Money Making Reports

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How To
Get A
Job
FAST!

Table of Contents

toc \t "PFP Chapter Title,1" Overview 3

Identifying Your Skills 5
Cutting Down the Territory 13
Free Career and Job Opportunity Information 16
Temporary Work 24
Small Business Assistance Centers 25


Overview

In today’s unpredictable economy, the idea of job security with any company would seem to be a thing of the past. Large company layoffs, golden handshakes, mergers, leveraged buyouts, company acquisitions and similar business moves have left people of all ages out of a job. While there may be some compensation upon being let go from the firm you work for, this money won’t last forever. Or, if eligible for unemployment benefits, this also has a finite period of time attached to the check. Sooner or later, job hunting will be necessary. But it’s not only the individuals who have been turned out of jobs whom this booklet can help. How happy are you in the business you’re in? Do you long to do something else with your career? If so, you’re not alone. You have plenty of company in wanting to change your goals and focus in life. Perhaps you’ve just turned 40 and realize that you’re into the second half of a working career you’ve never really liked. Studies have shown that working in a job because you have to, not because you like it, can have some effect on an individual’s life span. Why take years off your life when you don’t have to? The problem for most people in these situations is that they’re not sure where to start. They’ve either been tossed into this situation unexpectedly and are trying to make decisions on the run, or they know that they at least have a paycheck, so they postpone thinking about trying to focus in on a job hunt for something they truly like to do. Well, cheer up! This booklet will help you refocus, identify the skills you have, narrow down the type of work you like to do and give you a number of outlets to gather information from in prospects of landing that job that will carry you contentedly into your retirement years. The best news is that this doesn’t have to be a long, drawn–out process. You can label your transferable skills and acquire helpful data within a few days! It’s not a year or two effort we’re talking about. The secret is knowing where to look, what to ask and how to narrow down the type of job you’d not only enjoy, but be pretty good at, too! So much of this is understanding what makes you tick! Who better to identify this than you? This booklet will give you some pointers in doing it, but it will be up to you to take the time to really analyze what it is you like and want to do. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will give you the power to change your life! Identifying Your Skills

What are you good at?
Have you ever thought about it? In a truly critical, analytical way? Have you actually sat down and listed your skills and capabilities? This may seem basic, but it’s not. Even if you’ve attempted to start a list, it is very likely you didn’t go far enough or deep enough and thus missed a few outlets for your skills that might very well unlock the key to your career future. The following exercise can help you truly identify the skills you currently use (or may not use) and this will set the stage to see if they’re transferable to another industry. There are three major categories of skill identification. You deal with people, things and information everyday. In each category, this requires a skill or combination of several skills. You might not even realize the extent of your ability in an area. You probably know what you’re not good at or what you don’t like doing, but pinpointing exact skills is not necessarily easy. People. Let’s divide your skills at dealing with people into working with individuals and working with groups. Individuals: In working with individuals singly, are you good at:

• communicating in direct conversation or on the phone?
• communicating well by the written word?
• helping, serving or receiving and carrying out instructions?
• referring people, or helping put two people together?
• advising, monitoring, coaching or counseling?
• teaching, instructing, training or tutoring?
• persuading, motivating or selling?
• assessing, evaluating or interpreting others?
• diagnosing, healing or treating?

Groups: In working with organizations, companies or associations, are you good at:

• making presentations?
• communicating by written word like a newsletter?
• public speaking?
• leading or moderating a group discussion?
• preparing seminars or other educational events?
• training large groups?
• consulting or giving advice?
• leading or taking the lead?
• coaching others in recreation or exercise?
• performing, acting, singing, amusing or inspiring?
• motivating, persuading or selling?
• negotiating a settlement of some kind?
• following through, getting things finished, producing?
• managing or running a business?
• supervising?
• initiating or beginning a concept, idea or business?

Think carefully about each of these items. Answer fairly and honestly. There’s no reason to try and fool anyone. This is not a personality test! You’re simply attempting to frame your likes and dislikes about dealing with individuals, singly or in groups. Compile your list of definite yes and no answers and write them down. Keep them handy for future reference. Things. There are, essentially, six major categories of working with various things. These things are identified as objects (tools, instruments), equipment and machinery or vehicles, materials like cloth, wood and clay, your body, buildings or homes and raising or growing things. Objects. Do you have specific skills in dealing with food, tools, instruments or the like in:

• handling?
• washing?
• preparing?
• maintaining?
• producing?
• creating?
• repairing?
• cleaning?
• knowledge?
• cooking?
• preserving?

