Job search for dh

[Scarlett]

Help me help Dh. When I start googling job searches there are a ton of agencies that promise jobs, but I know some must be better than others. He signed up with a headhunter several years ago....they sent him on several promising interviews but nothing panned out.

 

We live in a fair size city and there are jobs here.,.dh has a lot of experience, a lot of talent and knowledge and some education- his AUTOCAD certification and Associates of Applied Science. This last job which he loved, was an estimator and then worked into Civil Planner.

 

 

Where do we start in this job search to get him a good job? He can get an excellent letter of recommendation from the employer who just laid him off.....they are having internal issues/bancruptcy etc.....they had it nohing negative to say about Dh. He was one of dozens who lost their jobs. Some who had been there for 40 years.

[Jenn in FL]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

A few quick thoughts:

 

Network, network, network!  Tell anyone and everyone you encounter that he is available and looking.  You may stumble across something to tide you over while you look for the next perfect position.  What about spreading the word through your place of worship as well?

 

Assuming that not everyone laid off performed the same duties and are all looking for the same position, is it possible to form a 'Band of Brothers' and network among each other as well?

 

Is his resume up to date and in a modern format?  There are loads of resources available to help you revamp it if necessary.

 

Brainstorm 'out of the box' to broaden the type of position he is looking for...self starters make excellent managers for example as they have the initiative to work without oversight.  They instinctively know what needs to be accomplished.

 

Have you filed for unemployment compensation yet?  I believe there is a bit of a time delay involved, although I am not certain of the details.

 

Check Amazon for books related to finding a job and getting hired.  Then cross check the list with your local library to see if they own any of them.  Many of these books give specific examples of highly successful buzz words that are designed to spark interest on the part of the employer.

 

Is there any particular firm or agency that your DH would like to work?  If so, check out their website or job postings to see if there is anything that would potentially get his foot in the door.

 

Hang in there!  This too shall pass.  :closedeyes:

 

 

 

[Scarlett]

Yes he has applied for unemployment. We can survive on that and it will last for 4 or 5 months. My concern at this point is that he needs to get back in the game---so to speak---quickly while his most recent experiences are relevant.

 

He needs to get his resume looking better. Surely there is someone who helps do that for a fee right?

 

I have noticed men are slow to talk about being laid off. I agree with the tell everyone approach...one never knows where a job will come from. In fact the one he just lost was through net working.

[LucyStoner]

The unemployment office probably offers some job coaching and resume services for free.

[Debbi in Texas]

Dh has gotten three jobs- two of which were excellent jobs- using Indeed.com. You may already be doing this, but I wanted to chime in just in case you weren't. I hope he finds something soon.

[J-rap]

Some of my family members have had better luck searching particular companies rather than job sites.  Job sites like Monster and Indeed, etc, are so giant that you wonder if your resume will just be lost in the mass.  Begin looking up actual companies in your city and run through their job openings.  Sometimes when you do that, you also find ideas for job types that you actual qualify for but are a little different than what you've done before, so you wouldn't even know how to search for it until you read about it.

 

You can look up companies based on a many different things:  companies that would be an obvious fit for your dh, or the top 25 new best businesses in your city, or top 25 biggest businesses in your city, or whatever.

[Scarlett]

Dh has gotten three jobs- two of which were excellent jobs- using Indeed.com. You may already be doing this, but I wanted to chime in just in case you weren't. I hope he finds something soon.

Thanks for this. Indeed is one of the sites that popped up a couple of good possibilities that he is going to check out.

[Scarlett]

Some of my family members have had better luck searching particular companies rather than job sites. Job sites like Monster and Indeed, etc, are so giant that you wonder if your resume will just be lost in the mass. Begin looking up actual companies in your city and run through their job openings. Sometimes when you do that, you also find ideas for job types that you actual qualify for but are a little different than what you've done before, so you wouldn't even know how to search for it until you read about it.

 

You can look up companies based on a many different things: companies that would be an obvious fit for your dh, or the top 25 new best businesses in your city, or top 25 biggest businesses in your city, or whatever.

That is what I worry about. Sigh.

 

He has a few ideas. He knows a lot of subcontractors and government agency contacts.

[cjzimmer1]

My DH works in IT and many jobs are contract to hire in this field. Not sure if that is the case for your DH's field or not but here's what has worked for him.

 

First was identifying possible jobs. Usually did a google job on a specific job title or skill set unique to the profession with you city/state. Many of the hits were from job search sites and some were from specific companies. Even if they are outdated, it can help you identify companies that might have positions with jobs he would like. Then start looking at individual companies for openings. Because contract work is common in my DH's work, he ended up calling recruiters and often sent resumes to 4-5 of them. Whoever contacted him first when openings came up would get to present him but then he would have lots of different people looking for work for him.

