the boat. I had fished with him and chartered his boat many times. So I asked him about the departing cook and whether he’d consider John for the job. I encouraged John to go talk to him, and let him know I embraced this change, even if it meant a drop in income, as long as it made him happy. They set up a couple of trial runs, and John started the next season. He was on the boat for three years, and the captain and his wife became very close friends of ours.
I was so pleased to encourage my husband to not only jump into a new career, but to fully support him even when it meant he was gone days and weeks at a time.
He currently works a land job, but still fishing related. And since he’s home a lot more now, he’s been complaining about his computer (he usually gets my hand-me-downs). I would absolutely love to gift him with a brand new computer. He’s been getting into photography with me, so a new computer and photo printing capabilities would be ideal for him. It would make my Christmas to be able to do this for him.
(Admittedly, this wasn’t within the last few months, but it’s still my favorite moment of helping someone not only find a job, but move into a career they love.)
I helped John create a resume and printed it for him and gave him tips on what to say and not say in an interview. He found a job and has been working steady for over 2 years now.
My friends name is Alex Byrant and the way I helped her was to help her rewrite her cv and helped her get the correct credentials to obtain a job in Europe to get out of the USA while she still can before they close the borders and we are all shipped to prison encampments.
Hey! Thanks for the contest HP and One Day, One Job!
I have worked at a major discount retailer for about two years. My friend and I were seniors in High School, and we both had jobs. He worked at a grocery store, and I worked at the retailer. He constantly was complaining in the class we had together about how he was required to join a union at the job, and that he was required to pay a certain amount to the union each month. I suggested to him to join me at the retailer, but he was rather indecisive about it. The next day at work, I picked up an application for him, and the next week he applied. 3 days later, the hiring manager called and asked me about him, as he had placed a check next to “do you know anyone who works here?” on the application. Of course, I told her that he was a nice guy, and that he was a hard worker who was always there. They hired him the next day!
He worked at the retailer for about the next year, until he went along with his father into a family-run business, where his dad helped him over the next bridge. I was very happy to help him over the step when he was feeling down about his old job, and I wish him luck in his new job.
Whoops sorry forgot his name in my post :) His name is Steve, but I call him Squints :P
My husband and I have a friend named Shawn B. His girlfriend just had twins and he already had 1 boy so we knew he needed a job. My husband works at a warehouse and I filled out his application online because he couldn’t figure it out. Then because he didn’t have a job my husband would let him ride with him the days they worked together and the days they didn’t I drove him. He finally was able to purchase his own car after a couple months. It was a long process to get him the job because they call for 3 interviews. It was worth it. We helped a family out.
My son Patrick was injured in Iraq during his tour with the Marine Corps. Now that he is out of the service, he isn’t able to work many jobs due to his injuries so I’ve been helping him weed out jobs he can’t do physically and to help him with his resume. Jobs are hard enough to find in this economy, let alone when you are disabled. We both search different areas of employment every day He is applying locally and I am helping him find jobs posted on the net since his computer died and we don’t have extra funds to buy him a new one. I’m sure with all the effort we are putting into the search, he will find the right job for him soon. He deserves it! In the meantime, I’m still searching!
i have been helping my friend eric with his resume, he has had so many different jobs and really no marketable skills, he is a jack of all trades, so its difficult for him to get a worthwhile job especially with this economy, he really wants to go back to school… i keep kicking him to just go do it, if thats what he wants to do. i’m always looking so if i see something that strikes me as something for him, i e-mail it to him…
My best friend Ryan has been searching for a new job lately.
He luckily still has a job, but his firm laid off employees
for the first time ever and he is a little worried. However, he has never
been good at this kind of thing and since I’ve had so many jobs
(my own choice luckily) I decided to help him out.
We started by sitting down and listing what things he liked about his
current job and what things he did not like. Since he has looking for a new
job while still being employed, I felt like he might as well find something
he would enjoy. After we had narrowed down some of those specifics, we
tackled his resume. He had not even looked at his resume since school
and there a lot of work to be done. I suggested he drop some of the
unimportant “college” stuff, like clubs and activities, and focus solely
on the professional. Once we had a decent looking resume, I asked him
to write a rough draft of a cover letter. I always have thought that this was
the hardest part and edited his first attempt heavily. I had him keep it
brief and stick to highlighting some of his strengths not represented
in his resume and then tie those into the various job listings I hoped
we would find.
That leads us to the actual job hunt itself. I helped him set up job
searches in a couple of different key places. The first was USAJobs, the Federal
government job search engine and a legal job hunting site. The number of really
cool jobs listed on the USAJobs site is amazing!
While he has not found a job yet that he even wants to apply for, he is getting
close and I am confident that he will find a fun, mentally stimulating
and secure job soon. I even gave him an early Christmas present of a power
tie for his future interviews. Keep your fingers crossed!
I share the same feelings about how rewarding it is to help someone get a job and I have shared that sentiment over the years. I think this is a brilliant website. Over the past 6 months I have had the pleasure of sharing knowledge obtained in my Senior Seminar with friends and family. I helped revise three of my friend’s resumes (Keisha, Jason, and Brandy). The first was working as a temp. and just needed a few simple revisions and add-ons to get a permanent position. Jason is a college graduate who wants to get a job that better utilizes his skills. The last, Brandy, has a couple of jobs but wants to spend more time with her son and was looking to improve her resume so that she could get a better paying job and only have to work one. My friends are very smart and great when it comes to interviewing, they just needed to tailor their resumes to the new class of HR Managers. I suggested things like scaling resume down to one-page, trying to add more white space on the page, add more goal and accomplishment statements to show employers what you can do for them, and last but not least… the dreaded follow-up/thank notes. That was the one thing that I stressed to them, that would set them apart from any other applicant. These suggestions successfully helped Keisha get a more permanent position, Jason decided that he needed more experience and went back to school for his Master’s, and Brandy landed a really great job at an Insurance company and put her two weeks’ notice in last week. The feeling of helping them is great, especially when my job hunt has not turned out to be as successful. But I know that it will pay off in the end and I am determined not to give up on my search.
The last post got cut off, but here is the whole thing hopefully
I share the same feelings about how rewarding it is to help someone get a job and I have shared that sentiment over the years. I think this is a brilliant website. Over the past 6 months I have had the pleasure of sharing knowledge obtained in my Senior Seminar with friends and family. I helped revise three of my friend’s resumes (Keisha, Jason, and Brandy). The first was working as a temp. and just needed a few simple revisions and add-ons to get a permanent position. Jason is a college graduate who wants to get a job that better utilizes his skills. The last, Brandy, has a couple of jobs but wants to spend more time with her son and was looking to improve her resume so that she could get a better paying job and only have to work one. My friends are very smart and great when it comes to interviewing, they just needed to tailor their resumes to the new class of HR Managers. I suggested things like scaling resume down to one-page, trying to add more white space on the page, add more goal and accomplishment statements to show employers what you can do for them, and last but not least… the dreaded follow-up/thank notes. That was the one thing that I stressed to them, that would set them apart from any other applicant. These suggestions successfully helped Keisha get a more permanent position, Jason decided that he needed more experience and went back to school for his Master’s, and Brandy landed a really great job at an Insurance company and put her two weeks’ notice in last week. The feeling of helping them is great, especially when my job hunt has not turned out to be as successful. But I know that it will pay off in the end and I am determined not to give up on my search.
I helped my friend Stephanie get a job, by forcing her to a job fair. The job fair was really boring and I had to go to Starbucks to get her coffee because it was early in the morning. But she found a job. Ironically as a recruiter. Woohoo Stephanie. Now she is rich, making like $30,000 a year. Thanks. :)
I helped my girlfriend Marie in her search for a part time job to supplement her living her cost of living as a student here in NYC. (so expensive!) I linked her to this site and looked over her resume and helped her fine tune that. I helped her with how she should write some e-mails, and looked over her e-mails with her and we worked together to try and get her to sound as professional as possible when she was also applying for internships. Thanks!
My friend Shelley lost her job at a most unfortunate time. These days I spend time trying to find jobs on all the job search sites that at one time I used when I found my new job. I know that although she is not telling me, she’s scared about losing her place to live even more so now that her 16 yr old son came to live with her in the past six months. I try to make my job searches appear as to not be for her, and instead as I am casually browsing since sites like monster and careerbuilder etc still send me emails. I know that with this market and economy the last thing she needs is to feel that I don’t think she’s capable to find a job, or that I don’t think she’s looking etc. I think ones pride and confidence is very important, mostly I try to be her cheerleader and try to find the bright spot through it all. All I can do is continue to be a good friend, and try to help without trying to over do it I think in the end it will work out.
Hey, with great prizes like this, my friends will LOVE me for forwarding this link to each of them. Random generator be danged, pick me. :-)
I helped Noah look for a new job by helping him develop his skills in the social media world.
Upon losing his job, I spent a few days, many hours each, hanging out with Noah, helping him to do the most important thing you can do while on the job hunt: stay positive.
My theory is if you can compartmentalize your loss and only concentrate on the task at hand, you will be successful. Success can be measured on many things. For some, it is just staying positive, avoiding massive depression is a success in of itself.
By working on his social media skills, we avoided thinking about what had happened, and worked on how to get to the next level. Learning about blogging platforms, nuances of youtube and twitter and how to tie everything together were the building blocks. Noah has been able to translate his learning efforts into substantial movement in interviews. he has been getting call backs and seconds rounds. I am confident that he will land the giht job soon.
I have my own plumbing company now. However as a youngster, I got into a little bit of trouble. The kids I use to hang out with are still in the life. I always offer them jobs after they get out of jail or prison. I know how hard it is for a con to get a job – so I try. But don’t get me wrong, I expected a decent days work out of them for a decent wage. I have one guy working for me now, Donnie who is doing really well. I have an other guy however who is on parole who is not doing so good. I am still working with him and trying to instill a good work ethic into him. (right now I am still trying to get him to show up for work!) I go to his house every morning and pick him up.
I helped my brother look at his resume, and I helped my brother choose college courses to take as a career in IT.