Equipment. Are you good at working with some type of machinery or vehicle in:

• driving?
• controlling?
• assembling?
• repairing?
• cleaning?
• disassembling?
• maintaining?
• operating?

Materials. What is your skill level with items such as clay, jewelry, metal, wood, stone and cloth as far as:

• cutting?
• painting?
• crafting?
• restoring?
• weaving?
• sewing?
• carving?
• molding?
• shaping?
• refinishing?
• sculpting?

Your Body. Are you good at using:

• your hands?
• motor coordination?
• physical coordination?
• your fingers?
• your eyes?
• your eyes and hands in coordination?
• your strength?
• your stamina?

Buildings. Do you have a particular affinity and capability for:

• constructing?
• remodeling?
• decorating?
• designing?

Raising or Growing. Are you able to successfully:

• train animals?
• treat animals?
• garden?
• landscape?
• raise plants or animals or other vegetable or mineral?

This is the hands–on category. Do you have manual skills and, if so, what specifically can you do well? More importantly, do you enjoy it? Many people have turned hobbies they love into full–time, paying work. List the skills you have as associated with any of these categories. Also list the things you dislike doing, too. Finding that job you love is as much avoidance of things you dislike as things you love to do. Information. The final category in this part of the evaluation process is seeing how good you are and how much you enjoy working with ideas, concepts, information, specific data and technology. There are four categories to concern yourself with. Do you like creating, storing, managing or putting this information to good use? Creating. Are you particularly good at:

• gathering information by observation?
• gathering information through research?
• searching for data?
• imagining ideas or concepts?
• inventing?
• sensory feelings?
• designing?

Storing. Once you’ve assembled the information, are you good at:

• storing or filing records in file cabinets, microfiche, audio or video cassette?
• bookkeeping?
• computer storage?
• retrieving the information once stored?
• helping others retrieve the information?
• keeping track of details?
• memorizing?
• filming or recording?

Managing. You must do something with the data or information you’ve assembled and stored. Are you good at:

• analyzing your data?
• organizing?
• classifying?
• planning?
• accounting?
• writing?
• painting?
• drawing?
• problem solving?
• evaluating your data?
• programming?
• prioritizing?
• decision–making?
• dramatizing?
• comparing with other data?

Using The Data. Once you’ve decided to use the information, are you good at:

• disseminating the information?
• demonstrating?
• putting it to some use?
• showing it to individuals or groups?
• publishing?
• reporting?

At this point, you should total up your positives and the negatives (what you don’t like or aren’t very good at) in this category. You now have three categories and you should combine the lists of advantages and disadvantages to see what your strong suits are. You may find that you like observing people and taking this information and writing a script and then putting it on video or film. This comes from seriously analyzing each of these categories and finding a consistency in what you love and what you’re good at. Your next step would be to look at more specifics rather than generalities. Specifics: It’s time to look at items you specifically like to work with. The following list should help you check yes or no to a number of things. Keep in mind that this is by no means a complete list and you should add your own thoughts of items you either like or dislike to make it more complete. Remember, this is your list, your career, your life, so make it as close to what fits you as possible. We’re merely giving you suggestions to help your frame of reference.

Office Products: Clothing:

• desk • all types of clothes
• computer • dyes
• switchboard • shoes and boots
• word processor • sewing machine
• pen or pencils • umbrella, raincoat, poncho
• printers • buttons or zippers
• software • patterns
• office machines • knitting

Household Goods: Material:

• furniture • paper
• appliances • stone
• dishes • aluminum
• laundry • cement
• blankets • pottery
• wallpaper • plants
• clocks • bricks
• pots and pans • wood
• burglar or fire alarms • bronze
• chimneys • pewter
• carpet • cloth
• paint • steel
• tools • brass
• tents • paper–mâché

Electronic: Financial

• television • calculator
• camera • money
• stereo • adding machine
• videotape recorders • money market accounts
• radios • cash register
• radar equipment • ledgers
• movie equipment • financial records
• tape recorder • stocks
• records, CDs, cassettes • futures

