Category Archives: Local Job Search
← Older postsHow 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, … Read more »
Don’t Do These 4 Things When Looking for Work in Portland
I graduated from the University of Oregon with a packed resume in 2011, including five internships, and figured all my career dreams would fall into place with ease. But after sending out resumes and cover letters for six months, I landed only two phone interviews. My positive spirit was slowly crushed and as the weeks and months passed, I realized my dream job simply wasn’t coming to fruition. For most of 2012, I was a … Read more »
5 Job Hunting Secrets Every New College Graduate Should Know
So you’ve done it all since you finished college last year and you’re about to give up. You’re 100 percent convinced that when potential employers Google your name “unemployable” must be the number one hit. You’re always over qualified or under qualified, but never simply qualified. Your inbox is filled with emails informing you that, “there are other candidates that more closely match our needs.” All of the rejection is starting to feel like a … Read more »
The Dalai Lama and the Mindful Job Search
Portland will host the Dalai Lama on May 9 for a public talk and a weekend environmental summit. Tickets are still available but if you’re like most “Mac’s List” readers, you’re spending the day at home focused on the job hunt. Whether or not you hear the Dalai Lama next month you should explore using mindfulness practices, inspired by Buddhist tradition, in a job search. The Dalai Lama’s teachings of compassion, and awareness can have … Read more »
Zen and the Portland Job Hunt: 4 Ways to Chill Out When Looking for Work
Searching for work, especially if you’re unemployed, can take a toll on your physical and mental health. Job loss ranks number eight in a list of life’s 43 most stressful events. How should you manage the pressure that a job hunt brings? In Japan, Buddhist priests use traditional practices such as meditation and cold-water ablutions to help job seekers. Here in Portland, I’ve learned through personal experience my own methods for handling job-hunting stress. (I’ve … Read more »
How to Take Charge of Your Job Search
“Job Jenny” Book Offers an Alternative to the Passive Job Hunt Many people looking for work still use job search strategies familiar to Don Draper and his “Mad Men” colleagues during the Nixon Administration: Look at the help-wanted ads, call a recruiter, and check in with a former employer. Yes, this approach requires homework – you have to update a resume or prepare for an interview – but it’s a passive strategy unchanged by the … Read more »
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with 14 Job-Hunting Blogs We Love
Bloggers are passionate by nature. You need amazing energy and focus to keep posting week after week, so Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to share 14 job-hunting blogs that my colleague Jessica Williams and I love and honor the people who write them. Many of the blogs below originate in Oregon and some of the writers mentioned contribute to Mac’s List. But all these sites (listed alphabetically) offer information useful in any job search. … Read more »
3 Simple Ways to Keep Your Sanity During a Job Search
Every job seeker is likely to hit a wall. For me, it happened while sitting in my local coffee shop on a rare sunny Friday afternoon in December. That week, I’d sifted through hundreds of job postings, written multiple cover letters, and scheduled several informational interviews. I kept glancing outside, daydreaming about exploring the Alberta Arts District or going for a hike in Forest Park, but I felt like I wasn’t devoted enough to my … Read more »
Are You Making These 8 Job Search Mistakes?
Job-hunting is like any other skill: it takes time and practice to master and we’re all going to make a few mistakes along the way. Here are eight local job search mistakes I’ve seen applicants make that we all can avoid. 1. Apply everywhere. You need clear job search goals, especially in a competitive market like Oregon. Yes, it’s easier than ever to blast out hundreds of job applications via email and online job boards, … Read more »
Gyrate Your Way to Work
When I worry about money, I stop whatever I’m doing and swing my hips. I started this practice almost two years ago, when I attended “Creating Wealth in Every Aspect of Your Life,” a workshop Tami Kent and Kate Northrup rocked out at Portland’s Sellwood Yoga. I’m here to tell you that gyrating works for finding work, in all kinds of ways you wouldn’t expect. During the first 15 minutes of that workshop, Tami and … Read more »
