Chapter 3 - Got the Resume! Now What? (Creating a Plan of Action)

You thought getting your resume together was difficult, now begins the real challenge. It’s time to decide what you want to do. This is equivalent to going to a restaurant with a 50-page menu and deciding what to have for dinner.

What are your priorities? Seems like a simple question, but most people don’t know the answer. Let’s go back a bit further; why did you get on the particular career path you are traveling? What were your dreams and visions of the future when you first started out? What has been fulfilling about your particular career path? What has become more of an illusion than a vision? These questions are much more direct and you probably know the answers.

Returning to your present situation, what is important to you in your personal life? How has your career affected your personal life? Is there anything that is going to change soon in your personal life? If so, how does your career need to adapt?

Do you know these answers? Probably. So now you can extract your priorities from these answers. Are they?

___ Money / Benefits
___ Family
___ Flexibility
___ Employer Culture
___ Career Growth / Responsibilities
___ Common Personal Values
___ Independence
___ Travel
___ Your Place in the World
___ Additional Training and Education

These are just some ideas to get you started. Once you have defined your priorities, you have cut the 50-page menu in half. However, there are still more decisions to consider.

There are very few jobs, if any, that is a perfect match. However, many can be enjoyable and fulfilling. The way to narrow down which jobs you would enjoy and which jobs would be equivalent to serving prison time is to decide what you “Must Do, May Do, and Won’t Do?”

The key to this exercise is to be honest. Many people who are in need of a job decide they are willing to do anything. Anything? Really? For how long? Where will that get you in the long-term?


Start out with what you “must do.” You can get this information from your priorities that you have listed. Then research and learn what other responsibilities may be included within the chosen career. These responsibilities will differ depending on the industry, location, employer philosophy, size of the employer, and employer’s place in the market.

Once your list of possible additional responsibilities is complete, you need to honestly evaluate which ones you “may do” and which ones you “won’t do.” This exercise narrows the menu down to a reasonable selection.

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and saw a very appealing menu item, but when you went to order it, you were informed the kitchen had run out of that particular item. The employment market is very similar. There are many job titles, and descriptions, career paths and future opportunities, but they are not always available. If you listen to the media during a recession, you will begin to think the “employment” restaurant has closed. As mentioned earlier in this manual, in the best market, when unemployment was at the lowest point, employers were shutting down or downsizing. During the Depression there were employers expanding and generating revenues. You need to be able to evaluate what is really going on in the market. Stock Reports and Financial Analyst are not always going to be your best bet.

First, let’s consider the life cycle of a new product. When a new product is a twinkle in an inventor’s eye, Research and Development is hired to understand how that product will affect the current market. Once the new product is found to be viable, a Production Team is hired to create the product. Ideally, Quality Control is put into place to test the product. The very important next step is to get Sales and Marketing people to sell the product. Logistics for shipping must then be put in place. Once the product is out, a Support staff needs to be hired. Finally the Administrative staff needs to grow to control the new flow of money.

The final stage of a new product life cycle is competition. If the new product shows profit, other employers in the industry will begin with their own Research and Development team, and so on.

So, as you hear about the latest and greatest products coming out, consider where your role falls into the life cycle, and time your introduction to the employer appropriately. Watch all job ads within the chosen industry. If you are in quality control, and you see lots of job ads in production, get ready to interview.

Many jobs are not necessarily industry specific. Even if you spent your entire career in one industry, evaluate how other industries work and where you might fit in. Watch for growing industries. Growing industries have many signals. First, the government keeps statistics on growing industries and with a little research you can get your hands on those stats. Also, pay attention to media advertisements, commercials, print ads, and, billboards. Money spent in advertisement is meant to promote growth.

Make sure you keep your eyes and ears open for what the government has their hands in. State and local governments provide all sorts of funding to promote certain industries that they feel will contribute to the community. All divisions of government make up laws and policies that directly affect the future of industries.

Be sure not to be shaken if a major player within an industry gets knocked down. Consider if there were extenuating circumstances. Consider also, at times when an industry giant crumbles, the sun is let in for the small twigs to grow and expand the industry as a whole.

Consider employers that are laying people off. That sounds crazy, but just because a division within an employer is laying off doesn’t mean the employer isn’t hiring for another division. Often times the employer is shifting their resources to a more viable area. Also, at certain times of the year, public employers feel the need to reduce head count, but they still need people in place to do the job. This is a good time to enter the employer as a contractor, ideally to transition to a permanent employee when the time is right.

An important step in planning your job search is making sure you are aware of your legal rights and any government assistance available to you.

Government Agencies Protect and Assist You

Did you know that the 3 primary Federal Agencies that administer and enforce employment laws also could assist you in your job search?
Department of Labor (DOL)
The Department of Labor (DOL) administers and enforces over 180 employment laws as well as provides truly beneficial re-employment services. Contacting the DOL should be a top priority of any unemployed job seekers. You might be surprised in what they can do for you!

The DOL administers unemployment benefits for qualified individuals. (You might qualify for a weekly check – find out!)

If you were laid off or let go from your former employer (or even a recent prior employer) you should go to your local DOL office and apply for unemployment benefits. If you were working on a W-2 basis, your former employer was required to pay unemployment insurance for you. You may qualify to receive weekly unemployment pay. This money could help to tie you over while you are looking for a new job. The process for applying is very easy. You should take your separation notice (from your former employer – and required by law) to your local Department of Labor office. They will give you an application/information form to fill out (it takes about 30 minutes). In some cases it can even be filled out online. Then you will meet with a counselor who will explain how to certify for a weekly check. It’s simple! If you don’t apply you’ll never know – you may have money available for you!