Recreation: Communication:

• musical instrument • telephone
• games • short–wave radios
• gambling • telegraph
• board games • answering machines
• sporting events • fax machines
• kites • printers

Transportation: Medical:

• bicycles • x–ray machines
• automobiles • lab testing
• trains • medicine
• airplanes • prosthetics
• hot air balloons • dental equipment
• boats • anesthetics
• subways • vitamins
• motorcycles • hearing aids
• RV’s • eyeglasses

Equipment: Miscellaneous:

• guns • books
• gym apparatus • newspapers
• fishing rods • videos
• lawnmowers • magazines
• garden tools • overhead transparencies
• rakes • candles
• traps • batteries
• axes • lasers
• pesticides • engravings
• plows • lithographs
• harvesters • paintings
• threshers • silk–screens
• shovel or pick • microscope
• tractor • telescope
• handtrucks • toys
• sander • food
• drill • wine or beer making

Your list should be fairly complete. If you’ve followed your true nature, you should begin to see a pattern— similarities indicating the type of work you were destined to do. If your interest is in film and cameras and film making, that will be clear as you review your likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses from these lists. Now you need to refine and focus.

First. let’s look at specific knowledge you might possess. Run through the following list, add to it and list the knowledge you currently have. Second, go through the list again and identify the knowledge you would like to have. This will give you two current snapshots: what you know now and what you’d like to know in the future. The latter will define your future educational goals. It may be in areas you believe you’d enjoy if only you had a little more education. No problem. It may be that a little more learning is needed to advance into what you truly want to do. There’s no reason you can’t take classes in those specific disciplines. There’s no reason you can’t work at an entry–level position in that industry and learn as you go. Often, a company may pay for your future education if it is in the skill areas of their field. So list the desires as well as your current expertise.

• psychology
• chemistry
• physics
• cinema
• foreign language
• management
• personnel recruiting
• insurance benefits
• geography
• history
• art
• broadcasting
• accounting
• taxes
• marketing
• sales
• computer programming
• aerobics
• graphic arts
• religion
• horticulture
• government contracts
• politics
• teaching
• interior design
• architecture
• vehicle repair
• travel
• systems analysis
• astronomy
• research
• packaging and distribution
• import/export
• merchandising
• machine operation
• graphic arts
• photography

List all of the fields you like in priority, arranged by most knowledge of and likes. List the fields you are interested in and believe you’d like, but need more training and education. Keep these lists handy and separate. Now, it’s time to decide location. Are you tired of where you live? Would you like to live somewhere else? Is this the town you grew up in but have never seen any other place? Have you gone somewhere on vacation and thought about how great it would be to live there? Part of cutting down the territory and focusing your job search efforts is to select the area you’d like to practice your skills and talent and apply them to a wage paying job. There’s not much progress made if you find work you like but you still dislike everything else about your living situation. Finding a good job also means finding it in the location you like best. So, get out to the library and consult a couple of publications like Places Rated Almanac and identify your top five places to live. Narrow down an area and list specific towns. Then, find out the number for the local Chamber of Commerce and see how you can get more information about the place itself and the businesses located in the area that are in the field(s) you’ve narrowed down for yourself. These local chambers are glad to send out information and would be equally happy to see you move in and become a member of the community. There are lots of wonderful places to live in this country. Take advantage of it! You say you’re interested in Arizona? Where? Phoenix? Tucson? Kingman? Bullhead City? Pick an area and start to accumulate information. If it’s possible to visit, by all means get out and see it. Now you have areas and locations and lists of businesses in those areas. Now’s the time to narrow it down. Select the top two areas and hone in on finding work. Update your resume. There are dozens of books out there on this subject. Craft it the way the experts suggest. Do it by skills if that tells more about you than where you’ve actually worked. Find out about local schooling programs in your chosen locations in the event you need further education in the areas you want to do more with. Don’t move to a place that doesn’t have jobs in the areas you like and are good at or in which you intend to improve your skills. Finally, begin to make contacts with personnel. Find out if there are local job hotlines and other employment identification features. Certainly make contact with specific businesses that you’ve already identified as possibilities. As you start to accumulate your information with which to narrow down the territory in terms of location, skills and interest, there are a number of resources you can tap, (the majority of which are either free or have a nominal cost to obtain the information that can help you decide your future).