I organized a resume building session at my campus. We had a presentation on good practice resume items and then she reviewed everyone’s resume and gave thoughtful criticism. Everyone benefited from the session (myself included).
I have been helping someone very dear to me with his job transfer. His company is closing, so I have been helping him with his resume and other paperwork, as well as with moving from the old job into the new. He is a very skilled craftsman, but is still learning English (and progressing wonderfully) so we have regular “English lessons.” Due to his rather long name, he prefers to shorten it to simply Bob. :)
A friend of mine, Tabby, a single mother, had just finished vocational training. She had good grades and I knew she would find a good job soon, but it was tight. I had a small business at the time, so I hired her as a part time janitor (5-10 hours a week) and she could work those hours at her convenience. I was right, She had a good job within 3 months and did not have to take the first thing that came along.
My friend, Vicki, has been job hunting for a while. I asked to see her resume. Once I saw it, I made a few suggestions to clean it up a bit. With those changes and some great resume paper, she’s sure to get a job now!
My husband is an artist, which is great but painting and sculpture aren’t really paying all the bills in this economy. If he had his druthers, he’d work in his studio all day with occasional forays into the backyard and his vegetable garden. Promoting his work is not his forte. To try and motivate him on the business end, I recently started up a website for him and ordered some schmancy business cards for him. I am hoping it will be an impetus for him to get his work seen. And sold.
I recently helped my friend Dan find a job. The economy isn’t the greatest right now, but the unemployment in Michigan is some of the worst in the country right now. My friend had been depressed and down in the dirt, feeling really hopeless. He had basically given up looking for work, after 2 years of little success and finding a decent job with the pay he deserved. So I did an extensive search online and found a wonderful plethor of jobs that he was qualified for and paid well. He sent his resume to some of them, I also forwarded his resume to jobs that I found. I read his Cover Letter, and asked if I could make a few suggestions, as I felt like he could utilize his Cover Letter and make it more appealing to potential employers. Within 3 week, he had 4 great job interviews, and ended up landing one! Since then his confidence has sky rocketed and he definitely walks with a bounce in his step. Not only that, but he’s on his way to having the career he’s always wanted, and for that I’m grateful because he so deserves it!
Thanks for the contest, what a great giveaway you and HP are doing!
I helped a friend by posting their resume on Craigslist… they got a job within 2 weeks when a recruiter came across their listing!
I have been helping my partner Tom with his job hunting for the last year and a half. Don’t worry he hasn’t been unemployed that whole time! He works in finance and it’s fair to say it’s been a pretty unsettled time for employment in that field. He has been on a contract that has been renewed twice but now is not being renewed. Every time his contract came up for renewal we had to start the job hunting process again just in case he didn’t get re-signed. While i helped, and continue to help, him meet contacts, fine tune his CV, and pick the right tie for interviews, i think the most important thing i do to help him through the job hunting process is provide support. People forget how completely demoralising looking for a job can be. I try to keep him positive, talk through the pros and cons of each job and what it offers, keep him busy in the down time and just let him know that whatever happens i will still be there and that i’d hire him on the spot! :-) Because i know if he is confident, happy and settled he will give the best interview he can. Fingers crossed it’s not too long to the next job!
Sometimes your kids are the toughest ones to help get that first job. That was my challenge with Britt. She’s a great daughter, but she has only a nodding acquaintance with punctuation, and she is imprecise at best regarding capitalization and grammar. Our first hurdle was the resume. She took a first cut at it on her own. Several hours, a few tears, and a heavy dose of re-formatting later, she had a great resume. In the process, I had learned an awful lot about my daughter. Brainy but shy at home, she had apparently volunteered for every leadership position she could get her hands on at college. Well done! What she lacked in job experience, she made up in breadth of volunteerism. In the end, that would make a tremendous difference in her job hunt.
Then came the negotiation with “mom” regarding where she would be permitted to work. Not too far away. No Burger King (my wife has both found and horrid memories of working at Burger King, and would not hear of it for Britt. I sat with her to discuss options. I favored jobs that would further her interest in healthcare. Hospitals, veterinarians, doctors’ offices… Britt favored anywhere that she would receive a discount on clothing. Her first target? Target.
Flustered by the application process and the terse intterview, Britt returned from Target demoralized. “Shake it off,” I said, “Everyone wants to work there, so they probably don’t have any openings.” She was inconsolable for several days, then submitted an application to Sports Authority. They hired her sight unseen, marveling on the phone at the content of her resume.
I was hoping for an opportunity to coach her on the importance of perseverance, but since she had worked so hard on self development, she didn’t need a lot of follow-up. Sports Authority snagged her and begged her to come back during her Christmas break.
It’s great to see your kids get a decent start.
[…] One Day, One Job […]
I am in my final semester of college- student teaching, and graduate in 2 weeks. I have been in college for almost 6 years for my music and art degrees. The entire reason I decided to become a teacher was because of my high school band director, who I always made a point to visit whenever I went home. (Home is 5 hours away from college.) He helped me with my math homework in high school, prepped me for auditions for scholarships, I called him after a tornado ripped my apartment apart 2 years ago because he built his own house, so I knew he would know from my description whether it was fit to live in. He has helped me in more ways than I can count.
The last time I was home to visit my friends and family, his wife told me she was accepted here for medical school. (She was the assistant band director at my high school) She asked me about where to live and I looked at apartments for her, and tried to help her out. My band director ended up accepting a teaching position in Nevada, hoping that she would be able to transfer after one year. That was all in June.
About a week ago, I got a phone call from him. He moved here to be with his wife, because it was just too hard on them, and she wouldn’t be able to transfer. After all of the how are you’s, he asked me what I was going to do next semester for a job. I have had 2 part time jobs through college (being poor and all) so I’m not incredibly worried, and I can always substitute while I look for something permanent. I have contacts who have been sending me emails or calling me about music teachers who are going on maternity leave, quitting, or were fired. He told me that he was wondering how to go about substitute teaching in the area (it is a little different than our hometown, and all the little towns do things their own way) so I explained it to him. I also told him about several immediate job openings I knew about, despite the fact that I knew if I were to apply, he would get the job because I lack the amount of experience he has. It was kind of nice to be able to help him out that little bit after everything he has done for me.
Supat had finished his PhD but was burnt out so much that he didn’t want to work in that field again. I started helping him by going over his resume, but then I realized he didn’t have a plan at all on what to do with his life.
So we sat down and talked through possibilities.
Eventually, we settled on him applying to my workplace to gain employment experience.
Strangely enough, a few months later on, he’s now working directly for me!
Chad- Just by encouraging him and giving him faith to believe there are jobs out there yet in this disasterous economic situation we are in, thank you.
I have been helping people look for jobs for years. I am no expert and have found this site quite helpful. I basically believe that you must be positive and have a positive person to keep you perked up while you are in your search mode. Dress is always important. I gave my friend a new outfit to wear and got him a haircut. A resume says a lot. I always volunteer to proof read resumes and do not mind telling people that they spelled something incorrectly. Sometimes it is the little things that count. My friend finally found a job I am sending all of my friends a link to your blog.
(Just in case they are looking and haven’t told me yet.)
I have helped my sister in law find a job at the local library it was kind of a fluke incident. I went there to study for my Listeria 20 page research essay that I was doing and I seen an add for help want. I mentioned it to her and she summated her resume, which I read. To the library the next week she was hired. My cusin who is down in the USA attending school was recently looking for a job when I stumbled upon your site. I emailed it to her and she was fascinated with it and she said that she really liked the idea of the site. I hope that she can find a job to help her pay off her loans and expense. I really like your site and will be coming back to it again. Thanks Davis, Merry Christmas
My brother, Rob, has been finding occasional employment at a temp agency called Labor Ready. The work is hit and miss and he can go several days without a paying job.
I love my brother very much but he isn’t exactly a “go-getter.” He drags his feet and only worries when the rent is due. I worry when the rent is due, also. No, not my rent, his rent. I’m tired of paying it. He’s been good lately. I’ve only been paying his telephone bill. Either way, I can’t help but thinking that his life would be so much easier with steady income that comes with a regular job.
I have picked my brother up (did I mention he lost his license) and drove him around to pick up job applications. I have told him that I will come back over when he has filled them out and will drive him back around to drop them off. Then, I have given up and went to collect the blank applications and filled them out myself. Yes, you read that right.
Years ago, I posted his resume on a website. Oh, that reminds me, that was after creating his resume and printing tons copies of it for him. I have spent endless hours on job sites looking for an entry-level position for someone with an A+ certification. Those jobs don’t really seem to exist, but I plug away and continuing looking. Sometimes I feel like I have done everything except work a job for him.
I would so love to share this prize with my brother. My computer is old, but his is ancient. Just think, he could do his own job searches! Really, he could! He’ll get to it right after he finishes the Poker Free-play Tournament.
I am a nurse at my local hospital and I helped a neighbors daughter get a job as a secretary on my floor. She is a single mother with 2 kids that has been waitressing and really wanted a break into something else. This kind of job will at least crack the door open on future employment.
Obviously with this dreaded credit crunch everyone seems to be having problems with finding a job, my friend recently completed a computing degree, and gained excellent marks however; he with a lot of other people is finding it really difficult finding a job. We’ve applied to endless agencies and apart from the “would you like to relocate to somewhere secluded……..” still nothing.
However recently I told him about IBM, and how they’ve become one of the best graduate employees in the UK, clearly he was keen. Collectively we worked on the IBM CV where they have a specific template and criteria which must be kept, my friend finds it really difficult expressing himself and is quite timid in that respect; however through collective focus and teamwork his online application was successful. my friend has a wide array of technical expertise and knowledge which he gained from both his work experience and academia, however his weaknesses were quite clear as he was unable to put what he has learnt to his advantage, fortunately this was easily rectified, as his never ending knowledge about computers was easily expressed in his resume. He is currently on par for completing an online test and then an interview, and hopefully a job,
I helped my husband and bestfriend by creating his resume to give him a leg up in the application process.