Do you have student loans? If you have government subsidized student loans, your monthly payments could be made while you are receiving unemployment benefits. You should call the company that holds your student loan and inform them that you are currently unemployed and working with the Department of Labor, then request assistance. Your monthly loan repayment, at a minimum, may be put on hold, and at best, could be paid for you.

There are also a variety of free re-employment services available by the DOL. They include job search seminars, employment counseling, financial management courses, and referrals to training and career development classes just to name a few.

The DOL also offers a free resource library, which may give you access to:
· Books
· Videotapes
· Phones
· Fax and copy machine usage
· Computers with Internet access.

As an active job seeker you should be aware that the DOL enforces the Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires employers to adhere to wage and overtime requirements. The Fair Labor Standards Act defines minimum wage and requires employers to comply. It also requires employers to pay time and a half for any hours an employee works over 40 hours a week. There are exceptions to both laws. If your income is primarily based on tips or commissions an employer may not be required to pay minimum wage. Note that if your position is of a professional nature or salaried, your employer may not be required to pay overtime. When you evaluate opportunities you should keep this law in mind.

I have worked with many people who have complained about the number of hours they work each week without receiving any overtime pay. Typically their positions do not qualify for overtime because of the professional nature of the position. In many cases, if the person were aware of the hours they would be working they would have negotiated a higher salary, bonus structure, or comp time.

Did you know that men and women both are eligible for leave under the FMLA? The DOL also enforce the Family Medical Leave Act, which allows employees to have up to twelve weeks unpaid protected leave for the birth or adoption of a child, for a serious illness, or for a serious illness in an immediate family member. (Employers are required to adhere if they employ more than fifty people and you have been employed for a year.) The law requires an employer to have the same or an equivalent position available when you return from FMLA qualified leave.

The DOL administers Worker’s Compensation as well. If you have ever been to the emergency room, a chiropractor, a surgeon or sometimes even your general practitioner you have been asked if you were injured on the job. That is because often your regular insurance does not cover injuries that occurred on the job. Your employer is required to carry Worker’s Compensation insurance on you.

Listed below are a few additional areas in which the DOL administers and/or enforces. Please be aware that this list only includes the areas that I feel are most vital to job seekers. For a complete list and details please contact the Department of Labor directly.

· Wages and Hours
· Safety and Health
· Pension and Welfare
· Unions
· Polygraph Protection
· Garnishment of Wages
· Veterans Protection
· Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers
· Construction
· Transportation
· Plant Closings and Layoffs
· Unemployment Insurance Benefits
· Family Medical Leave Act
· Workers Compensation

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ensures non-discrimination in the work place. The EEOC primarily enforces your Civil Rights. As a job seeker you should be aware that they also protect you from discrimination even when you are interviewing.

Have you ever felt like you were at a disadvantage based on personal questions asked during an interview? If so, you may have been discriminated against.

Interviewers are not allowed to ask you questions that discriminate. Some examples of discriminating questions are: What is your native language? How old are you? Where were you born? Why do you walk with a limp? What church do you attend? What is your ethnic background? Are you pregnant? Discriminating questions can sometimes even be less obvious, for example: What year did you graduate from high school? You have a nice complexion, where are you from? What are your plans after your baby is born? Do you have children? Are you married?

Have you ever had an interviewer state “We are really looking for a young-gun to fill this position,” or, “We were really looking for a woman to do this job”? Those statements could also indicate discrimination.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act states that employers (with 15 or more people) cannot discriminate based on race, sex, color, religion, or natural origin. The Age Discrimination Act of 1967 does not allow employers to discriminate against individuals over 40 years of age. (Some Bona Fide Occupational Qualification Exemptions apply, depending on the job.)

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals with disabilities; it also requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for disabled individuals. Title VII also prohibits employers from discriminating against a person that is pregnant.

What should you do if you are faced with a question in an interview that you are uncomfortable with or you feel is a discriminating type of question? You do have choices in your response. Discriminating questions can cause immediate anxiety and can make you uncomfortable. Your response can impact the entire interview. Rather than confronting the interviewer with an accusation and putting yourself in an awkward position, you could politely ask if your answer has any bearing on consideration for the position. Or you could state that you are uncomfortable answering that question. Either response is perfectly acceptable but you must be cautious of your tone. Interviewers often do not realize that they are asking illegal questions. Sometimes they even think that they are just being friendly and getting to know you. You should always be polite and attempt to guide the interview back to questions that are relevant. Once the interview is complete you can make a determination whether you feel like you were discriminated against.

The EEOC can provide assistance if you feel you have been the victim of discrimination during an interview or in the work place. They also enforce and administer many other employment laws, for a complete list and details please contact the EEOC directly.
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administers the National Labor Relations Act, which oversees the relations between employers, unions, and employees. They prevent and remedy unfair labor practices by employers and unions. They also govern elections in which employees decide if they wish to be represented by unions.

If you are considering an industry where employees may belong to unions, you should be aware that the NLRB can provide you with information on those potential employers and the unions that represent their employees.

If you think you have been a victim of an unfair labor practice you can contact a local NLRB office for advice. If your concern falls under their jurisdiction they will provide you with information on how to file a complaint. If it does not they may be able to refer you to the appropriate agency.

Please note:
I have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information we are providing. Our intention is to provide you with general information. It is not intended to be a legal reference. State and Federal laws vary and are subject to change. I am only attempting to make you aware of laws. Before attempting any course of action you should seek professional legal advice.