The Laid-Off Life: Meishi, Sarariman, and Choudaishimasu

“Upon receiving the business card, one is expected to read the card over, noting name and rank, then thank the presenter saying "choudai-itashimasu", and bow. A received business card should not be written on or placed in a pocket; it is considered proper to file the business card at the rear of your leather case.” – Japanese Business Card Etiquette

In Japan, a Business Card is a very serious thing. You do not stuff the card into your pocket like a used Kleenex; this is considered extremely rude. You do not bend or fondle the business card in front of its owner; this is considered a direct insult. You do not write on it. You do not fling it like a ninja star, you do not put it in spokes of a bike, and you do not toss it into a fishbowl for a chance at a free lunch at TGI Fridays.

But a lot of you laid off and unemployed out there have piles or boxes of your business cards from an old job. Or from several old jobs. Or from companies that no longer exist. If they’re just taking up space, I highly suggest you recycle them. While you’re not working, you can at least do something nice for the planet. But let’s look at the purpose of a business card for a moment.

It’s “shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid”, according to Wikipedia (the expert on everything). Whether at a business meeting or at a function or on the street, it’s a way of introducing yourself and giving someone your contact info. Here’s my name and number so when you need to find me, you know where to look. Pretty simple. In Japan, as opposed to America, it’s used as a personal introduction as much as a business one. People have business cards that are more like personal cards. And there’s no reason why we can’t do that here, especially if you are unemployed and looking for work.

I was at my previously-mentioned local coffee hole one day not too long after I got laid off. I noticed a gentleman wearing a Kansas State University t-shirt here in the City of Brotherly Love, and as a former resident of the Sunflower State, I wanted to know his connection to the university in my former home. I chatted him up for a while and he mentioned growing up in Kansas, but now he lived here and coincidentally worked at a company at which I had great interest in working (this kind of serendipity happens more often than one would think). I wanted to give him my info in case he heard about a job opening there, but I had nothing to give him. He tore a page out of the newspaper he was reading and I scribbled down my name, phone number, and email address. I never heard back from him. The most likely scenario is that no job ever came up and the guy never really intended on keeping my info for posterity. But my handwriting is notoriously bad, so in my paranoid mind, he went to work, found a perfect job for me, but couldn’t make out my chicken scratch. World: 1, me: 0. Serendipity fail.

The next day I decided I needed a ‘business’ card for just such a situation. I searched online and was pleased to find that there are a lot of services out there offering cards in minimal amounts for a reasonable price. There were tons of options, and some really nice styles. I got a set with my name and contact info and my LinkedIn page listed on it. I highly suggest putting a website on there, whether it be a personal business one, your LinkedIn page, an online portfolio, or whathaveyou. Just make sure it’s viewable for business purposes (i.e.: not your Facebook page if you have pix of you at some debaucherous Flyers party or from that lost night in Manayunk). I’ve mentioned before my love of the résumé-and-portfolio website that I use. This is excellent in conjunction with a business card. And make sure your email address is professional as well. People don’t think you’re professional if your email address is LoveyBunny@hellokitty.com or BretMichaelsFan@metalhead.org, or even worse, with a work email if you’re looking for a new job but currently have one. Get one with your name as your address, at a free webmail portal like gmail or yahoo or hotmail (and this is good advice for your résumé and for job-search websites as well). It will also minimize the likelihood of spam or fraud from giving out your everyday email address.

In the time since then, I’ve given out my card to many people (and yes, into the prize box for the free value meal at Arthur Treachers). It’s been a pleasurable convenience to tell someone that I’m a writer looking for work, and here is all the contact info you’ll ever need for me. As I mentioned, this is also of great use if you have and job and are looking for a new one. You don’t want them calling you at work at risk of someone finding out you’re looking. But when you’re hunting for work, especially in the economy we’re searching in, you have to be as proactive as you can. Make it easy for people to find you.

Give out your card with aplomb. It can’t hurt. Get out there, get known, get on people’s radar. And hand it out with reverence and respect, holding it at the corners, facing the recipient, and politely bow like a good Japanese businessperson. They’ll know you’re serious and professional. Seems to work great for them.

I’m TheLaidOffLife@yahoo.com. You can find it on my card. Domo arigato.


Michael Hochman ◙ LaidOffLife@yahoo.com ◙ twitter.com/PhillyPartTwo

Michael is a Copywriter, Creative Marketer, and Broadcasting Professional still in search of full-time employment after 10 months of full-time job hunting, thanks to an “involuntary career sabbatical”. A Philly native and Syracuse graduate, Michael will gladly accept any job offer you may have for him. Any. Really. Please give me a job??

* The terms (loosely) mean: Business card, Businessperson, and “Please accept this”.

To follow up or not: by Melissa

So you have found a job listing that is for the job of your dreams, you have a resume that is clear and well written (if not, maybe you should try using the resume writing assistance available at beyond.com )and you sent it off with an engaging cover letter specifically for this job. Now the question is to follow up or not?


On this point, it seems that many people are divided. Some feel that giving a follow up call or email is pushy and annoying to the employer. There seems to be be a fear that if you bring that sort of attention to yourself, you will lessen your chances at the job, and that the employer will contact you if you are patient. However, most career advisers recommend following up every job application or resume sent.


To make matters more confusing, the job market definitely reached the digital age. Long gone are the days where you would see a “Help Wanted” sign in a window, go in to fill out an application, hand it to a manager, shake hands and introduce yourself. In that situation, it seemed clear that it would be appropriate to give them a follow up call or visit within the week, because you had already made contact. In today's job market, most applications are completed on a website, or a resume is emailed to recruiter or Human Resources staff. There is no contact, no handshake and no chance to introduce yourself. So should you follow up with an employer or is it annoying the the employer?


In a recent poll of employers, 82% of executives polled said that job seekers should follow up within two weeks of applying for a job opening. The survey went on to ask how should applicants follow up. It was close to a tie, with email at 38%, telephone at 33% followed by a hand written note at 23%. With this evidence it seems that a thoughtful follow up after submiting your resume can demonstrate to the potential employer that you are determined, sincere and give you a chance to restate your qualification. Making yourself stand out from the hundreds of other applicants can give you a better chance of being asked for an interview.


