What Are Your Options Once Your Short Term Job Ends?

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Is your current contract about to end? Do you have options once it ends? Everybody has things that they believe will happen, but are those options realistic? If not, then you should start to develop some specific options and have them available by a certain date. Your contract is ending so you need multiple options in case one, or all of them, falls apart.
Your career obviously has options if you’re working on a contract basis, so start searching for the options that fit with your skill set. How many working professionals actually have a clear-cut set path that they would like to follow? How many options do your coworkers have after their job ends?
If you do not have any options once your contract ends, then you need to start developing some career options quick.
Why do you need career options? The job market is tough, but there are still other things that you can do to broaden your horizons. When you have a long-term contract it seems like you don’t need a long list of options, but if you’re working on short-term jobs, then you always have to keep an eye open for something new.
Your career is like a long winding road trip. You may not know the destination but you know where you started from, you know where you want to go, sure there may be detours along the way, but eventually you will want to have a clear destination. If you don’t have all of your options mapped out, then that should be your top goal. So, what are some of your options after your short-term job ends?
1. You could get another short-term contract
If you’ve always had short stays at companies for contract work, then you might be more comfortable working in this manner. This can be a great way to make money and still have your freedom…if you have the stomach for it. And sometimes it can be hard to find another job if your contract ends quickly.
2. Go for a long-term company
If you’re tired of looking for work every 6 months, then why not find a traditional 9 to 5 job? Depending on your chosen field, you could have many different options in a lot of different companies. If you have an accounting degree you’re basically set to work at any company, as long as they need someone to do their taxes, then you’re their person.
3. Try a different profession
What if you feel stagnant during your current work? It doesn’t mean you have to swear off that type of work forever, but you might want to consider a change of scenery. Moving to a different position within your short-term contract employer may provide other options.
4. Extending your contract
If you and your contract employer have a solid working relationship and you like where you’re at, then why not stay there? They obviously could use your talents, so talk to the HR manager about what can be done.



In order to advance your career and get your job search back on track, there are a few things that you must do correctly. As a job seeker, finding a job should be your full-time job. Many people work tirelessly to find a job, but they keep coming up short, so today we’re going to have a look at the 5 reasons that your job search is still going and why you’re not getting the response that you feel you should. If you find yourself doing any of the following, then today is a great day to take action.
1. You do not make your job search personal
What this means is that you’re still sending out generic resumes with no target. Instead, get personal. Find the names of HR Managers, company directors or anyone involved in the hiring at the company. Then you send them a personalized note with your custom made resume to their company explaining your desired position and how you could help the company.
2. You are looking in the same place as everyone else
One thing you have to keep in mind is that there are a lot of unemployed people right now. Many of these people will be looking in the exact same field, geographical area or they have the same skill level as yourself. One way around this is to find opportunities through networking, online job searches and by using job boards to find hidden career options. If everyone is looking in the same place, it will only drown out your voice. Be different and look at all of your options.
3. You believe every word you hear about the recession
If you think everyone is living hand to mouth, then you are very mistaken. America has a lot of opportunity for people who are willing to look. Yes, it’s tougher than usual, but not impossible to find a job that suits you. Take a few minutes to review the positive aspects and reduce your stress level. An open mind will lead towards an open job.
4. Poor email etiquette
Every time there is a job fair, we see this problem emerge. People do not read their emails and proof them, but you can bet that your prospective employer is reviewing every little detail about your resume. Misuse the word “your” in place of “you’re” and it’s a dead giveaway that you did not proof your email. Another way that people send out poorly written or constructed emails is if they do not have a subject, have a subject line that reads, “have a look at my resume” or poorly written opening lines in the email. Try to show a little patience and take some time to review your emails before you send them.
5. You’re not as productive as you believe
Sending out a few resumes during the morning and then taking the rest of the day to watch some TV is not a productive job search. Get into the habit of diligently looking for a job. Make yourself a schedule and stick to it. All you have is you. So, work hard and you will find the right career for you.