I posted the Web Development entry level jobs link on my Facebook profile. My colleagues and I have just finished the applied degree program in Communications and will all be job hunting soon!
When I first moved to Florida I met Denise, she’s a single mom with 3 boys and a 6 year old girl (her husband died in a car accident a few years back) and she was barely making the bills and receiving unemployment. I bought her groceries now and again because i knew how much she was struggling. Her car was falling apart on top of it all not to mention it was an 80s Caprice Classic and to make matters worse she couldn’t even afford to keep her phone connected all of the time. She had gone to a technical college years ago and got a degree but in today’s economy she was having a very hard time finding a job that pays well enough to support herself and 4 kids – especially alone.
I have worked in Technical Support for awhile, it is a great job – my coworkers and I feel like a family we are such a close-knit group.
We had a spot opening up at work so I spoke with my boss about interviewing her but one issue remained – her computer was broken and she needed to write up her resume. I took her computer home with me that night and 2 days later I fixed it. Her video card was fried so I spent around 70 dollars and replaced it myself. But again I didn’t mind. When I brought it back and hooked it back up she was thrilled; she couldn’t believe it was fixed.
We sat down and I helped her complete her resume. Several days later she was interviewed and got the job. Soon after she got a newer car and was eventually able to rent a little house in a good neighborhood. Nothing feels better than knowing how I helped her life completely change. To this day we are still best friends. I would love to share this giveaway with her and her kids if I win.
The person that I helped with job hunting is my brother, Nehemiah. He lost his job a few months ago and was having difficulty finding work. He’s never had a resume, so I created one for him. I also helped him post his resume on a few job search sites.
If I were to win this computer package, he would definitely be a recipient of one of the laptops and a few other goodies.
My brother has a degree in Restaurant Management and was looking for a Manager job. My friend’s uncle is the District Manager at Godfather’s Pizza. I ended up calling him and asking him if there were any openings in our area. He said that there was and to have my brother send him a resume. I sent him my brother’s resume and my brother had an interview the next week. He ended up getting the job and, three years later, is still the Manager of our local Godfather’s Pizza.
I also found my Dad a job at our local hospital. I worked with a woman whose husband was a Boiler Operator at the local hospital. My Dad was a Boiler Operator so I asked her husband if they were hiring. They were so I got an application for my Dad and he put my co-workers husband as a reference. He got the job and has been there for 8 years.
My friend was in a lousy situation. Without a car and a place to start looking he came to me for help getting a job. We went online and applied to all the places we could. After we got some reply email i drove him around to interviews and lent him some nicer clothes. The interviews didn’t go as well as we hoped so we had to take another approach. We then proceeded to google his interests and try to come up with ideas for another good job. We realized that he would be happy with a job in the fashion industry. I had a contact at Pacsun so i called him up and got my friend an interview. He got the job and the rest is history.
I help my family members with their resumes and job applications all the time. It is hard knowing exactly what to say and not say on them, so I end up writing their resumes for them and typing them; I do not mind. I wish everyone could have a really great job that they actually like and find personally fulfilling. Thank you, this is a really great give-a-way. Good luck to all.
This happened to me as I was working this summer at the CSST, its the health and safety at work organization for the province i live in: Quebec.
My origins are Russian, and like for every immigrant, its quit rough to feel at ease and have confidence when your environment changes dramatically in a short period of time.
I live in a 30 something appartement building for for 14 years now, and i pretty much know all the neighbors, one of them in particularly (a Bulgarian named Dimo) was working as a “paperboy” for the last 2 years despite having a masters in civil engineering and have built most of Sofia’s, the country’s capital, sewage systems.
I never understood or even knew, how many of these people with great talents and competences there are and how nobody wants to give them a chance to show what they’re capable of.
After some talk with influential people in the company, i got Dimo an interview with some bigwigs in a prominent commercial construction company. They saw what i saw in him and agreed to pay for some french and english classes so he can take a position of adviser for some time.
my onlt wish is that he’ll pass it forward.
I am the resume queen. When I first got out of college, I could not find a job for the life of me, so I did tons of research on how to write an effective resume that stood out. Over the years, I have been asked by coworkers, friends, and family to “check over their resume” which loosely translates to “Do it for me”. I have never turned down Anyone’s resume and have done countless people online that I don’t know, to women on my moms board, to even my own husband.
I have translated military experience into civilian experience and have been able to secure many people jobs, not only in an eye catching form on online avenues, but also in regular faxed and delivered resumes.
The last resume I did was for my husband however. I did his back in December of last year when he was exiting the military. He had a job 3 weeks before we got out of the military and many offers for interviews.
He now works in Logistics for a gas company (not gasoline, medical gasses) and he was a Logisitcs manager in the military, so it worked out perfectly.
I am so glad that the strife I felt years ago has been turned into a blessing in the future.
trisha haas
http://www.momdot.com
I can’t say that I’ve done anything too spectacular. But my boyfriend and I have been trying really hard for the past 2 months to make ourselves ideal candidates for a summer internship. We review each others resumes whenever changes are made and brainstormed together in the beginning to try and remember anything important we’ve done. We always run activities by each other to see if the other is interested (i.e. volunteer work, internship workshops on campus). Our next step is going to be mock interviews with the generic every-interview questions and a thrift shopping effort to look good without draining our tuition funds since interviews are right around the corner. We’re still sending out resumes though, so I always forward my One Day One Internship emails if they seem like something he’d be interested in (basically anything with engineering!) So while any average Joe could do what we’ve done for each other, I like it most because everything I help with him also helps myself!
Tiff
(p.s. thanks for this awesome opportunity and the One Day, One Internship addition. It’s been incredibly helpful).
When I first met my friend nine years ago she had the raw talent, a talent that she tried countless times to turn into a career. She excelled in art and writing but always found that her path to getting into the field was blocked by a variety of walls that seemed to reach into the sky and were just impassable. But I had climbed those walls myself as an artist and writer and knew that I could help with some guidance and advice. It’s never been an easy career to get into and since the dawn of the digital age even more artists have been given many outlets to showcase their work. The market has become saturated by anyone that owns an art program and could download a brush. So I knew that my friend would have to learn things besides just putting pencil to paper.
Many hours, many nights, and many months we spent working together and I taught her everything I knew about the media, various mediums and the battlefield of the industry. She never wavered on those tireless nights and since received her first paying art and writing job. She has won contests, been published and just recently was hand picked to have her poetry appear in an international book of poems. It hasn’t made her a lot of money yet or afforded her the powerful super computers that most artists need, but she loves what she does and I’m very, very proud of her and everything she has accomplished to date. She’s a deserving person who never gave up on herself or her dream. She is living proof that if you dedicate yourself to your work and goals, they can be reached.
Hi One Day One Job!
This is a story of the short and successful way to the employment of my friend.
Anyway, to start – I got my job as a developer in a small software company by a recommendation of my relative, who was also working there. When I had an opportunity to do the same for my friend – I jumped to it, because when I can get a good job for a good person – it really feels good.
My friend was struggling with finding a job, since he had recently left (because there was not enough work or something) other job and was looking for one. The job I was in was really good in comparison – good pay and flexible working hours.
One time my company started looking for someone to fill an open position as a developer. They posted the ads in an online job search website and waited for people to apply. Knowing that my friend was looking for a job, I forwarded him the opportunity description and convinced into sending a CV. My friend does not like writing documents so it took some time to make him prepare a good CV. Before sending it to my boss, I proof-read the CV and updated several things to emphasize what is required for the position. I was not lying or exaggerating – just moving things around or adding things he forgot to include.
Anyway, finally he sent the final CV to the job application. I also informed my boss that my friend is trying for the job – and added my recommendation. I want to state that the friend was very well suited for the job and has outstanding qualities and skills – so I did not have to make stuff up, I just put a good word for the guy.
My friend got an invitation to the interview. I consulted him on the company, what it is best to discuss regarding the position. He came to the interview and nailed it.
After the interview, my boss had some follow-up questions to me about my friend, but it was obvious that he liked the guy. Then my friend was offered a job and accepted it. We worked together for some time before I had to leave the job to pursue my degree – but that is totally other story.
Hope you had a good read :)
Since I’ve gotten back from my two State Department internships, I’ve stayed pretty busy emailing advice to other students who are considering interning abroad. I’ve presented my experiences at two presentations on jobs and internships in the government on my college campus. I’ve advised several students on their applications, including looking over resumes and reading personal statements. I’ve recommended them not just this site, but idealist.org and the Journal of Foreign Affairs job board (http://jobs.foreignaffairs.org/)
Getting a job in the government can mean filling out a lot of paperwork and jumping through a lot of hoops. My friend, Tina, and I, are both starting to look for jobs through the government, in non-profit think tanks, and in the private sector as consultants. I’ve read her CV/resume and she’s read mine. My other friend, Piotr, is interested in going down the same potential career path (Foreign Service) as I am and so we also advise each other on resumes and personal statements. It definitely helps to have feedback on how things sound and how they look.
And a couple of years ago I helped a friend get a campus job as a tour guide at the university’s visitor center where I worked part time. He fit right in and ended up working at the center for two years!
I wish everyone luck in their job searches!
Hello, my name is John. I am currently a student and about to graduate and go off to college. If i were to win this package it would mean the world to me. Right now my father is about to lose his job because Bank of America bought Merrill Lynch. Because of this there wont be a Christmas this year since we have to use all the money on the mortgage and my college tuition. With the contents in this package i will be giving all but one gift away. Below is where and why i will be giving these away.
HP TouchSmart IQ816 PC with Windows – This will be a surprise to my school. This is the 3rd budget cut, and 4 million dollars too. All of the computers in the Journalism/school newspaper room will be taken away as they are forced to use old PCs in the media center.(That is if they dont take away those computers.) I thought this was the best for them since its is quick and easy when it comes to corping and editing pictures for the newspaper and yearbook.