So, the facts are in, and my verdict is: Follow up on ALL job leads. I know that it can be difficult to make a phone call to a company or hiring manager that you don't know. It is definitely outside of many of our comfort zones. Plan out what you want to say, and just make the call. If the you are not chosen for an interview, at the least you will have a chance to practice making contact and the next application you submit, making the follow up call will be even easier.


If you are an employer, or a job seeker, let me know your opinions on following up an application. Do you think it helps or hurts your job chances?

Written by: Melissa Kennedy

What is the real job market picture in PA?

An article published in the Philadelphia Inquirer over the weekend indicated that Pennsylvania had added 34000 jobs in April. At first glance one would think – wow – that’s great! But I am a skeptic so I did a bit of research. For non-farm jobs in Pennsylvania the job growth exceeded the US average; job decreases were less over the year than the US average and the growth sectors included Admin & Waste (temps due to the Temple University Hospital strike); retail; arts, entertainment & recreation (amusement parks); federal government (census) and manufacturing.
Everything looks relatively positive until you realize that the unemployment did not change.



So far this year, the rate comparisons for this year are:



April 2010 - the national unemployment rate was 9.9% while PA was 9.0: PA employment numbers were 5866104 and the gained/lost computed to 9914

March 2010 - the national unemployment rate was 9.9% while PA was 9.0: PA employment numbers were 5876190 and the gained/lost was 1830

February 2010 - the national unemployment rate was 9.7% with PA at 8.9%: PA employment was 5874360 with the gained/lost at 17721

January 2010 - the national unemployment rate was 9.7% with PA at 8.8%: PA employment was 5856639 with the gained/lost at 22901


Derived from http://www.deptofnumbers.com/unemployment/pennsylvania/


The actual number of jobs gained – subtracting out the jobs lost was 9914 for the entire state of Pennsylvania – not 34000. Since the numbers are adjusted seasonally one would expect growth in areas such as recreation for amusement parks, national parks and all of the other summer activity sites. If you notice the admin & waste services increase; this was due to the Temple University Hospital strike which is now over. On the Fed Gov sector, the numbers went up due to temporary workers being hired to complete the census reporting. The question remains – what happens at the end of May when the numbers are recalculated without the temporary employees for Temple? And then again at the end of June when the census takers go back on unemployment?

Additionally we cannot forget about the stimulus money the state received. What happens when that is gone? That money was just a temporary stop-gap measure and one has to wonder how many jobs were actually created from the stimulus funds. So I continued to research and discovered where the money is going:

$4 billion to Healthcare
$3.4 billion to Workforce
$2.7 billion to education
$1 billion to transportation infrastructure
$1 billion to community & family support
$478 million to housing
$400 million to public safety
$390 million to energy
$97 million to environment

Governor Rendell said that the state had created OR maintained more than 15,200 full-time jobs in the first quarter 2010. Of course he would say that – he is a politician! Ask the question to those not in politics and the picture is a bit different. A large percentage of economists working at companies around the country said that employment is neither higher nor lower as a result of the stimulus. In yet another poll, 62% surveyed said that the stimulus has not helped the job situation at all.



I do not know about you but I really dislike articles that mislead the public like that. Yes we, in Pennsylvania, are on an upward swing compared to the national averages but we still have a long way to go. Job seekers - the jobs are coming slowly so the only advice to you is to just keep on going.

You got the call for an interview, now what?

You have been searching and searching and submitting your resume for job after job and finally, you get THE call. The company is ready to set up an interview with you. The question is – “Are you ready?” You applied for so many jobs do you even remember the job or anything about the company? Well, one of the first things you need to do is ask the hiring manager (usually human resources is the one who calls) to please send you a copy of the job description. At least this way, if you did not make a copy of it when you applied, you will be able to review the position description and know what you are facing!


Okay, you have the job description. Are you still interested? If you are, then it is worth doing a search on the company but if you read the job description and ask yourself “What was I thinking when I applied?” –well, it is probably best to contact them and tell them thanks but no thanks. Don’t waste their time and yours for a job wherein you probably would not stay for any length of time. But if this job is right up your alley, go for it. Perform an Internet research on the company. What are they all about? Find out everything you can about them. Do you know anyone who works there? Ask them about the company; about the work environment. Is this a company that you really want to work for? For example, if your desire is to work for a small company (50 people or less) and this company is huge concern employing hundreds – are you still interested in working for them?


Now that you have made the decision that the job is a good fit as well as the company you need to prepare for the interview. Read and re-read the job description. Pick it apart and know every qualification the hiring manager is seeking. Remember, the job description is just a general guideline – not written in stone. If there is a skill listed that you may be rusty on, find a way to use it or read up on it if nothing else. In addition to knowing about the job, know about your resume, too. That hiring manager doesn’t know anything about you except for what he read on your resume. Make sure YOU know what your resume contains. Could you recite your resume if you had to? Could you talk about a position you held ten years ago? If you are shaking your head no – take the time to go over and over your resume until you know it forwards and backwards.


Now, you know about the company, the position and your resume. So what is next? Check your wardrobe. Do you have the proper attire for this interview? You know the old saying that you should dress for the job you want, not for the job you have? The same is true here. You need to dress for the position you want. There are so many rules for this that it is impossible to cover all of them here but common sense should dictate your attire. If you are going for an interview in banking, finance, technology and so on; a good rule of thumb is to wear a suit (male or female). Make sure that it is clean, pressed and in good repair. Check your shoes – do they need polished? Do you need a new pair? Ladies, styles change daily but it is always best to dress like a lady. If you are wearing a skirt, bare legs probably are not the way to go. Guys wear a suit and tie. I know that probably sounds very archaic to you but trust me on this. I have been through enough interviews to know that when push comes to shove, if you were the one who was really dressed for an interview, the hiring manger is going to remember that. You will definitely stand out! In a good way! Don’t wait until the day of the interview to do this! Going for an interview is very stressful so be prepared ahead of time.


On the day of the interview, wake up early. Make yourself presentable. Take time to eat and relax before the interview. Make sure you have directions to the company and give yourself plenty of time to arrive. Arriving early is not a sin – companies love it! Take some deep cleansing breaths! And most of all, smile! Good luck!



Nancy Anderson, Staff Writer

The Laid-Off Life: The World’s Shortest Commute

“One of the saddest things is that the only thing that a man can do for eight hours a day, day after day, is work. You can't eat eight hours a day nor drink for eight hours a day nor make love for eight hours. Which is the reason why man makes himself and everybody else so miserable and unhappy.” – William Faulkner

The following takes place between 8:00AM and 6:00PM. Events occur in real time.