Finding That Dream Job – That Doesn't Support Your Degree

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Many people in this economy know firsthand how it feels to have a college degree but no job to show for it. If you went to school for accounting but your dream was always to work in Hollywood, it doesn’t mean you have to settle for being the Tax Attorney to the Stars, no, you can still pursue that dream job you’ve always wanted, even if you do not have the degree to support it. College graduates are finding themselves in this situation across the country, they did what they were told and got a degree and now they have nothing to do.
So how do you make the best out of this situation? The first thing you do is stop crying. It can be a real bummer to realize that your degree does not hold much weight in the job market, but next time you are rejected from that dream job, remind yourself that you have a dream and that you will fulfill it.
You choose your path, not someone else
You can sit around and feel sorry for yourself that your degree isn’t what you want to do or you can move on and get creative with your job search. Just remember that the U.S. Department of Labor still says that college graduates face shorter periods of unemployment and have an overall higher income through their lives.
Time to get creative
As long as you are willing to work hard, there is always a way to find your dream job, even if you have a liberal arts degree. The first thing you need to find out is: What is your dream job? What are the right steps to get there, what can you do to help you get to that position, just how badly do you want  this and how hard are you willing to work for it?
You must figure out these questions if you are going to develop a plan of action. The answers may seem elusive but you can find the answers. Admitting that you do not know what you want to do with your life is not a failure, it just means that you have more time to find yourself and find the thing that makes you happy. Dealing with debt can be a difficult task when you are trying to change paths, so make sure your finances are handled before making a big transition. And it’s much easier to make a change now before you’ve trapped yourself in a career.
Work for free
Sounds awful right, but what if an unpaid internship gets you into the position you wanted? It doesn’t matter if you’re 15, 35 or 65, if you decide to change something and you find a way in, go for it. This could be your only opportunity. Sure it might be hard in the interim but you’re life will be enriched from your personal growth. Besides you can always get a second job to supplement your income. It’s your life, so go live it.



The Internet has changed a lot about our world in the last ten years─including how we look for jobs. The basics may be the same: the old finding an opening and applying for it, but the internet has completely revolutionized the employment process. With more than 9% unemployed, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, many people are going to be using every single tool at their disposal to find their next employment opportunity.
Networking has been the traditional way to find a job, but over the last ten years this has changed to social networking sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. These sites are now the second-most effective tool in your job-hunting arsenal, according to job placement firms. Searching for jobs at trade fairs or by looking through newspaper classifieds has long been replaced by the internet. It’s not about the old school anymore, today’s job seekers have to be on the web to find a job.
Social networking sites have exploded with popularity, people look to connect with old friends, loved ones and business partners alike, so there is always opportunity to meet someone with a job offer online. Facebook has over 500 million users worldwide, Twitter’s traffic has increased exponentially in the last year and LinkedIn, despite not being as robust as the other social media options, is perhaps the most useful of any social networking site when it comes to actual job hunting. LinkedIn’s traffic has nearly doubled in the past year, thanks to its usefulness as an employer posting site and networking capabilities. You all know how I feel about LinkedIn.
Employment posting sites have been popular over the last decade as well. There are a lot of options out there for these sites and many are household names. Job posters look for these sites because they know prospective employees are going to frequent them in hopes of finding something. These sites experienced great growth early in the decade but social media sites and other factors have contributed to a loss of traffic.
One of the factors in the decline of job posting sites has been the boom of Craigslist. Craigslist is a privately held company that specializes in free internet postings. It’s basically like an online classified section for the internet, users can post jobs or even garage sales. Much of Craigslist’s earnings come from job postings, Craigslist’s success has meant tough times for the newspaper industry. Total revenue from classified listings for newspapers has fallen by as much as 42.5% in 2008 to just $2.2 billion, which makes it the worst drop in the history of the industry.
The internet is definitely where people look for jobs, but the ease at which prospective employees can send out resumes has made it tough for HR managers. They have to sift through a huge pile of resumes to find the right candidate and with jobs scarce at the moment, it can be hard to get through the clutter. People who rely on one method for their job search will find it much more difficult to find employment than others.