HP MediaSmart Connect – I will also give this to my school. I see them using this to connect the HP Touch to the computers in the library. This will make it easier so that when the whole class is working on the paper or yearbook, they can all save their work to the HP Touchsmart. Problems with this now is, well there is no server, and anything saved on the school computers is automatically deleted. Jump drives work as of now, but i know a few kids myself who cant get jump drives, especially when its just for that one time use. So sending information back and forth for computers at school will help them out.
HP HDX 18 series Premium Notebook PC with Windows & HP Pavilion dv4-1134 go or dv4-1145 go series Entertainment Notebook PC with Windows – these will be given to two of my cousins in Pennsylvania. They don’t live with much and work hard for an education. With these laptops, first off its the first gift I will give them that’s not money, and it will give them the opportunity to have computers and make learning a ton easier. If they are getting laptops for Christmas this year from their parents, my aunt and uncle, then these will be given to one of my friends and the other will be given to someone in a hospital. One of my friends is a Big Brother and i will be able to help both of them by giving them a laptop. The local hospital does a lot around here. They helped me a few times too. I like to hear the words ‘thank you’. Its why I’ve done 400 service hours in my high school year and want to be a doctor. Seeing one kids face light up on Christmas day because he got a new computer. It will be all that more special because i personally know what it was like to spend Christmas at a hospital.
HP Mini 1000 with Windows – This will be the ONLY thing i am keeping for myself. I chose this because i will be off to college and with the computer I am using now, wont be acceptable for college. A desktop with a bulky monitor, and has such bad memory i am using jump drives to get enough room for just my school work is bad enough. With the Mini, it is ideal for carrying around and will cut down expenses for my tuition and make it one less thing i will have to worry about.
HP Photosmart C6380 Wireless AIO- This will also be given to my school along with the HP Touchsmart as a little package for them. When they have this they will finally be able to print in color, and not have to use the old printers that take the whole class period to print. It will also be an easy way to get pictures from the cameras we use directly to the printer/PC.
HP 564 Photo Value Pak – Again, with the printer.
Kung Fu Panda (2 wide screen DVDs; 1 wide screen Blu-ray disc) – This will be for 3 people. First is my little cousins.- They look up to me and always give me things they made at school for gifts. I feel bad because i have nothing to give them in return. This movie is ideal for them and they would absolutely love it, especially since they don’t expect a gift from me this year. The other two are for the kids i babysit (different families). When i go there and its ‘movie time’ they always seen that, or the DVD is not suitable for them. Well i know that they haven’t seen this movie and would love it since all their family does is give to me, so i thought it would be nice to give back.
I hope i get this, mainly because of my school. I feel really bad that they are taking away everything and penalizing us with budget cuts while a new school just outside of the city gets everything new and no budget cuts.
Thank you for your time,
John Kearney
My manager’s husband has been looking for a job. His name is Chris. Chris and his wife aren’t on the streets by any means, but getting a job would really help. Unfortunately, Chris has a lot of knowledge, ability and potential, but his wife (my manager) really puts him down and doesn’t encourage him much.
The ironic thing (in light of this contest) is Chris doesn’t care much for computers, etc and doesn’t use them much. His resume really needed updating and a lot of work. So, I’ve met with him a couple of times in the last couple of weeks and helped him bring his resume up-to-speed and broadcast his wealth of knowledge and experience. It looks like he is in the running for a couple of really good jobs, one being the local Fire Chief. Yeah!
Not only is Chris a good guy, he is a wonderful neighbor. Yeah, can you believe it. My family and I moved from here from out of state and I live across the street from my manager.
Chris and his wife are great people overall and I would be thrilled to give them some of the hardware from this contest. Even if he doesn’t use some of it by himself, I’m sure he and his wife would be blessed and will put it to good use. And who knows, if Chris ends up becoming Fire Chief, maybe one of the local fire departments can enjoy the benefits of the HP Magic Giveaway.
Thank you One Day, One Job and HP for such a wonderful “event”.
I have helped my friend by finding him a decent job at my nearest Tim Hortons. We revised out resumes together, but i didn’t want to work there just yet. Everything went tell and he got an interview and a job! He cant drive yet so I found him a job REALLY close to his house.
Now he makes decent money for his age, got good hours and is finding it quite easy!
I have a friend who was fed up with his last tech job so when a spot opened up at my job I told my boss I had someone for him to consider. He put him to the front of the line and got an interview setup 2 days later.
My friend comes in for an interview and impresses not just my co-workers but my boss too. He’s offered the job accepts; now all he has to do is put in his 2 weeks notice at his current gig. Well I guess during the coming 2 weeks, he interviews at another place and ends up liking it better than what I set him up with. Not only does he bail on me but my boss won’t take referrals from me anymore! So technically I got him a job, he just took the better deal.
when my friend steve was down and out I got him a job at the place I worked, not his thing but tied him over until he got something in his field again.
Yo trabajo en una agencia que presta soporte tecnico a diversos productos, un amigo necesitaba de urgencia una plaza, pero el habia dejado de estudiar a muy temprana edad, por lo que lo unico que le pude conseguir era un puesto de limpieza, sin embargo me coordine con el para poder entrenarlo y que aprendiera lo que yo estaba haciendo, en los tiempos libres que teniamos le trate de enseñar todo lo que sabia de mi puesto, hasta que un dia se abrio una oportunidad y lo recomende, ahora es un ejecutivo que trabaja hombro a hombro conmigo, me siento orgulloso de haber sido un peldaño en su vida.
I work in an agency that provides technical support to various products, a friend needed a place of urgency, but he stopped from study at a very early age, so the only thing I could get him a job was cleaning, however I coordinate with him to train and to teach him what I was doing, in our free time I try to teach everything I knew from my post, until one day an opportunity get opened and I recommended him, now is an executive who working shoulder to shoulder with me, I am proud of having been a rung in his life.
So many great stories already posted. You guys are amazing! My story isn’t very facinating. I struggled to help my technically deficient sister-in-law type a resume, post it to a few job sites, and email a number of potential employers. It was very difficult in that I could have whipped these things up in a jiffy, but I decided to TEACH her so that she could fend for herself. Let me just say it was frustrating when she didn’t get the difference between a web address and an email address. Nevertheless I persisted, and she is currently on her way to doing these tasks on her own, plus she can now handle these tasks in an office environment which will increase her chances of getting a job soon!
Good luck to everyone!
My story is particularly interesting because I have never even met the friend that I helped. My friend Kelly told me about him in a phone conversation one night and we had him a job within about a week, which was quite fantastic.
The guy, Lauren, just moved to my city (Nashville, TN) to further his career in the music industry. Of course, musicians looking for work are, quite literally, on every street corner in downtown Nashville. He is an excellent guitar player, but luck, as much as skill, is involved in landing a record deal here.
Lauren moved here with zero money and was living in his car until he found some work to support himself. My friend found him and he got involved with her band, but as is often the case, it was a “sometimes-paid” gig. We knew that he needed a more stable source of income, so she called me and asked if my company was hiring. I work for UPS and with the holidays coming up, we were looking for some driver helpers. I talked to Lauren over the phone a few times and walked him through the application process and pointed him to the facilities that would most likely need help first. Once I found out that his application had been sent in, I went and spoke with the Human Resources personnel in both of Nashville’s hubs. They assured me that they could bring his application to the top of the list and would let me know if they decided to bring him on.
About a week later I go the phone call that Lauren had been hired on as a driver helper for the duration of the holiday season. I am now working with HR to try and get him hired permanently at the beginning of the new year.
Well, my mom took off work for about a year to stay home with my little brothers and whatnot over the summer.What i did is installed open office on my moms computer so that she could write/edit her resume and whatnot, and also so when she gets a job(shes an accountant) she can use it and the database software for when she gets back to work. She hast found a job yet, but i think my small contribution helped, and also she didn’t go out and spend $400 on Microsoft office.
I have a pretty nice looking resume, if I do say so myself and I interview well. I have been lucky to land some great jobs. I almost feel obligated to help others find better jobs. I am always sending links to want ads and offering to help redo resumes. My friend Jen in particular is on the verge of throttling me because I am always after her to redo her resume and sending her better jobs. She is just SOOOO smart. I hate to see a good mind go to waste on a lousy job. I’m not gonna lie- I have a nice computer. So if by chance I win- I will give it to Jen. She’s earned it having to listen to me! Plus with that crappy job, she can’t afford one on her own!!
I encouraged a friend to build a website to showcase her work samples and I helped with all the boring IT set-up work.
My best friend Roger was deeply in debt. I helped him design advertising for photography work he could do on the side. I placed the ads and helped shoot some of the jobs. His situation is getting much better.
Well, my story is a bit unconventional, but here goes. Does helping someone create their own job count?
When I first met my boyfriend six years ago, he had just moved to the area from Arizona, where he had a good tech job with a big company. Prospects are a little different in this small Oregon beach town, and there are really no computer or tech jobs in the area – the only real job options are minimum wage retail and food service jobs. He mentioned that he was thinking about starting his own computer repair business, since the area sorely needed one, and I agreed that it was a fantastic idea! I’m self-employed as a freelance journalist, and my parents were also self-employed, so it’s an area I’ve had a lot of experience in – and one that I thought would really suit him. I wholeheartedly encouraged him to pursue it, and we started brainstorming ideas. A small business is always a bumpy ride to get started, and I would give him pep talks when things didn’t look good, urging him not to abandon his dream. I wanted to do anything I could to help him achieve his goal, so I created fliers and business cards to promote his business, and distributed them throughout the area on bulletin boards and the like. That works surprisingly well in a small town, and the calls started coming in. His business is now very successful, and I joke that he keeps the whole infrastructure of this town going.
Obviously, this giveaway would benefit his business also, since he would be able to upgrade his workstation for free!
I’m not sure if my entry is a 0 or a 10, but either way, thank you for offering this amazing contest! I had fun writing it, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed for this extremely generous prize!!
This is an addendum to my comment of December 5th posted below. It is not a second entry. I just thought I should add the first names of the people I would like to help.