As a full-time job seeker, I have a full-time job. The one that gets me a full-time job. One that pays, that is. So, I work from home. My job – finding a job – is a home-based business. I have a home office. Just like the real ones: it has a desk, a computer, a nice collection of pens, and really bad coffee.

I also have an assistant. She’s a cat. Her name is Quinn. She’s not very good at answering phones or taking dictation, but she’s pretty to look at. Kind of like Loni Anderson on WKRP in Cincinnati (though I was always partial to Bailey Quarters).


Any job search website will tell you that you have to approach your job search like a real job. Get out of bed at an unreasonable hour for someone that has nowhere to go, shower, brush your teeth, floss if you’re one of those people. Get dressed and have a seat at your desk as if you’ve arrived at your real paying job. Eliminate the distractions – no TV, no radio, no World of Warcraft – and sit there for eight hours and find a job. You are supposed to be professional, take a planned lunch hour, don’t take personal calls and answer the phone for business calls with a “Good afternoon, this is Michael” (not suggested if your name is not Michael and/or it is not the afternoon).

To me, that all sounds kinda depressing. The Laid-Off Life, being out-of-work, can be depressing enough as it is; I don’t need help making it more so. If you are so inclined and you have the ability to do so, relax just a bit. It’s been a long time since I didn’t have to smash an alarm on a Monday morning and battle for position on the Schuylkill. If you want to get up when the sun wakes you, fine. If you want to catch a West Wing rerun on Bravo before you get motivated, fine. If you want to peruse Craigslist jobs in your pajamas, fine. Cigarette break or Facebook break? You’re the boss. And I always work with music. Music has an uncanny way of keeping you going. Though improving, the job market sucks out there, and I say make the best out of it. If you’d rather get your grocery shopping out of the way or hang out in the park on a nice day, so be it. It’s up to you. And if you have kids, don’t dismiss the excellent opportunity to spend some time with them you wouldn’t normally be able to.

The rate at which and how you best work is up to your individual constitution. If you believe job hunting 8-5 in your polo and slacks is better for you to achieve your goals, by all means, do so. If you feel as if working at a more relaxed pace will achieve the same goals, I encourage you. Just make sure you know yourself and how you work. If you need more structure, remove yourself from situations where you will be easily distracted. Personally, I find I do my best work (including writing what you’re reading right now) in a neutral location. I’m walking distance from a Starbucks, so I love the freedom of packing up my computer and vaguely-exercising my way down to the coffee hole and doing my research there. They offer two hours of free wifi access. Saxby’s is unlimited. Dunkin Donuts has free wifi as well, but I get the feeling they’re not as in to you hanging around their establishment as other places. Have cell-plan based wifi or Clear? Don’t dismiss working in the park with your laptop literally on the top of your lap. Find what works best for you. For me, this is what works. Something else may work for you. You can even join an unemployed worker support group. The possibilities are limitless.

Maybe you work best in a structured office environment in your home. Maybe you work better a little more loosely. It depends on how you were built. Working like I do may be better for me because I’m a creative type – writer, marketer. If you’re in sales or tech or healthcare, it may be different for you. But when you do get your next great, awesome, perfect job, you may be glad you had some ‘you’ time. Because that six months or year until you’re eligible for vacation will seem very far away.

As always, I’m no authority, and the real experts at PhillyJobs.com may disagree. But I’m just like you. Just a guy with theories (I have some great ones about Smoke Monsters and mysterious islands if you care to listen). And what do I know? I’m still job hunting, so my modus operandi may be sabotaging my job-getting. But for now, I believe in it. I’ve been close to jobs, picked up freelance and part-time work, and had my share of interviews, so I can’t be doing everything wrong. Right?

But for now I must go put out some fires. I had Quinn the Assistant Cat mail out a pile of my résumés and she totally forgot to put the right postage on them. Good help is so hard to find these days. Luckily, she will work for food.


Michael Hochman ◙ LaidOffLife@yahoo.com ◙ twitter.com/PhillyPartTwo

Michael is a Copywriter, Creative Marketer, and Broadcasting Professional still in search of full-time employment after 10 months of full-time job hunting, thanks to an “involuntary career sabbatical”. A Philly native and Syracuse graduate, Michael will gladly accept any job offer you may have for him. Any. Really. Please give me a job??

Volunteer Philadelphia!

With more and more people being laid off, downsized or otherwise finding themselves with some time on their hands, volunteering can be a wonderful opportunity to try something new, expand your professional network and make a difference in your community. Not to mention, it looks great on a resume to show what you did during your break in employment. This past week, volunteers from all over the area gathered at Philadelphia City Hall to mark National Americorps week. The week long event was designed to honor the work of Americorp members and volunteers in the community.

As a former Americorp member, I can tell you that the work they do is tremendous. Americorps is a national organization where any adult can sign up for a term of service, generally for a year, either part time or full time. New members are placed with non profit organizations in their area according to their interests. For example, if you are interested in construction or interior design, you may find that building houses for Habitat for Humanity  can be very rewarding. There are many opportunities to give back to the community, whether it is working with at risk youth, helping students to read, providing health services or assisting non-profits find volunteers, there is something for everyone. Americorps members receive a small stipend for living expenses, student loan forbearance and at the end of their term of service, they are eligible to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of up to $5,350, which can be used to pay back student loans or cover future tuition costs.

To support volunteerism, the city of Philadelphia was one of ten cities to win a two year $200,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundations City of Service  initiative. This grant will be used to help fund new programs in Philadelphia that promote education and public safety. The city hired a Chief Service Officer to help expand the number of volunteers and businesses that promote volunteerism. Giving back is becoming big business, and there is no time like the present to find a way to get involved in the community. You will find that the rewards for giving of your time and talents far outweigh the lack of salary. As a volunteer, you have the opportunity to do a job that you may not have all of the education or job experience for, and get some hands on workplace experience. In addition, you will build professional contacts and references that can be invaluable. In fact, with over ¾ of people finding employment through personal contacts, many volunteers have found themselves turning their  passions into full time employment based on their work performance as a volunteer.

Even if you only have a few hours a week to give, you can still find many places to give back. Greater Philadelphia Cares is an organization that helps match up people with great volunteer site. They have over 100 volunteer opportunities, and it is most likely that they have something for every interest and age. So, why not get the whole family involved in giving back to the community? Right now, Disney is giving away free park tickets for people who give a day of service. You need to make sure that the place that you give your time to is a participating member of this promotion, but it is an amazing and rewarding way to bond as a family and earn a free Disney vacation.