Every year experts in their respective fields talk to employers, look at statistics and then take their best guess about what will happen in the job market. Of course 2011 is no different. People want to know if there will be more college graduates hired, will salaries go up or go down and is there a chance employees will see an increase in their performance reviews?


According to available information the job market has begun to look up and there are hopeful signs everywhere. Unemployment rates have held steady at around 10 percent, so it’s good to see some kind of recovery start to take shape.
Recent College Graduate Outlook
The good news is that recent college graduates may have better luck finding jobs. The National Association of Colleges and Employers released their Job Outlook 2011 Fall Preview survey and employers expect to hire at least 13.5 percent more new college graduates from the 2011 graduating class compared to 2010 college graduates. Of the participating employers, nearly half of them expected to increase hiring, where about 40 percent expected to maintain the same level of new college hires.
However, some college degrees still pay more than others. Particularly those college students with engineering degrees still have the highest level of being hired out of college. In fact, all engineering degrees are expected to see growth.
Salary Projections and Increased Salaries
For those that are not recent college grads, but still want to know their job prospects and salary projections for 2011, there is a small flicker of sunlight on the horizon. Projected salary increases for 2010 were thought to be around 2 to 3 percent and the outlook for 2011 is a little bit better. The projections for 2011 are that employers will be able to raise their budgets enough to work with a 3 percent increase in salary according to Plan Sponsor.
That does not mean that each and every employee and job seeker will receive a 3 percent salary increase just because their employer’s budget increased, so don’t go in expecting the increase to hit suddenly. Annual salary increases usually work by creating a pool of cash, which is set aside for each independent department, so that it is the equivalent of 3 percent of that department’s salaries. The pool of money is then divided between employees based on seniority and role within the company.
So as experts begin to predict growth for the 2011 job market there creates good news for soon to graduate college students and those who are still looking for work. Things are looking up but it still might take some time to fully recover. Rome wasn’t built in a day and your financial security and job prospects won’t be either. Keep your ear to the grindstone and start pounding out connections because you never know when that dream job will be right around the corner.

You Were Fired….Now What Do You Do?

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Getting fired— it can happen to the best of us, and it can even happen when it’s not your fault. Many people have been fired due to personality conflicts between themselves and managers or other employees. The idea of what your job was going to be like may be miles away from what management had in mind. Or you could simply have screwed the pooch. It happens and you’re not alone.

Experts believe that at least 200,000 people are unjustly or illegally fired each year. So you’re fired–now what do you do? Do you sulk and cry for a day (pity party, table for one please), probably, but then you get back up and do your best to find something that will work for you. But, you’re fired now, so what are your options? Regardless of whether you were fired for legitimate reasons or not, where do you go from here?
Being Fired
First thing you do is not beat yourself up over it. Getting fired can happen to anyone, even the best employees have been fired at one point, so do not dwell on it. Keep your focus on what you are going to do next and how you’re going to find another job. But, keep in mind that you have another hurdle to overcome – the tag of being fired – has been added to your job search woes. There are ways to overcome this issue and at least put it in a neutral light.
Legal Issues
Before you start your job search do some research and see where you stand legally. Your termination could be legitimate or it could be considered wrongful termination. Check and see if you are eligible for unemployment benefits. You don’t know whether you are eligible until you file so that should be the first step after getting fired. Ask your state’s unemployment office, especially if you and your employer have a disagreement on the grounds of your termination. In cases where it is not clear, the unemployment office will often lean towards the unemployed person over the corporation, especially when making a decision on unemployment benefits.
Your Resume and Cover Letter
There is no reason to mention that you were fired in your job search, on your resume or in your cover letter. Just make sure that your job search is positive and you portray yourself in a solid, responsible light. In your cover letter, you can focus on the basics, while avoiding long winded explanations of past employment. Your cover letter should address the specific position you are applying for, make sure that your cover letter is correct and matches each job you apply for, as well as addressing why you are applying, and how you are qualified. There is no reason to bring up your firing in your cover letter or resume. That should wait for your interview, if at all.