Connie Holso on December 5th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
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I am helping a young woman [REBECCA] who is trying to rebuild her life after getting out of an abusive marriage and is looking for a job to relocate closer to her family. I check the ads in the area papers every time and also on the online classifieds for the area. Whenever I find something that looks like a possibility, I call her with the information on what is available. I know in time persistance is going to bring her the perfect job close to home. She is one of the people I would love to gift with a computer if I should win. Although I have no experience with resume writing and such, I have referred her to One Day, One Job. Hopefully it will help in her search.
Another person I am trying to help is a disabled stay-at-home mom [BETHANY]with two little ones. Her husband was recently laid off and I have been trying to help her find something she can do at home to suppliment their income. She is another person that I would like to surprise with a computer. Having a working computer would let her take advantage of a work from home employment opportunity that exists right now. Plus it might help her husband find decent employment.
If I were to win this, I would like to keep a laptop to use at our local family history center where I volunteer. We are involved in helping people to do research tracing their geneology. The program there provides for volunteers to take their personal laptops to the homes of anyone wanting to do this work to teach them how to do their own research. Having a laptop would allow me to participate in this portion of the program also.
I have a friend who just needs someone to talk to. So I oblige.
I have been helping my best friend Tai to help find a job after being recently laid off due to the economy. I wanted to start by helping her do the thing she always provides to her friends, family and collagues, stay motivated! Between research and life experience on the subject, I first compiled tips to help keep her motivated which are as follows:
Job hunting is grueling and can allow your less helpful inner voices to get the best of you. These steps will help you stay motivated throughout your job hunting process.
1. FOCUS ON YOUR STATE OF MIND: This first step can be instrumental in laying a foundation for all the other work you will be committing to during your job search process. you are dealing with 2 of the top 5 most stressful life events (work and money). Acknowledging that this may be one of the most challenging periods in your life will help you rise to the challenge and ensure that you invest in the reservoirs of perseverance the job hunt requires.
2. BUILD A SUPPORT NETWORK: You already know you’ll want to work your networks to find job leads and obtain informational interviews. But put some thought into building your motivational network as well. Choose a spouse, partner, close friend or relative who will be willing to be your cheerleader throughout this time. Share with them upfront what kind of support you might need (someone to share your weekly progress with, an extra hug now and then, practice doing mock interviews). Allowing someone to help you is a great way to deepen a relationship. Let them know you are there to return the favor whenever they need a positive coach to get through a rough spot.
SPEND TIME ON A HOBBY THAT PROVIDES A FORM OF INSTANT GRATIFICATION: We all like to see a tangible return on our investments. Unfortunately, when job hunting, you may receive absolutely no response to an application that took you hours to complete. Consider taking on a hobby that will temporarily provide a sense of completion and help you keep your energy reservoirs high for the job hunt. Knitting, pottery classes, cooking, even blogging about your experience are all great choices.
4. HAVE A SCHEDULE: If you’re used to working a 9-to-5 job, adjusting to a relaxation in your time parameters can be jolting. Design a schedule to keep yourself on task. While you may want to take this time to take advantage of more flexible hours, be sure that at least four hours each day fall within regular business hours. Spend about half your time visiting employers, writing emails or doing follow up calls. Getting out of the house and directly interfacing with employers is not only a great way to introduce yourself, it can also be motivating.
5. KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE: The daily headlines will provide you with a constant stream of reports about layoffs and high unemployment rates. While this is undoubtedly a tough economic period, don’t buy into the doomsday headlines. Even during the peak of the Great Depression, unemployment reached 25%! Smart, qualified persistent applicants are still being hired every single day. It may take a little longer, but soon or a later that smart, qualified, persistent person will be you!
Reading everyone’s experiences here was very helpful and I will share this site with others, not just to enter the contest, but also to gain inspiration, that there are helpful people out there, that there is hope and there is some really valuable advice here.
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!
Buena, me gustaria ganarme una de la notebook para poder actualizar la PC de mi padre, ya que todavia sigue usando una 486x y hay veces que su trabajo se le hace muy lento por dicha maquina.
desde ya muchas gracias
saludos
I work as a Frontdesk support Agent at my University and we get paid fairly well with flexible hours. Perfect student job. I told my mate about the job, helped him fill in the form appropriately (we didn’t have CVs) and put in a referral for him with my supervisor too. He didn’t get the job but that’s because he wasnt available for the months they needed him.
I helped my friend by teaching her how to use MS products more efficently. I am MS cerified and she was only able to use excel at a beginner level, which was OK for her past job that she held for years and years due to outsourcing, but once she was out in the market again realized that those skills wouldnt cut it.
I put the word in at my job for my bro Doug and it all worked out. I’ve done the same for several of my friends.
My story begins with my best friend my cousin. We have been tighter than monkey on a banana.
Anyways he had a learning disability so he couldn’t get a real job and his jobs consisted of delivering flyer’s and other minuscule jobs, he even took an extra year oh highschool to feel more accomplished, but he wasn’t very confident but I do not want this to be a sob story because it’s not and those are chheap.
It didn’t just start with looking for a jobs it was a complete and total transformation of a long time, not just focused on finding a job but just changing little things, like the way he dressed, hair style and convincing him to be MORE confident.. and then knocking him down a peg when he started hitting on married Women. We both applied at the same places but I didn’t need a job I just thought the extra money would be nice, the job he eventually got as a dishwasher didn’t seem too amazing but he was also accepted at another job and I have never seen anyone work 2 full time jobs and have an addiction to World of Warcraft as well as he did. One job consisted of working from about 2pm – 11 and the other from about 10-6. He has been working these jobs for nearly 3 years now and he rarely misses a day, he pays his own rent/internet/xbox live/cable/power.
How much of this was my help? I don’t know but it makes me a little happy to know that I pushed him a little. Also, his addiction to World of Warcraft, the game I got him on lead to him meeting his future wife, he was a virgin before now and they live together and they’re extremely happy, it’s a very nice story, probably better for me being on the inside than for you reading this.
Right this minute my daughter is out of a job and things aren’t looking too great. The
ONLY way I can help her is to give her moral support (she doesn’t need cash right now)
and to try to build her self confidence. When you get “dumped” it reduces you pride in
your work.
I helped my brother find a career by suggesting he join the military. He did not want to go to college and he needed structure. Well 12 years later he has used what he learned in the military to make a pretty decent career in the civilian world!
The other day I saw an ad for an internship/job in my area that sounded interesting. After some more reading I found that they had recently opened an office Paris, France, where my friend spending the next semester. She was looking for a job as well so I emailed her all the relevant information. No news on it yet but hopefully Sam will get hired.
The person I helped with his job search was named Jason. He is amazingly smart, but not the best writer, so I was able to sit down with him and help him write up a resume that both looked good and sounded good. I knew once he got an interview it would be easy for him to show how qualified he would be, but it was nice to be able to help him get to the point where he could get an interview.
I have a friend who is a professional magician – we used to do magic shows together. He did a lot of stage magic and I was heavily into cards.
The lifeblood for entertainers is doing large shows for corporations because that’s where the big money is. However, due to recent troubles, many corporations are cutting back on their entertainment budget, especially for stage magicians who put on a elaborate show for more money. So my friend’s been going show-less for months, even thinking about selling his doves and rabbits.
Yesterday, I decided to contact my church minister about doing a Christmas special show @ the church. After an hour of discussion, we ended up drawing up a plan where the church will end up providing him with the stage, marketing and supplies in exchange for having half of the profit donated.
Needless to say, I’m VERY excited for the show. I’ll also be working as his main stagehand and I think we’ll have a fantastic time!
I helped my sister Lavonne with her job hunting. She was laid off a few months ago and have been having a hard time finding work. Since she doesn’t have a computer so i use my old computer to go onto the job sites like monster and post her resumes for her to try to find a new job. She’s had a few interviews but so far nothing permanent. I keep praying that she will find something soon.
My friend’s husband is on a contract job outside his expertise. I interviewed at a company for a position that I wanted, but the hours conflicted with my schedule. I told his wife and him about it. My husband works at the company and he hand delivered it to the Human Resource department for them. We shared what information we knew about the position and managers so he could tailor his resume and cover letter.
Here’s my entry:
I’ve helped a lot of my friends in polishing their resumes when I was a newly college graduate. I help them polish theirs, and they help me give a feed back on mine.
But one close friend was very memorable to me because I helped him all the way in getting a job. His name is Norman. He’s a very skilled Information Technology graduate. He got a lot of seminars, trainings and extra curricular activites to be proud of in his resume, but one thing about this friend of mine lacks – his communication skills. He’s not that quite proficient in his oral and written skills. The moment he graduated in College, (I’m a year older than him), and I was working in a good company, he asked me to help him to get a job. I excitedly agreed, his credentials are outstanding already and I was sure he only needs guidance and polishing. And I thought, getting him a job asap will also make not only me happy, but his family as well. Their father passed away already, so it’s his job to help supporting their family.
So anyway, to help him with his job hunting this were the things I did:
RESUME:
1) I looked at his resume.
2) Gave comments to it. Together, we searched the web for resume samples.
3) We, together, revised his resume. Highlighting his achievements, trainings/seminars, extra curriculars, and skills.
4) Let professional friends see his resume to get some feedbacks.
5) Revised resume for more polishing.
6) Created resume accounts in Search job engines in local websites. Like Jobstreet.com (http://www.jobstreet.com) and Jobsdb (http://www.jobsdb.com). It helped alot, because only 1 week after a potential employer called him for an interview.
ORAL PRACTICE:
1) Since I constantly collect articles from our local Sunday Paper (The Philippine Star) in the Job search section, I lend him the articles I collected about interview etiquettes. I lent him the articles that I thought would greatly help him in getting ideas of what will greatly help him in the process.
2) We scheduled a mock interview within ourselves. I pretended to be the interviewer and him as the job applicant. I gathered possible interview questions. I believe it greatly helped him because it made him realize that every company has different set of questions. I asked him loads of different questions. From: why did you choose to apply in this company to why is your favorite color blue?
Job interviews ar unpredictable so one has to be prepared with honest and smart answers. = )
3) Mock interviews between the two of us continued until a scheduled interview was given to him by a possbile employer.