So whether you are looking for a long term career in human services, or just want to keep busy while on your job search, consider volunteering. Making a difference can be life changing, not only to the people that you help but to you as well.

- Melissa Kennedy

Melissa Kennedy is a freelance writer, volunteer, mom and full time job seeker.

Should I apply for that job?

Did you ever watch some of the shows on HGTV such as First Time Homebuyers or Property Virgins? I am an HGTV fanatic and I love those shows because they make me laugh. The host/hostess starts off by asking the buyer about their “wish list”. You see them go through their wants such as 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a large yard, a garage, a pool and so on – as if the sky is the limit. Then they say and “our budget is.” some ridiculously low amount. I can’t help but laugh when they do that. As the show goes on, the host/hostess takes the buyer to at least three different properties and you get to listen to their comments as they walk through. By the time the buyer makes a decision, they realize that maybe their wish list wasn’t very practical and they end up buying a place that has most of the features from their wish list.

That seems to the same concept that employers use when looking for job candidates. The employer publishes a job posting with a huge “wish list”. Especially in the technical world – an employer indicates that they want say a business analyst to have 5+ years experience in Oracle, UNIX, SQL, Access, Database design, Visio, requirement management tool experience, use cases, technical writing and the list goes on. Come on – seriously – who has ALL of the requirements the employer is seeking? Maybe a handful of folks but then they are probably not job hunting! The employer knows that they are not going to find a candidate with all of the qualifications they are seeking. However, the employer is seeking as many of the qualifications as possible the same as the house buyer is trying to find as many of their wish list features as possible.

So, if you are a job seeker, do not be afraid to apply for a position where the qualifications are greater than your skill set. An employer will usually compile a list of qualifications and experience for a position that is over and above what they really need. Why do they do this? Well, the same as with the home buyer – they simply want to weed out the undesirables from the desirables. The requirements are simply a wish list for the employer and a general guide for the job seeker. A good rule of thumb is if you meet a larger percentage of the requirements, apply for the job.

The bottom line is that employers hire people they like the same as home buyers buy houses they like even if all of the qualifications/features from their wish list have not been met.

Job Hunting Do’s and Don’ts

The other day I was chatting with a friend who recently lost her job.  She started her job search the day after her position ended but has not, as of yet, found a new position.  So I decided to ask her some questions about her job search and the tactics she was using. She, like many others, uses one or two job posting site and just submits resume after resume after resume – never really stopping to take the time to read the job description let alone find out anything about the company.  Seriously, why bother?  Why waste your precious time submitting your resume without doing your research?  When I asked, she indicated that she had submitted twenty-five resumes in just a few hours!  Insane.  In the case of your job search, less is certainly better.
Searching on the Internet is a great way to find jobs.  Ten years ago, if you tried to search for a job on the Internet, nine chances out of ten it was a scam.  However, today, most companies realize that the way to find qualified candidates is to use the Internet – to post jobs on sites such as Phillyjobs.com or Beyond.com.

Do 

• Have a plan before you start your search.  Decide on the type of job (i.e. temp, contract, permanent fulltime and so on), location and industry.
• Review your resume!  Make sure it is up to date.  Remember – you have less than 30 seconds to make that first impression.  Use action verbs on your resume and try to avoid using any first person comments, i.e. those starting with I.
• Make sure that you include your contact information when you apply for a job.  
• Check the message on your answering machine.  Is it professional?  
• Check your resume along with the job description to ensure your resume has the necessary keywords as described in the job posting.  Many companies use software to scan resumes looking for keywords.  If your resume is lacking – in the trash it goes.
• Treat your job search like a real job.  Get up at a designated time and follow your morning routine as if you were going to work.  Set up a schedule for each day and keep it.  
• Keep records of the companies you have contacted.  It will not look good, on you, if you send your resume more than once for the same job/company.  It is possible that you will find the same posting for the same company on more than one search site which is why it pays to keep meticulous records.  From experience, I have found that a simple spreadsheet will do the trick.
• Do print out a copy of the job posting for each job.  This way you will have the email address and all of the information you need on the posting.  
• Do follow-ups.  This step can’t be stressed enough.  If you are really interested in the job, follow up.  If you only have the email address for the job posting – send your follow-up email to that address and indicate that you are requesting updated information on the posting and your resume.  Or, you could research the company and find an email address – usually for the Human Resources Department.  Of course even better than a follow-up email would be a follow-up phone call and the ultimate would be an in-person visit to the company.   Make sure you update your spreadsheet with the date of the follow-up as well as the contact and any response you might receive.
• Be proactive!  Many job seekers will create an account and maybe set up an alert or two and then sit back and wait for jobs to come to them.  Well, several years ago you might have been able to do this but not in today’s world of high unemployment.  Alerts are great but if you are truly interested in finding a job, search, search and then search again.
• Read the newspaper every day to find out what is happening in the employment market in your local area.  The newspaper is a wonderful source to find out which companies in your area might be experiencing growth.  Typically growth means employment.
• Search for blogs in your area of expertise.  Another great way to find out what is happening in your industry and who knows – you might even stumble upon the job of your dreams.
• Check out some of the local staffing and temporary agencies in your area. 

Don’t 

• Submitting resumes just to submit them is like playing the lottery.  Those who play the lottery figure that the more tickets they buy, the better their chances to win.  The odds pretty much stay the same no matter how many tickets you buy.  The same is true in the world of job searching.  Submitting resumes to every posting in hopes that one of them will get noticed is a waste of your time as well as the person receiving the thousands of resumes for that one job posting.  Therefore, make sure you are really interested in the job before you submit your resume.
• Don’t think that just because you created an account on a job posting site that a company is going to contact you.  Not going to happen!
• Don’t submit a resume without reading and re-reading the job posting to make you are qualified for the position.
• Don’t limit yourself to one or two job posting sites.  So many job seekers will create an account on some known site and figure that is good enough. 
• Don’t limit yourself by searching jobs by job title.  Companies use different keywords/titles so you might not be viewing all possibilities.  A good example of this is one I came across the other day for a “First Impressions Specialist” – in other words, a receptionist.  If you searched by title “receptionist”, you would miss this posting!
• Don’t expect to get a job by tomorrow!  Maybe if you have very unique skills you might but for the majority of job seekers, the search is going to take time.