Dancing in the rain—kicking the job search blues

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I am a member of the Career Collective, a group of  resume writers and career coaches. Each month, all members discuss a certain topic. Please follow our tweets on Twitter #careercollective
This month we are discussing helping job seekers stay positive during the job search process.  I encourage you to visit the links below to read other members’ posts as well!     +++++

They say life’s not about making it through the storm, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. Well if you’ve ever been “between jobs,” or “unemployed” for the more realistic of us, this saying has probably inspired and/or discouraged you at some point. We’ve all heard the statistics—unemployment rates are flitting on the edge of 15%. That means that more than likely, either you or people you are close to are unemployed. Heck, you probably know several unemployed people at the moment.
For those of you who directly relate to this predicament, you’re all to familiar with the uninspired words of supposed comfort from your loved ones—“let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” Meanwhile your inner voice is screaming “give your boss my resume!” or “let me mow your lawn!” depending on your current length of unemployment. But here’s the rub: you can sit there letting your inner voice make all the assertions, or you can take some proactive steps towards bringing some positive energy back into your life.

The first step to keeping afloat during your job search woes is to stay on top of your game. This means to remain in touch with your industry (or preferred industry, if you’re looking into switching careers). This will not only distract you from your lack of work, but will actually boost your self-confidence, expand your knowledge base, and possibly lead to job opportunities. If this technique doesn’t automatically lead to a traditional job opportunity, you can also take initiative and create an industry related project of your own. For example, if you’re in the marketing industry, take an example of a crisis situation a company in the field is facing at the moment and write up a proposal on how to solve this problem. If nothing else, it is a piece to add to your portfolio and might lead you to become more aware of technologies and resources out there that you haven’t looked into yet. You can also use this time to become an expert at a technology or system you didn’t know of before. Look at it this way—if your resume isn’t getting you a job as is, then add to it. There is no better way to distinguish yourself than to become an expert at something your competition is not proficient in.
Secondly, use this time to establish a good life habit that you can continue when you do land that dream (or just-for-now) job. Take up old hobbies or healthy habits such as exercising. Not only will the endorphins kick your blues, but a set schedule will allow you to set reachable goals which will help your self-esteem in a situation which would otherwise bring you down. But make sure your goals are logical for both the time-being and the future (read—when you have a 9 to 5), as you don’t want to set up any system which defines that you won’t have a job for a while. Always live as if you could have a job tomorrow, and this positive frame of mind will lead you to the manifestation of these thoughts, if by no other means than confidence alone.
Lastly, enjoy! Yes, it is horrible to be a part of the 15% statistic. And yes, you’re probably tired of hearing that you should enjoy these days, but people say it for a reason. When you’re sitting in that office looking forward to your next paycheck, don’t let yourself ruminate on the things you wish you would’ve done when you had more time. Visit family and old friends, even if you spend time job searching while visiting, any time spent is better than none. Go for a walk in the middle of the day and enjoy the sunshine those 9-to-5ers are envying right now. And if the sunshine turns to rain every once in a while, dance. You won’t regret it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Please visit the links below to read what other Career Collective members have to say about struggling with job search.
@MartinBuckland, Job Search Made Positive
@GayleHoward, Job Search: When It All Turns Sour
@chandlee, Strategy for Getting “Unstuck” and Feeling Better: Watch Lemonade
@heathermundell, Help for the Job Search Blues
@heatherhuhman, 10 Ways to Turn Your Job Search Frown Upside-Down
@KCCareerCoach, You Can Beat the Job Search Blues: 5 + 3 Tips to Get Re-energized
@WalterAkana, Light at the End of the Tunnel
@resumeservice, Don’t Sweat The Job Search
@careersherpa, Mind Over Matter: Moving Your Stalled Search Forward
@WorkWithIllness, Finding Opportunity in Quicksand
@KatCareerGal, Job-Hunting in a Weak Job Market: 5 Strategies for Staying Upbeat (and Improving Your Chances of Success)
@ErinKennedyCPRW, Dancing in the Rain–Kicking the Job Search Blues
@keppie_careers, What to do when you are discouraged with your job search
@DawnBugni, It’s the little things
@ValueIntoWords, Restoring Your Joy in Job Search
@LaurieBerenson, 3 Ways to Keep Your Glass Half Full
@JobHuntOrg, Just SO VERY Discouraged, https://www.job-hunt.org/job-search-news/2010/02/25/just-so-very-discouraged/
@expatcoachmegan, Dealing with Job Search Stress: Getting to the Source of the Problem
@BarbaraSafani, Making Job Search Fun (Yeah, That’s Right), https://www.careersolvers.com/blog/2010/02/24/making-job-search-fun-yeah-thats-right/
@GLHoffman, How to Overcome the Negativity of a Job Search, https://blogs.jobdig.com/wwds/2010/02/25/how-to-overcome-the-negativity-of-a-job-search/