THE WAY HE MOVES:
1) We also anlayzed how he moves as we did mock interviews.
2) After analyzing, I gave him feedbacks, like stop fidgetting while talking. Remaing eye contact with interviewer. Smile, but don’t overdo it. Be confident with your credentials, but not too boastful. I firmly believe my friend was able to grasp my comments because of his humble attitude.
CLOTHING:
1) We also talked about his attires for interviews. Smart professional attire was the emphasis.
2) We made sure that he also is physically clean every interiew. From nails, face, teeth and hair.
I advised him that he should always be conciously clean and smells good all the time.(but not too over, ofcourse)
LAST:
1) We kept track of his interviews and job searches.
He got a job after a month of waiting. His 2nd application and interview in a Life Insurance company was the jackpot! = ) He got the Network Administration position. He’s doing well in his company. Currently, he has decided to work abroad, with the same job position. (Now that’s a different story!) He had, also, currently applied in overseas agencies. He’s still weighing options. He updated and used the resume we did together. = ) From time to time he still consults me for advise on his applications.
Recently, I met a guy Jeff, who had been referred to me by a mutual friend to help with his resume. He has some good experiences but he just wasn’t able to get interviews with very many companies. We sat down and looked at his resume and it turns out he was not fully describing the skills which he had developed. He was just listing the things he did (did work to help on office projects) and not stating the specifics (analyzed top 5 competitors to determine new marking initiatives). We emailed back and for finalizing his resume and eventually the interview offers starting coming in.
Jeff then asked if we could meet talk about interviewing. We went over some questions, and he quickly realized he hadn’t thought through his answers. He even forgot to mention the depth of experience at his internship. We stopped and work out some examples he could use in the interviewing. We had also talked about how to really impress the interviews, such as sending a thank you to each employee he had significant interactions with(a lesson I learned from my father). Jeff didn’t just send a generic three line email, but sent a personalized thank you to each person he met. The result was that he got to final round interviews and a job offer from both. One interviewer even commented (afterward) about his follow up thank you and mentioned too many people forget such a simple step.
He ended up taking the job with a local company that has a lot of room for advancement, so he is pretty happy. I’ve helped a lot of other students on their job search process (I work at a university) but Jeff really showed initiative. He didn’t have the highest GPA or the most glamorous past internship (it was for a valve company); however, Jeff was willing to work hard and go the extra mile, so I was more than glad to go the extra mile for him as well. He even sent me a thank you (which most students don’t) so it would be great to hook him up with some of the HP prizes to furnish his new (but bare) apartment.
Hey!
I have a few friends who are currently applying to Teach for America. As part of the interview process they have to teach a sample five minute lesson. To help my friends out, we organized a little classroom in my livingroom, complete with whiteboard and all, and we all got together over a couple of beers and helped them perfect their lesson plan and delivery. They’ve got their interviews tomorrow, and I know a whole lot about 5th grade algebra and language arts!
Dear One Day, One Job:
The friend I helped “find a job” was my step-son Johnathan. He had some difficult teen years, and after graduation he was finally able to move out and live with us for a short time. Johnathan had been in trouble off and on for several years, and really needed some direction.
One night we sat down to fill out a job application for Target. Over the next several hours we talked about skill building, resume’ writing, budgeting, and several other essential (real world) survival skills. I didn’t think much about it at the time. I figured I was just a dad imparting indispensable wisdom, from a life of hard knocks, to a son that really needed good and humble advice.
Several years have passed. My son joined and separated the military, married a young lady he met while in, fell on hard times and was without work for most of this year. But, this month, he called to tell me that he’d been thinking about that conversation a few years ago. So, he sat down worked out a new resume’ using the guidelines I set down on job-related, transferable, and adaptive skills presentation. He worked on his interviewing skills with his wife, and they set down a basic budget. He was very proud to tell me that he landed the job he was after, despite the dismal job market in Fayeteville where they reside. He has been doing well, and he and his wife have moved into a house which they are renting with one of his younger brothers. He thanked me for the advice long ago, and told me how important it was in getting his current job, and rebuilding their lives.
I intend to pay forward this entire prize to my son, his wife, and his two brothers and two sisters. I would love the prize, but they are my REAL blessing.
Regards,
Keith H.
My friend recently left the army and needed some guidance. He was a chef in the military.His name is Nelson and he found a job as a chef. He is very happy.
My brother who recently lost his job of many years needed help posting his resume. I helped him write it up and post it and though we have just recently done this we’re hoping for some good results. I also took him shopping as his past job was a uniform and he wasn’t really into suits. Now he looks presentable when he applies in person, whether or not he will eventually be back working with heavy equipment or a fork lift. We could all use new computers, including my mother who is 71, but very computer literate. Our equipment is getting pretty old.
I am actually trying to help myself get a job at the moment. I just relocated with my gf to the Seattle area and was able to help her into a job as a paralegal.
I also helped a single mother depart a dead-end position in a coffee shop into the same company. The shop offered no benefits, she worked many doubles, and her son was left with his grandmother most days. She is making far better money now, and is considering a private school for her son next year so I think I did well. She had no clue how to go about undertaking a thorough job search, no resume, no time to interview, etc… and my gf watched her son while I loaned her this laptop, showed her some stock resumes and a few research tools, another employee covered a few shifts while she interviewed and voila…. someone else makes my coffee now. Helping that unknown woman made my month, I’m still riding that buzz. I guess there are no unselfish deeds.
But I have not had the same luck yet. After 10 yrs in tech I am probably getting beaten out by freshly trained graduates. This may be my last foray into tech jobs unless a good offer comes in lol
Crossing my fingers for that HP package… while I annoy all my facebook and myspace contacts with hopeful questions about whether they know about anything in the Northwest. In the mean time I am going for yet another MS certification this winter if I can afford it, and maybe even an MBA program start next fall. That’ll really pad the old resume!
Thanks
I have been helping two of my friends with their job searches.
I have tried to get one of them to edit their resume on Linked In. From there I also networked with someone that could be his mentor. He didn’t trust her at first because he is in the radio industry and leary of everyone that crosses his path. She gave him good insight and they are finally connected. I am not sure he changed his job searching skills though and I am not convinced that he wants too. I try and help him and nothing gets through his skull.
Then I have a friend in WI that I send some HR links too. I figure there isn’t anything wrong with sharing information so I figure helping him would be a good thing since I am on some church outreach ministry boards that have been sending out information.
I helped my best friend Josh by paying to have a resume done for him. I’m also helping by searching some online employment places as well as our local newspapers. I’m also driving him to all interviews and helping him to keep his chin up because it has been hard for him trying to find a job.
Thank you for the wonderful giveaway!
There was this girl where I worked who wanted to advance to my classification . I encouraged her to apply for a opening and talked to my boss to get her a interview. She ended up getting the training paid by the corporation and getting the job. She has moved departments since then but the last I knew she was still working. Sometimes a little encouragement is needed to get someone to take that extra step.
opps I forgot to put in her name was Vicki . And to “pay it forward” I would donate a laptop and printer to the Ronald McDonald House of Mid- Michigan.
My unemployed friend’s name is Dan. He just graduated with a BsEE, all well and good, except his timing is just as lousy as the Central Florida economy right now, and prospects look bleak. I’ve been helping keep him motivated — looking through the main local job boards and thinking “outside-the-box” for unusual opportunities. I helped critique and review his resume through multiple iterations, and brainstormed several different cover letters to be appropriate for ninety-percent of the positions he has been applying for… Having found THIS site, I think my next big “Help Him Land A Job” action is to introduce HIM to this site, let HIM swim around and get comfortable and THEN we turn up the heat and take a shot at figuring out “so, what NEXT?”
Mine’s a little old now but I think it’s very good. I graduated college in 1999 and started working as a financial aid counselor at the university I graduated from. There were two sisters who were still students at that time working as work study students for the department. We became friends and eventually one graduated (the older) and then the other (younger) graduated as well. Since we were still friends we kept in touch via e-mail and would visit from time to time too. After the younger sister, Julie, graduated with a degree in computer science she was not able to find a job and had to move back home and take a retail job. We still stayed in touch vie e-mail and the occasional phone call and one day an opening for a new counselor was posted in my department. I let my boss know that Julie was still looking for a good full time job and since she had worked here previously as a student she knew what we did already. so, I call her up and e-mail the job info and she applies and interviews. Unfortunately, though, she wasn’t hired. So, then a couple months later she calls me and tells me that she actually did get a job at the university. Turns out another department saw her application and resume in the database and called her around Christmas asking if she wanted to interview for an open position that they had. She interviewed, was offered the job and accepted. She moved back down, got an apartment and started at her job. We would run into each other from time to time during our lunches walking around the campus and eat or chat for a while. Long story short, over the course of some months we began seeing a lot more of each other away from work, began dating and have now been together for over 3 years and are planning to marry!
Well frankly speaking this is my first visit to your site and I am impressed with your work. Here is what we (I said “we” because its the effort of my mom and me) have done and are doing since past 4 years.
I am an Indian and my mother runs a Youth Welfare Society. We have been educating the youth from poor and middle caste about handicrafts, computers, arts like dance, photography, etc and how they can make their life better with them. There is not 1 nor 2 cases but over dozens of youth have learn ways on how they can make out their life from these.
Many of them are now managing the life by earning from the art we taught them.
I have been sending my sister, Lisa, job listings from monster, career builder etc.
I helped my best friend, Jac, find a job by personally searching the city high and low for a business that required his skills. He was in a funk and extremely depressed that he would not find anything so he spent his day crying in bed. After two days I had found just what he needed and I left his information with the manager – who was impressed after I bragged about how great my friend is. Jac started working there two days later!