The economy is starting to recover somewhat and companies are loosening the purse strings by adding new jobs.  Unfortunately, this is not going to happen overnight.  If you have been job hunting and are not getting any nibbles – check your strategies; re-check your resume; re-think how you are conducting your search… maybe you need to make some changes.  Expand your search criteria; network with family and friends; consider using social media such as FaceBook or Twitter and check out sources other than the Internet.  If you have your heart set on working for a particular company, go there in person. Job searching on the Internet is fine but you should limit it to about 30% of your overall job search endeavors. Many companies have job openings that are not posted on the Internet.  Don’t forget to check out temporary agencies and staffing agencies as they may be your way to get a foot in the door.  Bottom line – keep on keeping on!

-Nancy Anderson, SEO Analyst for the Traffic Department at Beyond.com. Nancy has been working with Beyond since 2002. Prior to Beyond, Nancy worked as a business systems analyst at HNC Software, Inc and completed a twenty year career in the US Navy – retiring as a Chief Petty Officer. She enjoys spending time with her beautiful daughter and three incredible granddaughters.

6 Tips to avoid Job Posting Scams

As unemployment has risen, more and more people are finding themselves entering a very challenging job market. Job seekers are sifting through many online job listings looking for an opportunity, and unfortunately, so are the spammers and scammers. It is important to understand how to protect yourself from unscrupulous people that are just waiting to take advantage of the unsuspecting person. These tips will help you spot and avoid some of the common traps that scammers employ and protect yourself from losing money, wasting time and even having your identity stolen.

• Consider setting up an email address exclusively for your job search.
  There are many sites that offer free email accounts, such as www.gmail.com , www.yahoo.com and www.live.com just to name a few. Remember to keep it simple and stick with something like firstname.last@email.com. By keeping your job search separate from your personal email address it will be harder for a scammer to track you down through social media and other sites that may have personal information. There will be times when, despite your best efforts, you will apply to a job listing that is used solely to harvest email addresses for spammers. When your job search is over, it will be easy to delete the email address and the spam right along with it.  

• View Work-from-Home opportunities skeptically
  If you look at almost any job board lately, you will find many listings offering work-from-home employment. Naturally, these jobs appear to be dream jobs for those of us struggling to balance work and family. In this day and age of internet and telecommuting, there are many companies that offer legitimate employment for at home workers. Many of these legitimate positions involve customer service, appointment setting and transcription, however, listings that advertise data entry, envelope stuffing and survey taking are always favorites of scammers. This isn't to say that just because a job listing says that it is a work at home position that it is a scam, but always view these listing skeptically, and do the research. 

• Avoid Ads that appear to be typed or spaced poorly
  If you have browsed through job listings lately, you will see that many ads appear to be double or triple spaced to make the ad itself much larger than is necessary. In addition, many of these same ads seem to have been poorly written with incorrect grammar and simple spelling errors. Scammers do this on purpose to make the reader feel like they are a real person who isn't savvy in the art of ad writing. Employers who are looking for a new addition to their team will have taken the time to carefully draft their ad. Don't fall for thinking that they must really be desperate for a ‘Secretary’ because they can't formulate a professional ad. Replying to this sort of ad is a waste of time.

• Beware of listings that give you a 1-800 number to apply
  Local businesses that are looking for new employees typically will give you their local number to contact if they don't want applicants sending emails. There are a few exceptions, as some large corporations may provide a toll free number to reach their Human Resources Department, however, they will almost always list the company name alongside the toll free number. Often scammers will require a job seeker to contact them at a toll free number and proceed to ask for very specific personal information. Occasionally, scammers will respond to your email telling you that due to the high volume of responses to their posting, they are requiring applicants to sign up at a website to verify that they are not spammers. The website will ask you to put in your cell number and click ‘submit’ so that they can verify that you are a real person. After the verification process, you are told someone will contact you for an interview. The job offer or interview never comes. In these instances, your cell phone number can be circulated to more telemarketing services, increased exposure you to possible identity theft risks or automatic ‘subscription’ charges to your cell phone that are often overlooked on cell phone billing statements. 

• "Red Flags"
  Another favorite tactic of scammers is to send you an email telling you that they have tried to contact you about the job opportunity, and time is running out. The email solicitation states, “We really like your resume and think that you would be a terrific addition to our team.” The alleged HR representative goes on to tell you that she is personally vouching for you, and that in order for them to offer you the job, you need to go to a specific web address and order a copy of your credit report and forward it to them. This request should be a ‘red flag’ to you. Specific screenings (background checks, credit checks, etc.) will always be paid by the hiring organization, never by you. Which brings me to my last point…

• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is
  No matter how desperate you are to find a job or how wonderful the opportunity sounds, if it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is. The web is littered with ads that offer great pay and benefits for part time work, work at home positions that require little to no experience and advertisements that offer great pay and ask for generic skills such as  “must possess strong interpersonal skills” and “should be a self-starter” along with very vague descriptions of what the position is. Scammers prey upon the weaknesses of their victims. They hope that even smart people will disregard their own common sense and go ahead and forward their credit report or give out their cell phone information or credit card information in order to get the job of their dreams. Be cautious. Don't set aside common sense when deciding which listing to apply. And, don't lose hope, for every scammer out there, there are real companies looking to hire real people like yourself.

- Melissa Kennedy

(Melissa Kennedy is a freelance writer, volunteer, mom and full time job seeker.)

The Laid-Off Life: Spring Training – It’s Not Just For Phillies Anymore

“‘In-between’. There’s a phrase that is far too underappreciated. What a great day it was, what a moment of pure triumph, to have discovered that there are in-betweens. What freedom it is to live in a spectral world that most people take for granted.” – Elizabeth Wurtzel

This wasn’t the column I was planning on writing today. But in The Laid-Off Life, things change every day, and you have to go-with-the-flow, steady-stand while the boat rocks and rolls, have emotional resilience. Opportunities can pop up at the drop of a hat. And even then, the rules of the game can change in front of your eyes. And if that’s not enough metaphors for you, no worries: I got more.

