Tools, Techniques and Resources for Supporting the Dis-employed

as They Move Back to Employment

Jim AdcockVice President, Board of Directors

Launch Pad Job Club

St Martin’s Stephen Ministry, November 16, 2010

Who I Am Now

Jim Adcock ”the spam guy”

SharePoint ConsultantAnalyst, Architect, Administrator

http://dlairman.wordpress.com/http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimadcock512-415-9654 Vice-President, Board of Directorsjim@adcock.net Launch pad Job Club@dlairman http://www.launchpadjobclub.org/

The Facts of Life

• We are all going to move from job to job many times in our careers

• Current market forces mistakenly reward turnover inside corporations

Facts of Life

• Guess what? Being unemployed sucks.• But, you are required to have a positive

attitude anyway• Current sociological forces stigmatize

unemployment – blame the victim• Result: the people who are getting the jobs

that are out there are often already employed

Career Management 2.0

• Creativity and innovation will be rewarded• New tools, new opportunities• The new realities force us to find and go with

our strengths

My Story

• Career Change in 1998• Laid off 2001• Joined LPJC for the first time in 2004

Lesson One

• How I became “the Spam Guy”

The Long Road, 2006-2010

• Nine jobs in four years• 23 months unemployed – during that same

period!• Economic downturn• A lot of personal mistakes• Depression• Anxiety

How I Pulled Myself Together

• Support from Job Club• Finding my “Community”• Listening to the experts• Helping others• Using the tools of Career Management 2.0• Networking

Lesson Two

• Use the tools!– LinkedIn– Blogs– Twitter– Facebook– Resume on the raw web– Use but don’t rely on the job boards– Business Cards– Elevator pitch!

Figure Out What Works

• What *is* your career?• Identify successes!• Transferrable skills• Become the expert!

Lesson Three

“What have you been doing since your last job?”

You need a better answer than “I’ve been looking for a job….”

Resources

• There are a LOT of job clubs in Austin– Launch Pad Job Club– One at each TWC WorkSource office– North By Northwest (NxNW)– Hill Country Bible Church Job Seeker’s Network– Connect Forward Job Club (@ JCC)

Job Club Offshoots• Wilco Entrepreneurs Network• Austin Green Energy• Artist’s Alliance• ATX Design & Media• Launch Pad Toastmasters• Public Servants Alliance• Austin Marketing Syndicate• Austin Online Marketing Club• Design Verification• Security Seekers• South Austin

• Executive Networking• HR4Austin• Java/Oracle/Software• Job Searchers Support Group• Legal• New Creation Careers Group• Nonprofit• Number Crunchers• Project Managers• Science and Engineering• Top Guns• The Write Job• SWAT Teams

Networking Events

• Austin is full of them– Professional organizations based on your career

field– General events

• You could fill up your social calendar

Paid Career Counseling

• Several reputable career counselors in Austin• But with all of the free resources, unless you

are in special circumstances, why pay more?

Watch out for Scammers

• You don’t need to pay someone to get you a job

• You don’t need to give any financial information (bank accounts, etc)

• Never provide your SSN unless you are on the employer’s premises and you have been offered a job after an interview

“What have you been doing since your last job?”Career Management 2.0 – Use the Tools!Job ClubsNetworkingPaid Career CounselingEmotional needs and pitfalls