Helping Your Members to Get a Job in this Economy

a.k.a. Managing Expectations

ILT March 2013Rebecca Daniel-Burke, PhD

Danielle, Irving, MA

Managing Expectations• Things are probably going to get

better• But right now…the economy is

still bad (or in the beginning of recovery, many opinions)

• It’s not just your member• Every job seeker is having a

hard time, they are not alone• What does this mean to your

member?

It means they have to get creative or “I don’t want to

relocate”• Last week. Federal jobs available in:

– Greater DC area 5003– Ohio 303– Michigan 274– Kansas 208

• There are jobs available in Fairbanks, Alaska. It would be a real adventure to learn about indigenous cultures in Alaska.

• There are federal jobs available in very remote locations. Since these jobs are less desirable in terms of geography, they are more likely to pay all of the relocation expenses to move you (and your whole family).

• There are positions in Higher Education that are in remote locations, it is a way to get your foot in the door.

• There are counseling jobs available on military installations overseas. It is hard work, but you can see the world during your time off and expose your whole family to a very interesting way of life as an expatriate.

It means you Have to get Creative

• Do search on the internet every day• There are always new sites, a

current favorite is Job-hunt.org and CareerOneStop

• Look under Mental Health, Social Services, Health, State, County, City, Hospitals, Drug and Alcohol Recovery Centers, Psychiatric Hospitals, etc. (again, be creative)

Where are the jobs?• The easiest way to get a job is when

an employer (usually a counseling agency) has several Counselor openings

• Let’s say I am an employer, I am awarded a grant, I need to hire 5 counselors who have a Masters degree, 2 years of experience, and are licensed or license-eligible

• I am going to try to get everything they want but if 1 or 2 aren’t entirely qualified, my funder is probably going to be OK with that

How do I make the first cut?

• I am going to advertise• I am going to get 50+ resumes for 5 open

positions• The first thing I do is go through and quickly

cut the pile in half by throwing out half of the resumes

• The top problem with the 25 that get thrown out, I can’t easily find the important 3 things:

1) Licensure (are you licensed or license-eligible?)2) Education (is a Masters in Counseling listed?)3) Experience (how many years of work in

the trenches?)

What do I want to see on the remaining 25 resumes?

• To include or not to include, that is the question…• Unless it is your first job out of school, or a paid

internship, do not include your grade point average. Employers want to know you are a bright, hard working, creative, resourceful individual who will get along with the staff. Grades are not as important anymore.

• Be careful if you describe your preferable school of thought in counseling. It is possible you are a proponent of Cognitive/Behavioral techniques, and the person interviewing you is Psychodynamic. Don’t let a preference exclude you from the interview group.

• Do not include anecdotal information like I am a people person, or personal information like I am married with two kids. This kind of thing makes your resume appear less professional.

• Objective is about you, for you…the employer probably skips it, think about not including it.

That Pre-Interview Screening Call

• Be friendly, positive, and warm• If it’s a bad time for you say: “I am very

interested, but I am in the middle of a meeting, may I call you back within the hour?”

• Answer questions briefly• It it’s a clear “Have you had experience with

this…” question, and you haven’t, say “no but I am a quick learner and would love to know more”

• Remember they have 20+ resumes in front of them, try to make a positive impression

Do Your Research

• Before the interview look up the agency, hospital, etc.

• Is there any recent news about them?• Have they recently received a grant?• Are there red flags?• Have they recently received accolades,

honorable mentions, etc.?• If, during the interview, you can say “I

read an interesting article about your organization”, it will impress them!

Dressing for that interview• Many interviews for Masters level or Doctoral level ‐ ‐

Counselors are done by panel. I have been on many of these panels. Some panel members are rather conservative. It is a good idea to dress in a way that does not offend any member of the panel.

• It is certainly your safest bet to wear a suit (women choose a skirt or pants suit, men a standard business suit). Investing in one nice, well fitted suit is a good idea, ‐even if (like most of us) you have spent your school years in jeans and t shirts! It is likely that a more casual sort of ‐dress is acceptable at your potential new employer’s location, but an interview calls for a more substantial effort.