The baseball season starts each Spring at quaint stadiums and practice fields in Florida and Arizona. You have your established stars – your Ryan Howards, your Jayson Werths, your Roy Halladays – whose positions on the team are concrete and are simply there to knock off winter rust. And you have the prospects and utility players, guys scratching just to make the team. But there’s another category of player, usually hanging around the batting cages wearing uniform numbers like 77 and 93. They’re ‘non-roster invitees’, players in kind of a no-man’s-land. They’re not officially on the team, or any team for that matter. They’re usually veterans just looking for one last shot, a high-level try-out just to stay playing the game they love.

They’re the definition of ‘in-between’. Not here; not there. Now here is nowhere.

I went to an interview today. Nice place, clean, homey looking. No apparent structural damage. No slave-drivers wielding riding crops. I could work here. I had what I thought was a good interview. I was charming and engaging and I was sure to corral all extraneous conversation back to my résumé. Not the first interview I’ve had since I’ve been laid off, not by any stretch. So I expected the usual options as a result. I’d interview, and wait, and one of two things would happen:

• I got the job.
  
• I didn’t get the job.

Those would seem to be the prevailing choices for my would-be employers. But there was another option I hadn’t considered. An option I am finding to be more and more common these days in our ‘new economic and employment climate’.

An in-between.

I was offered a try-out. I was going to be given a chance to prove myself before anyone made a commitment. It seems this is more frequently becoming a new option for commitment-phobic hiring managers. A non-roster invitation with no obligation. A Broadway audition. That was great. Leave your head shot with the director’s assistant. Next!

I don’t think it was that callous. I think they truly liked me. And for once, I’m going to see this from the employer’s point-of-view. I don’t have to tell you, there are a lot of job hunters out there. This small company placed an ad on Craigslist. No promotion, no pushing to an email database, no listings on Career Builder. As passive a job listing as listings can be. And within two weeks, they received over a thousand résumés. That’s 83 times their actual number of current employees. That’s the jungle we’re hunting in: so many hunters, so little game.

But how is a small employer to know you’re the right person for the job? Anyone can put together a winning résumé, anyone can knock an interview out of the park. After all, last year, 30,000 students applied to Harvard. Just 2,100 of them were accepted. I presume a great many of those 93% that didn’t get in had 4.0 GPA’s and awesome interviews. So an excellent way for a company trying to emerge in the spring of a (very very) slowly-improving economy is try-outs. Low risk, high reward, and that’s music to the ear of any CEO beginning to make it out of the recession relatively-unscathed.

Imagine what it costs a company (literally and figuratively) to hire a new employee, train them, bring them in on important or proprietary projects, take the time and effort to bring them up to speed, give them a coffee mug, and stop any further applicant search. Imagine if that person doesn’t work out in a very short period of time, and must be let go. That’s a grave financial loss for a company, and a lot of unneeded emotional turmoil. Not to mention, as always, possibilities of legal action. So, the ‘in-between’: give someone a try-out. No commitments, no muss, no fuss. No messy divorce.


From the job-giver’s point of view, it’s a win-win. If the non-roster invitee works out, sign that man to a contract with a no-trade clause. If not, thank you very much, and good luck on your search. From the job-seeker’s point of view, it’s most certainly a chance to be given a fair shake in a job without losing out to a less-than-qualified employee who was hired on résumé and not merit. It’s not the best of all worlds, but it’s a fine new compromise in a New Job-World Order. Employers are more careful than ever when hiring new recruits, and playing your cards right, you may be the beneficiary.

So, my advice to you, for the little it’s worth, is be ready for this possibility if your chosen field allows for it. It’s an option now that wasn’t as much of one before. No one’s trying to get work out of you for nothing; make sure they’re paying you a fair price for your try-out. You’re still working. But don’t worry too much about negotiating price for a try-out, if you’re as good as advertised, you’ll earn your rate.

And look at it this way, they’re not just trying you out, you’re trying them out. In a time where so many are unemployed and looking for work, you may be tempted to grab any hook out there, no matter how good or bad the worm is. But make sure the job is right for you, the company is right for you, the environment is right for you. Because if you’re miserable in your new job so soon, how are you going to feel in a few months? But that’s a column for another day.

So, wish me luck. Either I may celebrating a new job should this try-out work out, or I will be back for more stories from The Laid-Off Life.


Michael Hochman ◙ LaidOffLife@yahoo.com ◙ twitter.com/PhillyPartTwo

Michael is a Copywriter, Creative Marketer, and Broadcasting Professional still in search of full-time employment after 10 months of full-time job hunting, thanks to an “involuntary career sabbatical”. A Philly native and Syracuse graduate, Michael will gladly accept any job offer you may have for him. Any. Really. Please give me a job??

Developing Your Personal Brand

Throughout your job search, it is important to build and strengthen your personal brand. Although creating an effective resume is a large piece of the puzzle, there are other elements to take into consideration in order to promote yourself in a positive manner, achieve your professional goals and land your dream job.

Develop Your Personal Brand
Personal branding is an ongoing process that should exist throughout your job search process and entire career. The goal of establishing a strong personal brand is to differentiate yourself among other professionals by demonstrating your unique value to employers. Below are a few steps you need to take to successfully build your brand while marketing yourself to potential employers:

• Increase Your Visibility. The first step towards building your personal brand is to get your name out there. The best way to establish a presence in your field is by attending industry meetings and conferences, participating in panel discussions or volunteering for committees. You never know when your contacts will be able to help you along your job search.
• Stay Connected. It is important to stay in touch with old contacts as well as continue to build and maintain your current network on a regular basis. Don’t be someone who reaches out to contacts only when they need something. Foster those relationships, especially the important ones!
• Create an Online Presence. Take professional networking to the next level by joining online social networking sites. Consider starting a blog on your area of expertise or creating a website that showcases samples of your work. Make an effort to meet other professionals online by commenting on relevant blogs or connecting with professionals through their social networking profile. Consider creating an online career portfolio and remember to manage your online reputation to ensure you are always presenting yourself in a positive, professional manner when interacting online.
• Establish Key Differentiators. Identify what makes you distinctive from other candidates and make sure to communicate it to potential employers. It is important to be honest about who you are as a professional and understand your strengths and unique value you bring to the table. It’s also important to recognize your weaknesses and develop a plan for personal improvement. By knowing yourself, you can more effectively promote yourself to others.
• Be Consistent. Ensure that you have a consistent message when speaking with potential employers, colleagues and other professionals. While you may not realize it, everything that you do or say contributes to your personal brand, including the way you conduct yourself in meetings, in phone conversations, through email communications and how you dress.
• Seek Feedback and Evaluate Progress. Once you have established your personal brand, it is important to continue to gauge how others perceive you. Test your market value by gathering constructive feedback from your co-workers, peers, family and friends. By understanding how others view your personal brand, you can learn what steps you need to take to position yourself for success.