 

It was definitely lots of time spent on the computer(which I did because Dh found it discouraging) and time on e phone which he did himself.

 

Good luck and hope he finds something quickly.

[HSmomof2]

Yes he has applied for unemployment. We can survive on that and it will last for 4 or 5 months. My concern at this point is that he needs to get back in the game---so to speak---quickly while his most recent experiences are relevant.

 

He needs to get his resume looking better. Surely there is someone who helps do that for a fee right?

 

I have noticed men are slow to talk about being laid off. I agree with the tell everyone approach...one never knows where a job will come from. In fact the one he just lost was through net working.

Check with your library....ours offers a job program for free--resume/cover letter services, software training and Microsoft certification, and practice interviews.

[Scarlett]

The UE office does 'say' they help with resumes and such.  But really they don't know how to help put together such a technical and varied resume as dh's.  

 

I think we need a professional in the engineering field.

[lllll]

:grouphug:

Edited August 3, 2016 by ~ d9n

[Scarlett]

I'm not sure what field your dh is in, so this may not be relevant.  But when my dh's company shut down, there were many job-searching at the same time.  He kept in touch with some he had worked with and when they (or he) would hear about jobs that matched anyone else's skills, they would tell that person about the job.  That's how dh found the job he has currently - through former coworkers, even as far back as 10-15 years.  But we did have to move to take this job.  It opens up the possibilities a lot if you are willing to make a move.

 

:grouphug:  

 

 

Thanks.  I don't think we will have to move.  Well, I am pretty sure we won't.  We have visitation situations with 2 boys and a paid for house here and my son is enrolled in Dual enrollment at the Vo-tech for the fall.

[ktgrok]

Definitely network network network. Is he on Facebook? Can he do a group message, alerting people he knows about the situation? My husband keeps former coworkers on Facebook just for this reason. Linked In as well. You can also make sure to tell everyone YOU know, as your friends may know of something, or they may have husbands or friends that do. 

[idnib]

Maybe you can try the headhunter again? That might be another place to start since he or she was able to get your DH interviews before.

[mommymonster]

We are going through a similar thing right now. DH has worked for the same employer for almost 20 years and was laid off in June, part of 11,000 folks who we laid off. DH is an engineer. 

 

1. If he doesn't have a LinkedIn.com account, he needs to do that immediately. DH has the "job seeker" plan, but you can also just do a free membership. It's a great way to network.

 

2. For resume building, have him look online. There are *tons* of samples out there. If your DH gets any sort of career coaching through the layoff, he should take advantage of it. DH has some career coaching through the layoff, and it has been useful. I have a friend who helps write resumes. She'd charge a fee, but I can give you her contact information if you want to PM me. 

 

3. In addition to indeed.com, careerbuilder.com, monster, linkedin, and glassdoor are all good places to hunt for jobs. 

 

4. DH sets aside three or so hours a day to be job searching at our local library. He also does job search stuff at home, but the getting up and getting out of the house has been really helpful for him (and me) mentally.

 

5. Applicant tracking software just STINKS. It's horrible (you apply through applicant tracking software for many jobs). You NEED to make sure your DH optimizes his resume to deal with the software. DH did not initially, and missed out on interviews for jobs he was 100% qualified for. This article has been really helpful: http://www.cio.com/article/2398753/careers-staffing/5-insider-secrets-for-beating-applicant-tracking-systems.html  -- There are other articles out there, but make sure your DH knows about this. 

 

 

Best of luck. This is not a fun process at all, but hopefully an opportunity to make some positive changes for your family.

[ktgrok]

Agree about the getting out of the house. The time DH was unemployed he'd get up like always, and go to Denny's and have coffee and search for jobs, etc. Just getting out of the house to work on it helped his mood. 

[Lanny]

Tell everyone you know that he is looking for a new position.  Network. Have every keyword and buzz word on his resume. Recruiters and H.R. people may not have a clue about what he did, so they and their computers will look for buzzwords. Contact people he worked with at this last company and previous companies and let them know he is available. Touch base with them from time to time.  Limit the number of times his references are contacted. I only gave out references if a hiring manager or hiring supervisor actually interviewed me.  Looking for a full time position is a full time job.  Keep his resume very short. Two pages would be good.  If someone asks for more detailed information, he can happily provide it to them.  GL

[umsami]

I've had the best luck with Indeed.  Make sure the resume is formatted for scanning, although that may or may not apply (depending how large the organization.)  You can set up job alerts on Indeed.com  So civil planner within your city or whatever.  Then, you'll usually get a daily email of all new jobs.  Be sure he's on LinkedIn, and if a job pops up, see if you have people in common.  That can make it easier to get your foot in the door.