It starts quietly.
You hear rumblings about it from colleagues; it’s all anyone can talk about. Company morale is low and people are getting panicky. Suddenly, they let go of 25 people in your department with more layoffs expected. 2 months later, you get your pink slip. You don’t have any prospects in sight, everyone you know is laid off, and your resume has been severely neglected.
What do you do now?
For starters, you need to release some emotion and frustration, so plan on going out with your friends and/or family the weekend after you are let go and HAVE FUN. Forget about the job for a day or two and just  try to relax. You can’t expect a response from anyone if you apply for a job on a weekend, so there is no sense in worrying.
Next, start contacting old friends, colleagues and relatives to let them know you are on the market. Start social networking– join LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Plaxo and/or all the other social networking sites available, set up your profile and let people know you are job searching.
Go to business lunches, job fairs, trade shows and join any associations in your field.  Keep your entire job search organized by using jibberjobber (one of my favorite sites for job search management).  Get your resume, cover letter and references in order so you aren’t in a panic if you see a job you really, really want.
Doing these things will make you feel productive and will keep the blues at bay. The busier you are, the better you will feel. I notice that clients of mine who are sitting around waiting for the right job have the hardest time. But it’s not only keeping busy with job search, but with other things as well. When was the last time you read a book? Painted? Played golf? Planted a garden? “Interim Time” as I call it (time in between jobs), is a great time to start a hobby you’ve always wanted to do. I read a great article by Brazen Careerist’s,  Penelope Trunk who put it perfectly, “5 Things to do when you are unemployed. Hint: it’s not job hunting”. I loved this because it makes sense. Penelope talks about starting a blog, or launching a company, or doing something you’ve always wanted to do.
Before I got the job at the career center, I had 6 months of job search. Yuck. But I took it as an opportunity to do something I had always wanted to do:  cross stitch. Sounds silly, but I always thought there is something about a beautiful work of cross stitch that always moved me. It looked so tedious, but at the same time, challenging. So, I went to the cross stitch store, bought a pattern, thread and canvas, and began my work of art. Talk about time consuming! It became my treat to myself , my reward, after sending out resumes, going on interviews, or making connections that day. It was tedious, hard on the eyes and tiresome, but I loved every minute of it. It also distracted me, which kept me from obsessing on the fact that I didn’t have a job.
Make small goals, keep yourself busy and then being unemployed won’t be so depressing. Besides, you’ll be working before you know it and then you’ll wish you were out doing some of the things you could be doing now!