• Some panel members may be sensitive to fragrance, avoid perfume/cologne that day.

• When a candidate walks into the interview, I assume this is the best I will ever see them look. So I think, would this be appropriate for that day when I ask them to speak at a large gathering in an auditorium, or give testimony in court?

• This is not the time to make bold statements, if you want a positive outcome. You may have a style that is not everyone’s style. When you get hired you will be able to dress in the way you like. But for the interview, when a panel of people will be taking everything into consideration, it is best to go in a simpler, more conservative style.

Arriving at the Interview

• Leave your house early• Being late is a clear mistake• Park near the interview and take a

few moments to breathe and calm yourself

• Have copies of your resume, a notebook (with your questions), and a pen easily accessible

• Walk in 5-10 minutes early, if you are asked to wait, fine, do not enter late

Starting the interview• Reminders:• Greet each member of the panel with a

handshake and eye contact• Some people interviewing you will be

Counselors, so they can read body language and your ability to maintain eye contact. Remain open with your body language and connected with them through eye contact

• Take notes, it makes the interviewer feel that they are saying something that you find important/valuable

• It is OK to say “That is a very good question, let me think a moment”, to gather your thoughts and think of an answer that truly reflects you and your strengths.

20 questions (first 5)• Briefly describe your educational

and clinical background• What are your strengths and

weaknesses?• Why are you considering leaving

your present employer?• If I were to call your last

employer and ask them what your strengths are, what might they say? Weaknesses?

• What is your therapeutic orientation?

20 questions (second 5)• Will you describe briefly, how a client might

present, and how you might work with them within your therapeutic orientation?

• What if you got a client whose therapeutic needs did not fall into that orientation? How might you proceed?

• Is your professional identity that of a Counselor?

• Do you know how to render a DSM diagnosis? Do you have any thoughts regarding the proposed revisions for the DSM-5?

• Are you licensed? If not, how long would it take for you to get licensed in this state? Have you contacted the licensing board?

20 questions (third 5)• Has a malpractice complaint ever

been brought against you?• What is your Management style?• I hear you say that your

Management style is participative, but what about in times of emergencies or urgent situations? Are you comfortable being more directive during those times?

• What is your teaching style? Do you have a philosophy of learning/pedagogy?

• What is your supervision style?

20 questions (last 5)• Do you feel comfortable with

group supervision?• What do you see as pressing issues

for counselors in future years?• Do you know anything about the

mission of this agency/school?• Why should we hire you?• Is there a questions you think we

should have asked you, to fully understand your strengths? What is it?

Your questions• Have questions in your notebook that

you have thought of ahead of time• Things like: “what kind of candidate is

likely to be successful in this position?” Or “do you have a timeline for hiring?” Or maybe “what do you like about working for this company?”

• Write down questions during the interview

• Ask those questions too (it will show them that you were listening, thoughtful)

• Shake hands before leaving (don’t forget to maintain eye contact) and thank them for the opportunity to interview

After the interview• Do send a brief note card or email

thanking them for the opportunity and telling them you are interested

• Sometimes they are interested in another candidate, but sometimes they are simply swamped or they are dealing with crises

• If you have not heard anything after about a week, it is OK to call, leave a voicemail, or send an email inquiring about the status of the position

• If they respond that they have hired someone else, thank them and ask them to keep your resume in case another position comes up

What do I do while I’m waiting to get an offer?

• Fill out your federal resume• Write answers to the questions on the

federal forms, taking your time• Take Civil Service Exams for state jobs• Consider getting an extra certificate:

anger management or mediation are always impressive

• CSAC (addictions) is a good one, so often we see clients with co-occurring diagnoses, this will give you a leg up on others when those positions appear.

• Take more classes in your specialty area, or develop a specialty area: play therapy, couple counseling, family therapy, etc.

Manage Your Expectations

• It is taking longer to get the good jobs in this economy

• It’s difficult to relax when you are out of work, but try to breathe, calm yourself, and smell the roses, soon enough you will be working, swamped, and the one thing you won’t have is TIME

• Enjoy your free TIME if you possibly can