Once you get a firm grasp on your 'personal brand,' take the next step and search & apply for local jobs at phillyjobs.com.

 

Is temp the way to go?

May 10, 2010 was an extremely rough day on Wall Street – probably the worst one we have had since February 2009.  Fortunately stocks stabilized with the release of the Labor Department’s report that 290,000 more jobs were added in April.  Even though that was good news, it made me want to know what kinds of jobs were added – if the economy is on the right track.  I read many articles and found out that the jump in jobs was due in part to hiring for temporary jobs.  In this case, the temp jobs were for the purpose of conducting census reporting. Probably not the best situation we could encounter but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

Okay… so we added 290,000 jobs to the rolls last month.  Almost one-third of those jobs were for census takers but what about the rest of the jobs.  Are companies hiring?  What industries are hiring?  What about technical jobs? Are companies spending the extra money to hire permanent employees or are they taking a cue from the government and hiring temporary employees.  To get to the bottom of the employment situation, I checked out Bruce Steinberg’s site (www.brucesteinberg.net).  Bruce has been reporting on the jobs/staffing situation since the mid 1980’s and is a great source! I wanted to see what he would report as far as the trends for April 2010 were concerned; very curious if the way to go was a temporary position. 

According to Bruce’s report, the following sectors added jobs:

• Construction  – especially in the non-residential subsectors including heavy and civil engineering construction
• Manufacturing – in fabricated metal products as well as machinery sub-sector
• Mining and logging
• Retail trade
• Wholesale trade – especially in durable goods and electronics
• Financial sector – especially in real estate
• Professional and business services – especially computer systems design and related services
• Education and health services
• Leisure and Hospitality – including arts, entertainment and recreation as well as accommodation and food services
• Government – mainly due to the temporary hiring of census takers

So, what does all of this mean?  Well, if you are a job seeker, you might want to alter your search tactics.  In the past, it was very easy to find a technical position.  However, today, companies are proceeding cautiously.  More and more employers are turning to temporary staffing services to fill their demands.  Instead of adding permanent employees to their rolls (an approach that is very expensive), they are bringing in temporary employees on an as needed, project type basis.  This ploy can be both good and bad for those seeking a job.

Pros
You will be working!
You could learn new skills
Let’s you put your best foot forward (can you say permanent employment?)
Working for globally recognized companies
Networking
Developing business relationships
Flexibility on your work schedule
Variety of work environments

Please, feel free to submit your comments or feedback below!
-Nancy Anderson, SEO Analyst for the Traffic Department at Beyond.com. Nancy has been working with Beyond since 2002.  Prior to Beyond, Nancy worked as a business systems analyst at HNC Software, Inc and completed a twenty year career in the US Navy – retiring as a Chief Petty Officer. She enjoys spending time with her beautiful daughter and three incredible granddaughters.

How Job Boards Are Tapping into the Social Networking Phenomena

Beyond.com, a network of more than 15,000 online niche career communities, recently polled more than 4,000 network visitors and found that nearly 30 percent of visitors currently use social networking sites. Of those respondents, more than 65 percent said they use social networking sites for job searching and professional networking.

As the poll results indicate, the number of users who engage in online social networking is continuing to grow and more and more individuals are using social networking as a means to further their careers. Many job boards are recognizing the significance of this trend and are beginning to reconfigure their business strategies to stay competitive by offering a professional place online for employers, job seekers and colleagues to connect online.

Many job boards are also utilizing new technologies to allow their users to connect with other members and share information through widgets such as: personal profiles, articles and blogs, etc. which encourages networking with people with similar interests, backgrounds, thoughts, etc. amongst their member base.

How Beyond.com and PhillyJobs.com are tapping into the growth of Social Networking

PhillyJobs.com has recently launched this blog to provide more robust, content-rich resources to job seekers in the Philly region and create a 'community' for Philly job seekers to connect, research and discuss the latest news, career and job seeker tips. PhillyJobs.com also has created a Page on Facebook to promote our blog articles and share news related items. Join us on Facebook to get all the latest updates! And, to compliment both social media vehicles, we've created a "Jobs" Twitter Channel as well as a 4PhillyJobs Twitter channel to keep our followers up-to-date on the latest publications and career resource tips.

What the Future Holds for Social Networking and Online Recruitment

Social networking is no doubt beginning to transform the future of the recruitment industry and is opening new doors for employers and job seekers to connect in ways not possible before. Social networking will continue to be mainstream and a popular way to interact and network in an online environment. As the social networking industry continues to evolve and grow, it will continue to play a large role in the recruitment industry. Employers will need to take advantage of the tools available online, and supplement traditional recruitment methods with social networking, niche job boards and other advanced technologies to launch the most successful recruitment program possible.

So stay in touch! And, join in the discussion today!

To join a union or not to join a union – that is the question.

Over the last month, Temple University Hospital has dealt with both nurses and technical professionals walking the picket lines seeking better conditions both for themselves and their patients.  How did they get away with this action?  They unionized!  What were the results?  Well, let’s see: the union representatives’ contracts for both the nurses and technical professionals will expire at the same time.  This is good in that they can continue to bargain together and strike together down the road – if needed.  They won tuition reimbursement for their dependents – but only if they attend Temple University.  They also won small wage increases.  However, even though Temple agreed to phase it in over the next year, their healthcare coverage increased.  Maybe the greatest win from this strike was that the “gag” order was removed.  What this means is that the nurses can continue to fight for the correct nurse/patient ratio and are able to actually speak about it without fear of losing their positions.

This was a great victory for the nurses and technical staff of Temple University but it also raised the question – “to join a union or not to join a union”.  Thinking about this led me to look at some of the pros and cons of unionizing.

Pros	Cons
Respect on the job.	Can create hostile environments.
Better wages & benefits.	Wages are often inflated limiting the number of employees.
Better work and family benefits.	Due to the higher benefits, it limits the number of employees a company can hire.
Counterbalance to the powers of employers.	Pit employees against employers in a way that can be counterproductive.
Having a voice in quality improvement.	Because of the cost involved with having unions, some employers outsource thus ending up with a lesser quality product.
Equal treatment across the board.	Strikes can make union members look greedy – especially if they are already receiving higher pay than their non-union counterparts.
Protection against being wrongly dismissed.	Protects incompetent workers who would otherwise be dismissed for cause.
Ability to strike.	Strikes can be long-term and cause negative backlash for companies.
Provides job security.	It can be difficult to get into a union thus keeping the “it’s not what you know but who you know” networking alive.