There is plenty of assistance out there in the marketplace to obtain information about careers and finding jobs and similar data. You are often only a phone call away from obtaining details of specific fields of your interest. One of the problems with job assessment and reevaluation is that once you know what you want to do and where you want to go, you run out of ideas for information search. Peruse the following list. As you can see, there is a substantial amount of information available to you. It’s simply a matter of knowing where to look.

Airline

Jobs Bank
Office of Labor Management Programs Bureau of Labor–Management Relations U.S. Dept. of Labor 200 Constitution Ave. NW Room N5416 Washington, DC 20210 (202) 219–4473

Art Conservation and Museum Careers

Office of Museum Programs
Smithsonian Institution
900 Jefferson Dr. SW
Washington, DC 20560
(202) 357–3101

Aviation Careers

Aviation Education Officer
Federal Aviation Administration
U.S. Dept. of Transportation
800 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20591
(202) 267–3469

Careers

In Dozens of Fields
Superintendent of Documents Government Printing Office Washington, DC 20402 (202) 783–3238

Publications cost anywhere from $1.50 to $3.00 and include information about business, managerial and legal occupations; clerical and administrative occupations; communications, computer and construction occupations; education, engineering, nursing, dietetic, health technology and medical careers, etc. There is also a book called The Bottom Line: Basic Skills in the Workplace and Career Opportunities in Art Museums, Zoos and other Interesting Places. Coast Guard Training

U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Dept. of Transportation
Aeronautical Center
MPB 237, P.O. Substation 18
Oklahoma City, OK 73169–6999
(405) 680–4265

Creative Writers Publishing Grants

Literature Program
National Endowment for the Arts
1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Room 723 Washington, DC 20506
(202) 682–5451
Grants range from $2,000 to $50,000.

Criminal Justice Career Opportunities
Order the guidebook Criminal Justice Careers from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, (202) 783–3238. Cost is $7.00. Dental Health Professions

Division of Associated and Dental Health Professions Health Resources and Services Administration 5600 Fishers Lane Room 8–101
Rockville, MD 20857
(301) 443–6854

Disease

Control & Environmental Health Training Training and Laboratory Program Office Centers for Disease Control 1600 Clifton Road Atlanta, GA 30333 (404) 639–2142

Displaced Homemakers Job Network

1625 K. St. NW Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 467–6346

Employment in Transportation

Central Employment Office
Office of Personnel
U.S. Department of Transportation 400 7th Street SW Room 9113
Washington, DC 20590
(202) 366–9417

Epidemic Intelligence Service

Epidemiology Program Office
Centers for Disease Control
Atlanta, GA 30333
(404) 639–3588

Experimental Job Training Opportunities

Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Development Employment & Training Administration U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave. NW Room N5637 Washington, DC 20210
(202) 219–7674

Fish Husbandry Training Academy

National Fisheries Center
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Box 700
Kearneysville, WV 25430
(304) 725–8461, ext. 5333

Foreign

Service Career Counseling
Personnel Office Special Services Branch United States Information Agency 301 Fourth Street, SW Room 525 Washington, DC 20547 (202) 619–3732

Health Professions & Training Programs

Division of Public Health Professions Health Resources and Services Administration 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 8–101
Rockville, MD 20857
(301) 443–6854

Highly Skilled Jobs Apprenticeship

Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training Employment and Training Administration U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave. NW Room N4649

Indians

and Job Training
Office of Tribal Services Bureau of Indian Affairs U.S. Department of the Interior 18th and C Streets, NW Washington, DC 20240 (202) 208–2570

Information and Records Management Training

Records Administration Information Center National Archives and Records Administration 8th Street and Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20408
(202) 501–6015

International Trade Commission Jobs

Office of Personnel
U.S. International Trade Commission 500 E St. SW Room 314
Washington, DC 20436
(202) 205–2651

Jobs for Seniors 55 and Up

Office of Special Targeted Programs Employment & Training Administration U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave. NW Room N4643 Washington, DC 20210
(202) 219–5904

Job Training and Employment Services

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Employment & Training U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave. NW Room S2321 Washington, DC 20210
(202) 219–6236

Literature Translators Opportunities

Literature Program
National Endowment for the Arts
1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Room 723 Washington, DC 20506
(202) 682–5451

Local Help for Job Seekers

Employment and Training Administration U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave. NW Room N4470 Washington, DC 20210
(202) 219–0157

Matching Yourself with the Workworld

Superintendent of Documents
Government Printing Office
Washington, DC 20402
(202) 783–3238
$1.00 publication.