My relative was involved in an accident that he caused and was sentenced to a minimum of 7 years in jail. Prior to the accident, he was in the Information Technology field. He was a developer in an area that, if he weren’t able to keep up, he would clearly lose his employability after 7 years of inactivity. He is eligible for parole in a few months. I’ve worked with him for the past years to suggest actions that could keep him of value, given what he could learn while in prison and what matched his aptitude and interests. The idea is to build his resume given his difficult situation – with no employment for 7 years. In particular, I suggested that he had an opportunity to learn Spanish, and that knowledge of Spanish could open up a number of opportunities that he otherwise wouldn’t have. Secondly, I continued to send him books that could help him keep up with changes in technology as well as changes in business. With this “book learning”, he could quickly get certifications in IT applications used in development. He’s been working on legal research while he’s had the opportunity, so he will be looking to combine the IT and search, if possible. I would like to give a laptop to my relative, as it would help him in his job search. And, being in IT, a laptop is a tool, like a hammer is a tool for a builder. With his own laptop, it opens up the possibility of his building his own company and selling his own programs or services.
i just helped my friend luke get work at my jobsite. he’s been out of work for a few months, and was happy to get something.
A little while ago, my friend was laid-off along with 70% of his company. I first let him cry on my shoulder and vent. Then, I read and re-read his resume several times. I helped him work on wording and flow. He changed his resume and created 2 different versions that were specific to two different fields. I edited both of these as well as the original. I performed job searches for him online. I helped him with his interview outfit. I also went over questions with him and helped him come up with his own questions to ask at the interview. He is going back for a second interview this week and will hopefully have a job by the end of the year!
The friend I have helped is my husband. I have helped him redo his resume with new, more in-depth job descriptions. I have also been on the lookout scouring for positions that might suit him. It has been really hard to find a new job after moving cross country and hopefully by working together we will find something.
I helped Reoberta rewrite her resume and post it on the internet
My son was recently looking for a job. He had been putting in application and getting pretty disocouraged.
I spend a great deal of my time every day on the phone since I run a home business. Almost all of my customers are very far away. About three weeks ago I received a phone call from one of my customers needing our help in a project. We worked out the details of what the company needed and then he proceeded to tell me who busy they were and he had been interviewing people for days and days but could not find the right people to fill the positition. I then proceed to tell him about my son that is looking for work and can;t find the right job. I tell him what my sons qualifications are and he tells me to send him in the next day. The son goes in and gets HIRED right away.
The funny thing is almost all of my customers are very far away. This one worked out just perfect.
Networking is wonderful and it works.
I would share the package with my son and daughter…my daughter is a teacher for a very high achieving inner city school. I would give (donate) to her school everything except one laptop. Hey I get to be a little selfish…..lol.
A friend of mine has held his current job as a line cook for about 3 years, but the bosses are horrible and extremely stingy (I met this friend while I worked at that restaurant too, except that I quit because I could!) Unfortunately my friend can’t quit on a whim because he has more responsibilities than I do. He doesn’t have a college degree or any type of certificate, so he has little confidence in his ability to find another job. Also, he doesn’t own a computer and has difficulty gaining access to a computer which makes it very difficult for him to conduct a job search since most job openings today are only listed online.
I have faith in my friend’s abilities and experience as a cook, and I really wish for him a better job situation that he currently has, so I decided to read through relevant Craigslist postings for him. I printed out job postings (upon my friend’s request) that I know he is qualified for and might be interested in, and I’m encouraging him to act on these opportunities. Also, I’ve been encouraging him to take certain classes that will improve his skill-set and make him more desirable as a job candidate in the future.
I hope that my assistance helps lead him to a new job, and I hope that I can surprise my friend with a new computer!
My son says that I have to enter because teaching people job search skills is my hobby, and he’s been hearing stories every week for years. I’ve been an IT manager for over 20 years, and I like this kind of work. In my role, I have read hundreds of resumes and have done a log of hiring. Because of this, I started assisting others who could benefit from my perspective. I’m often told that I should be a career coach, but it wouldn’t feel right to take money from someone who is unemployed, and I can give advice more freely when I don’t have an angle that provides compensation to me. A few specific examples:
1) Six years ago, I met Ruthanne at a networking lunch, and she mentioned that she was looking for a new opportunity. I told her about a job I’d just interviewed for and was not hired for. I suggested a contact person, then I debriefed her on my interviews – who I’d talked with, what they’d asked, and any feedback I’d gotten. She got the job.
2) Seven months ago, my boss was laid off from a company he’d worked at for 25 years. I critiqued his resume and brought him along to some networking events. I set up a meeting with a friend who is a VP at a local company, and my friend did a practice interview for him and suggested some options. When my former boss got his first interview, I sent emails to two directors that I know at the prospective employer recommending him, before he went in for the interviews. One of them turned out to be one of his interviewers. he got the job.
3) At my previous company, frequent layoffs were common. One year, the union hired a resume writer for their workers. A couple of them had me look over their resumes. In my experience, a resume is much stronger if it is action oriented and quantifies results. So I went to each department and collected their key metrics (e.g. call center volumes and response times, customer feedback scores, billing accuracy, data center availability). I provided this data to the resume writer and he incorporated into the resumes that he was creating.
4) I co-facilitate a local career networking group. Currently has 58 members, and has tripled in three months.
5) Most of the information on this website http://www.awc-aa.org/jobluck/resources.php came from a talk I’ve periodically given on ‘perspectives of a hiring manager’.
I am glad to share my prizes, but generous as this program is, you aren’t offering enough to go to all those I’ve assisted, as I’m sure that it is hundreds. On this laptop of 3 years, my resume folder has 110 resumes that I’ve critiqued in it, and I don’t always get soft copies or remember to store a copy there. I occasionally meet people for lunch to coach them, and it may not be resume assistance. I have also lost touch with some of those I’ve assisted. If I win, I’d like to present a couple of options to the site owners and have them help me decide.
I helped my friend Sarah get her new position…I recently left my job with the world’s largest shipping company, and was allowed some input into who would be best suited to fill the position. Our manager thought that Sarah was too young, however, she did know just about everything about office procedure and is a very quick study. Thankfully they let her interview for the position and she got it. Now Austin has a new regional import coordinator, and she finally makes enough to support her family. I’ve never felt better about leaving a job.
ive been helping my daughters boyfriend get a job. he knocked up my daughter and doesnt have a job. babies are not free! shes due jan 20th. he needs all the help he can get!! still no luck…thanx
(my friend’s name is Jaime)
I’m an electrician with a large company and I also sometimes do part time jobs with an additional small company. While at the small company I noticed a fellow worker very disenchanted with the level his position and treatment on the job. Since he is like a younger brother to me, and since I know he is a conscientious hard worker I began to look into getting him in at my other place of employment where he would have many more opportunities. I spoke to the personnel department where I work about what positions were open and passed that information onto him. Next we discussed how he can upgrade his license so he will be ready for moving over to the larger company. Then I verbally recommended him to several people in management who will be interviewing him in the coming weeks. I do believe he will get the job and I am so glad that I am in a position to help a very deserving person find stable work with a good company.
Recently I just discovered this website and although I have yet to find my dream job I am currently working to help build experience in the event planning industry. One of my best friends from College Samantha just recently finished her internship she had for Verizon in New York. We both attended Hofstra University and graduated in May. Samantha decided to stay in New York because she figured there would be better job opportunities being closer to NYC. I decided to move back home and save up money and live with my parents. (I know i know!) Since Samantha ended her internship at Verizon she has had no luck in finding a job, she also has started to get into a slump. She sleeps till 4pm and barely leaves her house. Although she does have a boyfriend, its not much help that he’s still in college. Recently at night I have been sitting online with her looking up different websites to give her to help her find a job, I have also been talking to her and listening to her about what she dreams about being so she can try and find the right direction to go in. Last night I actually gave her this website and idealist.org. Last night alone Samantha sent her resume out to 5 different places and told me she is going to keep coming back to them to check to see new updates. Although I did not actually help her find her dream job I started to get her in the right direction!
DO NOT GRADE THIS ENTRY – addition to earlier comments. (For some reason, when I tried to include all in a single entry, it failed).
As Ty mentioned above, Michigan is losing far too many recent college grads. For those in SE Michigan, here’s a couple of good websites that have newsletters you can subscribe to: http://www.annarborspark.org/career-services/cool-growing-companies/ http://www.concentratemedia.com/default.aspx
http://www.wwj.com/GLITR-page/714615 http://www.mlive.com/businessreview/annarbor/index.ssf/2008/10/five_ann_arbor_it_companies_to.html
There are plenty of awesome, growing companies in Michigan, though they are sometimes under the radar. Like Recellular, the largest cell phone recycling company in the world. Like Zattoo, where TV meets PC. Like Gas Station TV. Like so many more…. I’m glad to provide additional info to the site owners if you are seeking to find promote opportunities in Michigan.
As a former adjunct professor, I taught resume writing for 25 years. Therefore, when I learn of someone looking for a job, I offer to assist with the resume and cover letter. I don’t charge, and lately I’ve helped Jane and Rob with their job searches, including putting Rob in touch with a head hunter in his field. Thanks for the giveaway.
Hi
I helped my friend Mohan get a job. Due to the recession, he was laid off from his previous company with a one month notice. To complicate things further, he had his wedding day in a month. It would have been a disaster if he would be having his wedding without a job. He shared his problem with me and I understood the gravity of the situation. We both decided to work together to find him a job.
Firstly, I made a new email if for him and we shared the password. Using this email id, I created new profiles for him on various Indian job sites (like naukri, monster, timesjobs). I also called up various friends and found the contacts of many job consultants. In about 3 days time, I could manage to get the contact of about 40 consultants. The next job was to improve his resume. His current resume was 5 page long and was not up to the mark. We worked on it together and brought it down to 3 pages. We posted it on the job sites and sent it by email to all the consultants we had identified using the common mail id.
My friend could not access yahoo mail from his current office. Hence, I accessed all his job mails and responded to them and set up the interview appointments. Soon, he started getting lots of calls from the consultants. At most of the places he was not eligible as he had done his graduation via correspondence. However, he soon got interview calls from IBM, Dell and Logica. Unfortunately, he could not clear the interview of IBM and Dell. However, his Logica interview went well.
