The 3 Things That Scare Us Most in a Job Search

Looking for a job can be a scary, overwhelming, and unknown endeavor.

There are so many things we should do for a successful job search. But why don’t we do them? 

I believe it’s because we don’t know if it will make any difference. There are no guarantees and there is no return policy for lost time.

For example, during my search for a meaningful career, I was too busy working a service job to pay the bills, applying for graduate school, and learning my way around a new city to invest in activities that may or may not have been worth my time—and may or may not have helped in my job search. Continue reading →

Are Your Friends and Family Crushing Your Career Dreams?

Does this tale of job-search conflict sounds familiar?

John, the father, wanted his son to join the family construction business. Mike, the son, wanted to take a risk with a startup in the organic food sector.

John’s lectures on the sensible, secure choice would trigger Mike, provoking an argument.

John was toxic to Mike’s career independence.

Pick your battles. And your allies.

Some family and friends can be assets to our career transition. Others can be adversaries, unintentionally. Take an objective look at the people in your life, as they relate to your job search, and divide them into three categories: Continue reading →

How to Choose Your Career (Or Change It)

Roman Krznaric’s “How to Find Fulfilling Work (School of Life)” Says Act, Reflect, Repeat

These are not happy days for many American workers. Job satisfaction in the United States among those lucky enough to be employed stands at 45%, the lowest level since record keeping began two decades ago.

How did so many people land in jobs or opt to stay in positions that make them unhappy? Roman Krznaric says that much of the problem lies in how we choose and manage our careers. 

In “How to Find Fulfilling Work (School of Life)” Krznaric, a cultural thinker who cofounded the School of Life in London, offers his advice for how to find your ideal vocation as well as a short history of how our thinking about careers has evolved. He also recently outlined his ideas in five posts as a guest writer for Portland’s Powell’s Books Blog. Continue reading →

You Have What’s Missing

Last week, as I scrolled through a number of sad, disturbing, or otherwise disgruntling pieces of news posted on Facebook, instead of mindlessly responding out of habit, I did something different. Which had lovely results.

My habitual responses might include: eating something with high-sugar content, complaining about the constant stream of negatively skewed news in the world, or tumbling into the Pit of Despair, which, as you might know, is not far from the Fire Swamp. 

But instead, I returned to my newsfeed, and I posted this:

Urgent Newsflash: I love you. There are so many good people in the world doing amazing things with their lives. You don’t need to change a single thing about your body — it’s exquisite. Reasons to be hopeful are sprouting up like dandelions–new bleeding hearts blooming on my patio; Continue reading →

Oregon’s 37 Hottest Jobs and Comedy, Wine and Creativity in Oregon!

The 80-degree days are behind us but hopefully not for long. This weekend we can expect traditional Portland weather  like partial sun and a scattered shower or two. Here are a few events in the area that are certain to liven the mood regardless of the weather.

Comedy heavyweight David Alan Grier will perform at the Bagdad Theater on May 17. Grier is well known for Tony nominated performances in “Porgy and Bess” and “Race.” He is also an accomplished actor, appearing in “In Living Color” and this year’s “Peeples”. In 2004, he was named one of Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.

The Columbia Gorge Wine & Pear Festival will take place May 18 and 19 in Hood River. The event is an annual fundraiser for Hood River Rotary and proceeds will benefit Hood River Rotary’s Scholarship program for local graduating high school students. The festival consists of two days of wine tasting, art, music, and food. Continue reading →

How to Overcome Anxiety, Worry, and Fear in a Job Search

Looking for work takes much time and effort, but once you’ve spent a part of your day networking and applying for jobs, you may still have hours left to fill. With all that dead time, it’s common for anxiety and worry to take over.

And all that worry is no good!

Feelings of fear and anxiety can have a constricting effect on the brain, shutting down the ability to feel optimistic and creative. In fact, worrying is like the imagination’s bad brother. It involves the act of fantasizing, but it does so in a pessimistic manner, spinning notions about a negative future that can take hold and run rampant: “I’ll never find work… I’ll never have a life that I used to dream about.”

It’s important, for your health and well being, to keep these feelings in check and out of the driver’s seat. 

How do you counter anxiety, worry and fear while on the job hunt? Continue reading →

What to do BEFORE You Send Your Resume to a Portland Employer

It’s tempting to dive right into the application process, but I recommend you build a solid foundation first before you send a resume to an employer or anywhere else. This will make you more organized, focused, and successful in getting what you want.

I’ve followed the four steps below in my own job search in Portland and they have have helped me maintain my momentum and avoid the dreaded burnout I described in my first post for “Mac’s List.”

1. Career Counseling

If you don’t know where to begin your job search visit a few career websites, such as those operated by The University of Oregon or Portland State University. Whether you are a graduate or a student, talk to the career counselors on campus. I guarantee you will receive job search advice that wouldn’t have occurred to you.  Continue reading →

4 1/2 Things You Must Do in an Informational Interview

I had the good fortune on Wednesday to attend the 2013 Communicators Conference sponsored by the Portland Metro Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and the Oregon-Columbia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.

One of the conference highlights for me: Michelle Lantow, chief administrative officer for New Season’s Market, told how she found her dream job by having coffee with 65 strangers.

It was an excellent presentation full of valuable tips and a good case study of how informational interviews can make all the difference in a job search. Nevertheless, it was clear from the questions that followed Michelle’s remarks that informational interviews remain a foreign concept to many people. Continue reading →

Get Noticed on LinkedIn: 7 Ideas That Really Work

One of the most common requests I receive when talking to “Mac’s List” readers: How can I build a LinkedIn profile to catch the attention of a recruiter or employer?

It’s a question you should ask yourself even if you’re not looking for work and thinking about what an employer will see when your own LinkedIn page pops up on Google.

Your LinkedIn account is more than an online resume or a place to check for job postings. Many professionals now use the site to learn about new coworkers, potential vendors, or possible business partners. Others rely on LinkedIn to share news and ideas with colleagues, customers, and employers. 

LinkedIn has more than 200 million members and is growing rapidly, adding new users at the rate of two per second. How can you stand out in such a crowded community and attract the attention of those you want to know about your accomplishments and abilities?   Continue reading →

New Survey Says “Mac’s List” Community Experienced, Educated, and Local

Vast Majority of Readers Employed and Thinking About Next Job

Thank you to everyone who participated in our recent survey to learn more about the needs, interests, and skills of “Mac’s List” readers. We are grateful to the 1,768 people who took the time to tell us what you think about our service and how we can serve you better.   

“Mac’s List” began as an occasional email in 2001, and has since evolved into an online community of more than 48,000 users per month and growing everyday! We’ve never advertised and people find us by word of mouth, so thank you all for telling your friends, colleagues, and employers about us. 

But who exactly reads “Mac’s List?”

You are Experienced and Well Educated

Most of you have at least three years professional experience and 92% have a bachelor’s degree or higher. This confirms what employers have told us informally: a posting on “Mac’s List” usually produces more qualified applicants. Continue reading →