Medical/Scientist Training

Medical Scientist Training Program National Institute of General Medical Sciences Westwood Building Room 905
Bethesda, MD 20892
(301) 496–7301

Migrant

& Seasonal Farmworker Opportunities Employment & Training Administration U.S. Dept. of Labor 200 Constitution Ave. NW Room N4641 Washington, DC 20210 (202) 219–5500

Modern Archives Management Training

Office of Public Programs
National Archives and Records Administration 8th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. NW Room 505 Washington, DC 20408
(202) 501–6017

National Computerized Job Bank

United States Employment Service Employment and Training Administration U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave. NW Room N4456 Washington, DC 20210
(202) 219–4389

Nursing

Research Training
National Center for Nursing Research National Institutes of Health Building 31, Room 5B25 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20892 (301) 496–0207

Oceanographic Corps Jobs

Commission Personnel Division, NOAA Corps National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce
11400 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 443–8905

Securities and Exchange Commission Jobs

The Director of Personnel
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions 450 5th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20549
(202) 272–2550

Special

Help to Workers Laid Off
Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance Employment and Training Administration U.S. Department of Labor 601 D St. NW, Room 6434 Washington, DC 20210 (202) 219–5555

Tomorrow’s Jobs In 250 Industries

Office of Economic Growth
Bureau of Labor Statistics
U.S. Department of Labor
601 D. St. NW Room 4000
Washington, DC 20210
(202) 606–5700

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Maritime Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation– Kings Point Long Island, NY 11024
(516) 773–5000

Veteran’s Employment and Training Help

Veteran’s Employment and Training Service U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave. NW Room S1315 Washington, DC 20210
(202) 219–9116

Women’s

Jobs in Highway Construction
Women’s Bureau U.S. Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave. NW Room S3309 Washington, DC 20210 (202) 219–6652

Work–Based Learning

Employment & Training Administration U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave. NW Room S2322 Washington, DC 20210
(202) 219–6871

Temporary Work

There are more than 10,000 temporary employment offices around the country, and these agencies provide individual workers and services to thousands of businesses every day. With the cost of employee benefits rising dramatically in the last few years, employers have become far more interested in the temporary worker. This is a great place to work for a while as you’re learning a new field. You’re paid by the temporary service and you may work at a job for one day, one week or one month or longer. It all depends on the job and the amount of work associated with it. You may be helping a company get a big mailing program done. Or you may come in to help with office duties due to extended illnesses or vacations. It may be a temporary overload situation that needs workers. Some of the temporary agencies specialize; others are more general and recruit all types of workers. You don’t have to be tied down to a regular job. You don’t have the pressure normally associated with full–time work. You can work locally or you can sign on to travel for free and earn money at the same time! If you’ve made up your mind to move to a new location, but don’t yet have a job, the temporary agency may be the place for you to start while you’re looking or working on your education. Don’t overlook the value of a temporary agency.

Small Business Assistance Centers

Your dream may be to start your own business. All of the indications from the tests you’ve taken point to a specific career. You don’t want to work for anyone. You believe you have the determination and desire to succeed. All you need to know is where and how to get started. There are ample opportunities for both personal and financial assistance from the Small Business Administration. A new loan program called the “Low Documentation” plan has a simplified procedure for applying for $50,000 or less in SBA loans to get that venture off the ground. These loans are now often underwritten by large banks as well as some of the traditional small banks the SBA has long favored. The following is a list of places (state by state) to contact to discuss launching your own business. If this has long been your dream— and you have the idea and the ambition to make it happen— there has never been a better time to go into business for yourself. Good luck!

Wyoming
Small Business Advocate
Economic Develop. & Stabilization Board Herschler Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777–7287
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