The above are just a few of the pros/cons for unions.  So, if you are looking for a job, you need to consider the pros and the cons.  Do not just look at the fact that you might make more money than a non-union counterpart.  Remember, if there is a strike, whether you agree or not with the reasons, you are on strike.  Strikes can be good but they can also be detrimental to the future of the company.  What good does it do to be in a union and strike for better conditions only to have your company go out of business because they cannot afford to meet your demands? 

In the case of Temple University Hospital, maybe it had a good ending but maybe it did not.  What happens when the demands on the hospital are greater than can be met by the current staffing but the hospital cannot afford to hire more nurses because the union lobbied for an increase in salary?  You be the judge.

- Nancy Anderson, PhillyJobs.com Blog Writer

The Laid-Off Life: Congratulations, You’ve Been Rejected!

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, [rather] in what direction we are moving.” – Hon. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

I have recently uncovered an unusual truth of the modern job hunt: Rejection can be a good thing. Progress. Better than the alternative. Ah, you say, but isn’t acceptance the alternative to rejection? Sure, in the real world. But this is not the real world, this is the job search, and there are more alternatives than what you see in the Matrix, Neo.

The job application process, broken down to its component parts, is fairly straight-forward. You find a job listing, you write a pretty little cover letter, maybe fill out an online questionnaire, and ship your résumé off into cyberspace. Web, email, US Mail, carrier pigeon, whatever the means of transport. Send it in, cross some digits.

And wait.


But job search etiquette clearly states that after submitting an application, you should follow up on it. How else will you stand out among the rest of the proletariat and huddled masses? Call up the decision-maker, humanize your submission, bestow the 3-1-1. And address it to a specific person. But these days, unless you are high-end, career-excelled, head-hunter material, you will likely not even know to whom you are applying.

Job search sites, online classifieds, Twitter listings, LinkedIn updates, they’re full of disinformation and covert ops. Hiring managers and human resource professionals are going in to hiding. It’s an epidemic. They don’t want to be found. They don’t want you to contact them. They don’t want questions. They don’t want follow ups. Anonymous listings. Agency contact only. No phone calls, please. They don’t even want you to know their name. What’s a job seeker to do?

Options abound:

• Google the company name and “HR manager”.
  
• Search their Facebook fan page.
  
• Ask an alumnus.
  
• Ask your networking contacts.
  
• Find the company on LinkedIn and search for human resource employees. (LinkedIn is an amazing resource for uncovering covert persons, but even that, HR people are getting wise to. Fuzzy references and vague titles have replaced real people’s names in searches.)
  
• Dial up the company’s switchboard and ask for a name. Good luck connecting with a human (even hitting zero now often gets you ‘you have pressed an invalid key’).

If you’re fortunate enough to escape the auto-attendant maze, new company security policies often preclude the switchboard from giving you a person’s name. Suck it up and sadly ask for “Human resources, please”. But I guarantee you a Pete Rose bet you will get voicemail. So you leave your name, spelling out your last name. Leave your phone number. Spell out your email address. Rinse. Repeat.

And wait.

Why don’t HR people return phone calls? You’re not calling to sell them a timeshare. You just want to humanize yourself to them. You want to place a voice to a résumé. You want to tell them how perfect you are for them. You want to show interest, ask about the company. All the things you’re supposed to do. Please, Ms. HR Manager, just call me back. We were taught to follow up, let us follow up!

But do you want to know a secret?

Spoiler alert!

There’s a good chance your application never even got as far as HR, or any human being for that matter. These days, at larger companies, and even smaller ones using such software, your résumé simply gets dumped in to a database upon arrival, where it is pulled apart, dismembered, and dismantled. Stripped down to its protons and neutrons, like matter into a black hole, and sifted through for keywords. That self-portrait you bled sweat over is now mere ones-and-zeroes in an intelligent keyword-categorized search. If the proper terms in your résumé match an optimized keyword search, it may go in to the pile an actual person may look at. If not, it will forever line the bottom of their hard-drive's proverbial birdcage. So, if you’re not suitably SEO’d, you’re DOA. Take 'em away boys, there's nothing more we can do. I’ll let the experts at PhillyJobs.com tell you how to do this, but you best be doing it or that beautiful résumé of yours may have a half-life shorter than spam.

Then one day you’re cleaning out your inbox of emails about half-off flowers and your cousin’s trip to Paraguay when that flashing ‘new mail’ message blinks, and an email titled ‘Re: Your Resume’ arrives from noreply@pleasepleaseiwantthisjob.com.

Dear Michael: We have carefully reviewed your application. While your résumé is impressive, we have decided that you do not fit our needs at this time. Good luck on your search for employment. We will keep your résumé on file for 90 days if anything comes up that matches your qualifications.
Sincerely, Mr. Robert Notyourboss.

(Bytheway, has anyone ever had anything “come up” later that matched their qualifications? Ya, me neither.)

Rejection, yes. But triumph nonetheless! You may actually only get a 10-15% response-of-any-kind rate from your submissions, so good for you! Progress! Use this little victory to stay positive and stay on track. You’re that much closer to a magical email that says someone loved your résumé and when can you come in for an interview. And in that moment, you’ve discovered how rejection in the Laid-Off Life is an encouraging alternative to silence.

Please Note: if you’re a Human Resources Professional, please take my witty criticism with a handful of salt. I think you are all very, very wonderful people and I strongly encourage you to give me a job. However, if you’ve ever been laid off or otherwise unemployed yourself, remember how much it completely and utterly stinks on this side.

And if you get my voicemail, rest assured I will promptly return your call.


Michael Hochman ◙ LaidOffLife@yahoo.com ◙ twitter.com/PhillyPartTwo

Michael is a Copywriter, Creative Marketer, and Advertising & Broadcasting Professional still in search of full-time employment after 10 months of full-time job hunting, thanks to an “involuntary career sabbatical”. A Philly native and Syracuse graduate, Michael will gladly accept any job offer you may have for him. Any. Really. Please give me a job??