The Myth of Unemployment
How to Keep Your Head after Losing Your Job

The good news is that I guarantee you will have a job by the time you finish this seminar. The bad news is that you already have one. Do you know what it is, how to do it, and what the next step is?

This one-day seminar is designed to jump-start your job search and get you the results you want fast, by giving you a clear plan on how to tap the hidden job market and to overcome the fear and self-doubt that everyone faces while finding work. The entire publicized job market, which includes all want ads, "head hunters," and job bulletin boards, comprises only about 20% of the jobs available. The other 80% are never publicized but filled quietly by word of mouth. Moreover, the hiring procedures for publicized jobs, such as resumes, applications, "head hunters," job bulletin boards, and interviews with HR staff, are used primarily to screen job applicants, not to select them. This seminar provides important tips and strategies for bypassing that difficult and often painful gauntlet.

Course Objectives

By participating in this seminar, you will learn three skills that are essential to a fast and effective job search:

• How to avoid the common pitfalls and traps that can sabotage your job search

• How to target your job search to the organizations that are most likely to hire you

• How to overcome fear and self-doubt while looking for work.

This seminar is directed towards job seekers and career changers, whether you currently hold a paid position or not. It is also an excellent program for organizations that need to "down-size" and want to help their people move on to other opportunities.

Outline of Course Content

America's schools at all levels provide little if any training for the job search, and the conventional wisdom about it is full of myths and misconceptions. Consequently, most job seekers know little or nothing about the way the job market actually works. Moreover, the people hiring them are almost as ignorant. Here are some of the common myths and misconceptions that are not true and will be debunked:

• The fact that you've lost your job means you are out of work
• There is a shortage of jobs
• Providing you a job is primarily the employer's responsibility
• Looking for work consists of: answering want ads, contacting "head hunters," sending resumes, filling out applications, and interviewing with HR staff
• The fact that "the system" is unfair is important
• Losing your job and being out of work damages your self-esteem.

The Job Seeker's Job Description

The fact that you have lost your job does not mean you are out of work. In fact, you probably have more work than you can handle. But unless you've been educated as to the nature of the job market, the work you have in front of you is probably not what you think. Here are some of the most important tasks ahead of you:

• Refrain from telling anyone (except the unemployment insurance office) that you are unemployed. This includes yourself. It really isn't true.
• Identify you general interests and talents.
• Identify your marketable skills.
• Identify the organizations that use those skills.
• From that list, identify the kinds of organizations for which you want to work.
• Identify the people in those organizations that have the power to hire you.
• Contact those people to find out what they need most, especially with respect to your particular skills.
• Make appointments to see those people for a 15- to 20-minute informational interview.
• Offer business propositions to those who can use you for the compensation you need.
• Record your "wins" all along the way.

Getting Down to Work

Job success — and to a greater extend job satisfaction — largely depend on doing what you do best for the kinds of people and organizations you want to work with. This means knowing both yourself and the people and organizations as well as possible. The following exercises will help you identify your natural talents and inclinations, as well as the kinds of people and organizations that you will find easiest to work with. Students will use the course workbook in completing these exercises:

• The "pick your favorite pleasure" exercise: identify what you love to do.
• The "Ten Greatest Accomplishments" exercise: identify what you do best
• The "Party Game" exercise: identify the kinds of people you enjoy working with
• The Keirsey personality type test: identify your overall personality type and temperament as they relate to employment (if time permits)
• Information resources: The Internet, books, and your local library

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Copyright© 2001 Arthur Preston Smith, Ph.D. All rights reserved.
Last modified: April 20, 2011