Why The Employment Statistics Are Always Wrong

Why The Employment Statistics Are Always WrongWhy The Employment Statistics Are Always WrongAre you employed or are you unemployed? The statistic you need to track is a simple all or nothing. If your employment rate is 0% and you arent independently wealthy, then you need to launch a thoughtful, proactive search, regardless of what the market numbers say. In fact, you want to be even more aggressive when the news is bad because as soon as there is any good news, the competition will be even worse. You will be competing with all the employed people flocking back into the job search market at the slightest hint of a hiring uptick. Dont delay the market will get even tighter as the news gets better. If your employment rate is 100%, congratulations but dont rest on your laurels. Job search is a 24/7 activity, even for those in employment. But even more important than just whether you have a job or not, do you have the right job? Are you on the right career path? Are you happy? Are you pa id fairly? If you are employed but not in the right way, then it doesnt matter what the market radargert says. Your internal radar is telling you to launch a thoughtful, proactive search to steer your career in the right direction. Stop relying on the news to tell you whether its safe or good timing or opportune to enter the market. Start paying attention to your individual situation instead. It doesnt matter if 10% of the population cant find work. You just need one job yours.

Heres a life lesson from 30,000 feet in the air

Heres a life lesson from 30,000 feet in the airHeres a life lesson from 30,000 feet in the airThe final announcement came over the intercomAs always, we thank you for flying Southwest.As we taxied across the runway, a wide, solid strip of land that undoubtedly used to be a cow pasture, passengers began to fall asleep. The early morning flight was a mistake because the world is quiet and black and I have too many chances to ask myself why.Why am I following orders to fly out West? Why am I going to a conference for an industry I do not desire to stay in? Why do I take meeting after meeting?Why am I addicted to yes, I will?I am crammed up against the 16-inch window of ur steel cage which, in only a few moments, will magically escort us 1,789 miles from Nashville to Las Vegas.Although it has not rained since yesterday afternoon, dew from the morning swims down the top of the plane and across my window. First moving slowly, the drops collect until finally giving in to gravity. After a wh ile, the 737 picks up speed and individual drops turn to streams. They remind me of the game I used to play on my computer?- ?Snake.Snake is a game where you use 4 arrow keys to direct a collection of pixels which is supposed to be a snake toward a different colored collection of pixels which is supposed to be snake food. I remember them being apples, but I dont think snakes eat apples. Maybe they were bloody rats.The game starts simply enough because your snake is small. You dont have much to manage guide your monster toward the food. Dont hit walls and dont trip over yourself. Heres where the game gets hard?- ?the more valuable trinkets you collect, the longer your snake gets. In this magical world, eating more food instantly changes your body composition. There is no narrative to this adventure except to accumulate goodies and get bigger. In a matter of seconds, you go from maneuvering your tiny snake in a world of infinite possibility to frantically jerking your controls back an d forth in a panic, trying not to crash into a wall or trip over yourself.You wonder why you had to pick up all those trophies in the first place.We are now above the clouds and I see more snakes?- ?snakes of houses leading to the fat belly of a city. Snakes of roads we couldnt help but build. Snakes of highways marking the path where white people plowed over red people because we could and, apparently, we had to. Manifest Destiny and all that. Achieve the goal at any cost regardless of how big your snake gets or how difficult it becomes to maintain.You go to school to get a degree. You get a degree to get a job. You get a job to earn money. Your money helps make you more attractive to a partner. With this partner, you raise children and teach them the value of being smart and having money and growing up and wanting more. And as your snake gets longer you wonder what the point of it all is, really, and if you wouldnt be better of closing the game to write your novel or take those ph otographs or make that movie.Nobody wins at Snake.You go in circles within walls and then you die. Some people die with a very long snake. Some wipe out immediately, unable to master the controls. We feel pity for these people because they are bad at the game, but then they get up and leave the rat race to do something more fulfilling.Maybe they are the smart ones.Much love as always ??- Todd BInfinite ideasIf I am elite in any area it is because of my ideas, both the quality and the quantity.I finally got my idea-generating process down in an ebookThe Ultimate Guide to Infinite Ideas, which Im giving away for the price of an email address.Get your copy here.Thisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.

How to Use Pinterest for Your Job Search

How to Use Pinterest for Your Job SearchHow to Use Pinterest for Your Job SearchPinterest is a web-based bulletin board where users pin pictures A LOT of pictures They pin pretty clothes, foods that make you drool, and home dcor. So how would Pinterest come into play when searching for a job? Heres a few ideasSearch for companies you want to work forMost companies if theyre smart have figured out the value of Pinterest for marketing and sales. As a job seeker, you can get a sense of the companys culture and overall tone just by following their pin boards. What insights might you discover?Their marketing focusHow they talk what language they use to talk about their products or companyCompany atmosphere are they casual or suit and tieUsing these simple insights could help show youve done your homework and understand the company when you get that interviewCreate a visual representation of your resumePut your resume on Pinterest as a portfolio. What does that mean? Create a visual representation of your resume or professional experience by creating boards for your work experience, accomplishments, awards, classes/certifications, degrees, even interests and hobbies. If you can find a photo to demonstrate these things visually, youre creating an eye-catching portfolio that you can share.Follow College Career OfficesSome schools arent on Pinterest yet but you can follow any that are and get some expert job advice i.e. how to dress professionally, job search tips, career search advice.Seek out Career ExpertsThere are quite a few independent career experts using Pinterest to help job seekers. Search out your faves (Google search) and follow their boards.Get InspiredPinterest is an easy way to find the things that you love and when youre right in the middle of job searching or just trying to figure out what you want to do when you grow up, it can be a great way to forget about all the stress youre underCreate your own boards to make yourself happy and to simply fee l good Before you head out to your next job interview, browse through your motivational pins to put yourself in a confident, happy place. Happy Pinning