Within 5 days of the interview, he got an offer from Logica and now he has joined the company. This whole process took us some 15 days. He also could attend his wedding with the satisfaction of a good job. Additionally, he even got a 25% salary hike in the new company.
I am really glad that my efforts paid off.
Cheers
Ramesh
^^Regarding previous post of mine^^ My boyfriend’s name is Dylan. :)I just realized I had forgotten to mention that!
Like many other university students, my friend was desperately looking for a job for the upcoming summer (first year). Unfortunately, he was one of those students with no real work experience yet (only volunteer positions and extracurriculars). Without experience, he was struggling to get a real summer job at a company and he did not want an entry level job (i.e. minimum wage) since most other students already scored respectable jobs for the summer. As I was heading to my program’s career fair, I bumped into him and decided to bring him along since his program did not provide a career fair day for students. As a result, he managed to hand in his resume to several booths and was contacted by one of them several months later, Petro Canada. Needless to say, he ended up at Petro that summer.
I helped my friend Richard with a job search before and he was looking for a job in auto mechanics i did an online search to see who was hiring for auto mechanics at the time i could not find anything i came across a friend of a friend of mines whos cousin works at a place called moble gas station i told him about Richard and my friends friend cousin referred Richard told the boss about him and he got hired about 2 months later.
I work in 2 ngos here in Peru and almost every week i received new non-governmental organizations job offers, so I created a blog to help others to find his or her dream job. The ironic is that i’m searching a new job right now because there is a bad work environment in my work and while i’m searching, I found others job profiles (that are not in ngos) that i think some of my friends will be interestedand, so I send the job offers to them, and the last one that I sent is to my brother, eric, because he needs to get another job right now to pay his bills, he is married and has three kids.
The day was cold, windy, and rainy. The weather mocked our freshly pressed button-downs, our shinny new shoes, and our suit jackets. I stayed wrinkle-free, but my friend Jake couldn’t help but laugh at the humidity’s effects on my hair.
“Shut up!” I scoffed at his giggle, “this hair will help me make an impression!” Maybe the wrong impression.
Jake and I had been to several career fairs already that year and each and every time the weather was the same. Boston weather has a way of hating you when you’re down. Jake and I knew the drill — find the list, research the companies, prepare your resume, prepare your shpeel. Jake and I were well practiced, and well dressed. Still, there was something mocking the title of our new favorite blog, “One Day One Job”: “One More Day, No Job” was more like it.
Rewind a couple of months to January, 2008. That winter break was the year everyone spent writing resumes and submitting those worthless online applications. When we got back to Boston, Jake and I exchanged resumes. His was very similar to mine, academically, with the added gold star of Eagle Scouts. He had chosen to stick with the conservative resume template and ended up with something barely readable since it was so full of content. I had had the same problem, but resolved that by going with the somewhat avant-guard two-column resume. BEAUTIFUL! Here’s where my best friend, Lisa, comes in. She had the same exact problem, which we together solved with the two-column formula.
So, back to that day in April, 2008, the three of us entered the Boston University career fair with three mostly-identical resumes! We compared routes so that we would not be tag teaming the career booths, and set off. Several hours later Jake, Lisa, and I regrouped in the back of the room. Jake and I were tired, Lisa has endless energy. There were two companies which I was really excited about after the fair – the first, call it Company I, tickled my fancy for international business between the US and China. The second, Company B, was a software company that recruited specifically from my current job (tech support at the university). Earlier in the year, I had recommended Lisa for a job in the tech support center, which gave her an immediate in to Company B. Jake, who also fancied international business and Chinese, had completely missed Company I (it wasn’t in the preparation materials). I told him about Company I, and before we left he went over to speak with the representative (in Chinese).
(just as an aside, my resume template has gotten around quite a bit at BU… everyone loves it… I hope that the conservative career services office gets their comeupins for their terrible and contrary advice!)
Jake and Lisa both scored interviews with Company I and Company B respectively. I got interviews with both companies. Fortunately for my friends (and I say this with all sincerity), my interviews were schedule before theirs, almost a week in advance, so I was able to give them both tips and advice, as well as little things I had found out about the interviewers. All three of us made it through to second rounds. That’s when I was cut from Company I by way of a personality test (?!). Lisa and I both received job offers from Company B, but mine was rescinded (?! can they even do that?) when they found out how enthusiastic I was about going to Brazil for a few weeks prior to my start date.
I’d like to think that my best friends took those spots I fumbled. It was hard for me to see that at the time…
However, this story ends on a very positive note: not only did I help my two best friends get their first jobs out of college, but they in turn helped me get my first job. Here’s how —
After my friends took my fumbled positions at Company I and Company B, I had no choice left but to suck it up and move home. Pennsylvania can be a blessing in disguise in so many ways. For one, Philadelphia street carts look disgusting on the outside but produce amazing, if somewhat indigestible food. For two, moving home opened up the possibility of working at Lockheed Martin. This job turned out to be a much better fit for me than either position at Company I or Company B.
Happy Days.
The End.
I help run my companies internship program, so I’ve given advice to hundreds of applicants. I try to be helpful to even the candidates we don’t select and give them honest reasons as to why they weren’t selected – the worst thing you can do is not tell someone the truth, you perpetuate the problem/behavior. From typos to poor interview answers, we’ve seen it all.
I’ve also become the default resume guy for my 5 sisters. Whenever they’re looking for a job, I review their resume.
Keep up the good work and keep pointing students in the right direction.
-Mark
A friend of mine (Patrick Gary) made a great forum post about finding and getting a job. I liked it so much that I asked him if I could use it as a guest post on my blog, in hopes that it would help other people. He agreed, but asked me to wait until his own job search was over before posting it. Well, a twitter friend of mine (@uncommon_sense) lost her job a few weeks ago, and I knew this information could help her, so I asked Pat if I could email it to her, to which he also agreed. She was very thankful for the tips, and said that she planned to put several of them to the test.
She just tweeted today that she got one job offer and 2 second interviews! Yay, Lynn! : )
Also, Patrick had a columnist friend whose column was recently dropped. I wrote the editor of the paper, asking him to bring her column back, because it is OH so much funnier than the one that DIDN’T get cut. I don’t know if she’ll get it back or not, but since this particular editor doesn’t receive many letters, I have high hopes that it’ll help…. (Cross your fingers for her: the other guy really ISN’T funny at all….)
I recently helped a friend get a job on a university campus, partially because he’s my friend and partially because I wanted him to be my room-mate and thus he needed to be able to pay some rent. Here is how I helped him gain a job.
Step 1- I asked him to send me a resume to gauge what level of skill he had in resume writing. Based on his resume, I gave him some general tips and also gave him some sample cover letters to review. Additionally, I broke down the cover letter process into a 3 step approach so it would be more clear for him.
Step 2- I told him where to look for available on campus jobs and I asked him to find at least 3 that he was interested in. From there I had him target a resume and cover letter to the the job that was his top choice and had him send it to me.
Step 3- I evaluated his resume and cover letter and we found a quiet place to grab a bite to eat, drink a beer, and discuss the pro’s and con’s of his version. I then had him look at the version I had crafted that included specific examples, targeted action verbs, quantifiable achievements and a sincerely written cover letter stating an interest in the job. However, I didn’t completely flush out his resume, rather I coached him through the process.
Step 4- I had him send me a “final draft” of his resume and cover letter for his top choice job and gave some feedback.
Step 5- I showed my friend how to review the web site of the on campus department for any clues or insights into how the interview might go and what sort of candidates they were looking for.
Step 6- After the interview, I gave my friend feedback on his thank you letter and he dropped it off in person at the campus department office.
Step 7- My friend bought me a 6 pack of beer after he got the job!
When my wife and I were planning our wedding, a friend of hers was applying for a job. My wife wanted her to be her Matron of Honor, but she said that she couldn’t afford to fly in for the wedding, unless she got this job. Carole and I stayed up late—like 1 – 2 am in the morning late—every night for a week, tweaking her resume and her CV for her, and putting together a cd that linked these documents to supporting documentation, and then burning copies of the cds so she could give one to each of her interviewers.
They were highly impressed with her, and told her that her cds were unique in their experience. She got the job!
Of course, she then decided NOT to fly in for the wedding, but NOT to tell us until several months later—leaving us without a Matron of Honor— but that’s another story….
A coworker and I were recently laid off from a job at a multi-media production company due to lack of work in this troubled economy. Having worked in the industry a lot longer, I called some people I know and picked up a job at a local TV station. My co-worker is a recent college graduate without a lot of contacts, so I put in a good word with my new supervisor and they are bringing him in for an interview. Thanks for the great give-away. Of course I will be sharing the goods when I win. :)
My husband’s friend Kevin asked for some help punching up his résumé. I found ways that he could use more active verbs and make his job descriptions more concise. I also recommended a number of job hunting sites and suggested using online tools that will e-mail him when one of his keywords pops up in a job site. He just recently started job hunting again after layoffs at the tech factory where he worked.
Recently, the Downtown Improvement Board sent around a young woman’s résumé (don’t recall her name) to several local arts organizations, including mine. We didn’t have any job openings, but I did point out to her that she probably worked in public, not pubic, administration. It always pays to have someone else proofread your work!
I’ve sent several job leads to Heather, a young woman I worked with in TV news. I know she’s interested in an on-air job, so anytime I see an entry level position, I send her the info.
Recently a young woman named Jessica e-mailed my workplace seeing volunteer opportunities while she searched for a job. I sent her a couple of leads, one from the local paper and another from a community college website.
I’m not sure if anyone’s ever gotten a job based on my referral, but it takes just a few moments to shoot someone an e-mail with a job lead. I think it makes the other person feel better knowing that someone is thinking about them, and when you’re job hunting, you need all the self-esteem boosts that you can get!
My friend Fred has been my mentor in many areas, but his job search and negotiation skills don’t reflect his MBA and years of experience. I’ve helped him get clear on his transferrable skills, understand the “salary dance” negotiating strategy and how better to present himself at each stage of the job search. We can ALL help our friends, because we can ALL see how they sell themselves short.